After a long delay, MWSA’s representatives met with the DNR on May 2nd to begin discussions concerning the slalom course permit situation. The DNR was represented by Law Division Assistant Chief Dean Molnar and Lt. Tom Wanless. We believe the meeting went well and may provide an opportunity to resolve the current slalom course permit situation, including the “no overnight buoys” restriction. However, there is still much work to be done.
From the DNR’s perspective, the permit program that has been in place for many years has included a “no overnight buoys” provision, although they acknowledge it hasn’t been enforced in many years because of a joint collaborative effort between MWSA and the DNR. Because of the retirement of the DNR’s liaison on this issue, coupled with some complaints last year, the DNR decided the easiest course was for them to enforce the permits as written.
Our meeting with the DNR covered many topics, including a discussion of what a slalom course consists of, how it’s used, the fact that it’s used as a shared resource by the public, that it promotes the use of our lakes, and so forth. We also discussed the practical difficulties with an overnight buoy removal requirement, such that this will effectively prohibit most lakes from having a usable slalom course at all. Assistant Chief Molnar indicated he was not particularly familiar with our sport, or how the current permit program impacted it, and he was attentive throughout the discussion. During the meeting, we discussed several alternatives, including dealing with situations where there are no course-related objections or complaints (most of the lakes), a few objections or complaints, or lots of problems. Various options were discussed, and both DNR attendees agreed to give consideration to how we might structure a permit program to return to easily accessible slalom courses while, at the same time, making sure that all water users and property owners have fair opportunities to use and enjoy the lake. They indicated they would like a few weeks to consider the situation and agreed that we would continue the discussion shortly thereafter. They are also aware that summer will soon arrive, so the state’s skiers are anxious to get the situation resolved. Although we are cautiously optimistic about achieving a fair outcome, it’s also fair to say that the DNR has not made any promises or commitments at this point, beyond agreeing to take a closer look at the situation and consider any workable resolution options.
Over the next few days, we will be working on an outline of issues and solutions to present to the DNR, in an effort to keep the discussion moving forward constructively and quickly. Our belief is that we should give this process a few weeks to evolve, without putting political or legal pressure on the DNR, as MWSA’s long and favorable history with the DNR suggests that an “internal” DNR solution is the best opportunity to achieve a quick and reasonable outcome.
Again, please give us the necessary time to resolve this situation to a positive outcome for all the parties involved. We promise to keep you informed, but we recommend all permit holders adhere to their permit as it is written and will subsequently be enforced by the DNR. Any violations will result in the DNR possibly revoking the permit, which will only make a difficult situation even harder to resolve.
