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Citizens press DNR for action on wake-boat ballast systems as invasive-species vector
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged the DNR board to address wake-surf boat ballast systems that can retain water and spread quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species; advocates proposed pilot decontamination centers and legislative changes if administrative action proves insufficient.
Five public speakers during the open-forum portion of the Natural Resources Board meeting urged immediate attention to ballast systems in wake-surf boats, which several speakers described as impossible to fully drain and therefore a vector for aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as quagga mussels. Jim Olson, a Madison trial lawyer, summarized open-records research and warned that ballast systems retain significant water even when owners believe they have been drained. Carol Phillips and Jeff Meissman…
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