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Committee backs bill to let DNR tag, remove and bill owners of abandoned boats; authors cite environmental and cost concerns
Summary
Senate File 27‑35 would authorize the Department of Natural Resources to tag abandoned watercraft, remove them after a notice period, assess removal costs to owners and impose misdemeanor penalties; sponsors and DNR testified about recurring abandoned‑boat problems and high removal costs for large, sunken vessels.
The Judiciary Committee on April 4 recommended Senate File 27‑35, a measure to create a framework for identifying, removing and holding owners financially responsible for abandoned watercraft on public lands and waterways.
Sen. Carrie Seaburger, sponsor of the measure, told the committee that since summer 2024 a 54‑foot abandoned yacht on an island in the St. Croix River has accrued more than $44,000 in fines and continues to leak oil. She said the bill fills enforcement gaps by allowing the…
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