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DNR regional director briefs Grant County on CWD, licensing changes and lake management
Summary
Minnesota DNR regional director Ben Burvey and staff briefed the board on local DNR land holdings, chronic wasting disease surveillance, a new electronic licensing rollout and fisheries monitoring for Pelican and Lake Christina; commissioners asked about feeding bans, surveillance sampling and potential fee changes for nonresident licenses.
Ben Burvey, regional director for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, presented a regional update to Grant County commissioners and introduced several DNR staff members who cover fisheries, ecological and enforcement duties. Burvey read the DNR mission to "work with Minnesotans to conserve and manage the state's natural resources," and then summarized local holdings (roughly 37,300 acres) and recent grants, including "Get Out More" investments in recreation and conservation projects.
Commissioners asked about chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance. DNR staff said there were no positive samples in deer permit area 270 but explained that other permit areas (272 and 273) did not have surveillance this year, which is why they were excluded from the "no positive" list. DNR staff noted that this fall some opening-week samples will be required at certain sites and that hunter mail-in kits and cooperating taxidermists remain options for submitting samples.
The new electronic licensing rollout, implemented in June, replaces many paper licenses with printable pages and mobile records. DNR acknowledged customer friction (for example, concerns about phone battery loss at inspection) and described discretion for enforcement officers to verify licenses when practical. On nonresident license fees, Burvey said the agency and constituent groups are discussing modest fee increases to offset costs and improve recreation funding, but any changes require legislative authority.
On fisheries, DNR staff reported increased monitoring of Pelican Lake (annual netting and drone surveys for cormorants) and said the walleye population has shown strong year classes; thresholds are in place that would trigger management actions if needed. DNR noted a potential administrative-law‑judge step if a proposed statewide reduction in walleye possession limits draws sufficient public comments.
Why it matters: The DNR briefing provided technical context on wildlife disease surveillance, licensing modernization and funding streams that affect county recreational users, hunters and municipal partners.
