Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Abandoned Watercraft Dnr Removal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
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 Department of Natural Resources to tag abandoned boats, require owners to claim or remove them within 14 days, remove vessels that remain unclaimed and assess the cost to owners. If owners fail to pay, the DNR may suspend other DNR licenses (hunting, fishing, watercraft registration, snowmobile) until the obligation is satisfied.
DNR enforcement director Col. Rodman Smith said abandoned watercraft are increasing nationwide and that the bill provides a framework many local jurisdictions lack. He described scenarios in which large boats are left to sink or are stripped of identifying marks, and said removal of a large sunken cruiser can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Committee members asked whether the bill overlaps with existing rules for fish houses or other seasonal structures and whether insurance or other market mechanisms cover removal costs. Smith said fish houses are treated differently because they are removed on a seasonal schedule; vessels present a different operational challenge. Members also raised concerns that the law could prompt owners to abandon vessels on private property and asked about the DNR’s ability to pursue owners when identifying markings are removed. Smith said criminal investigations have been successful in some cases to identify owners.
Sen. Seaburger said stakeholders including the DNR and sheriff’s offices support the measure. The committee recommended the bill to the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee for further consideration.
