Bill Would Help Lake Towns Raise Funds to Combat Invasive Species

State lawmakers are considering a bill to allow lake towns combating invasive species to charge a fee for lake access.

The idea is to charge boaters a fee to use the lake and that money would be used in the fight against whichever foreign species is invading the water body.

State Senator Tom Casperson is the sponsor of the measure.

He says too often the burden of paying for invasive species control falls on those who live on the lake.

Casperson says this will give those communities the ability to raise money to combat invasive species.

But Trevor VanDyke of the state Department of Natural Resources says the problem is these fees would also cover state sites, so those who have paid the $10 for the state’s recreation passport could face additional fees.

He says that could prevent access to natural resources that are owned by everyone in the state.

The bill is under consideration in a Senate committee.