Aquatic Invasive Species Taskforce

In 2015 Polk County formed an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Taskforce to help in the fight against aquatic invasive species within the County. The taskforce consists of members from all around the County and represents several different entities. 

Goals

The taskforce has been busy working on several projects focusing on education and public awareness this year. Billboards, public access signs, and a few promotional items have already been utilized to help spread the message about the threat that AIS poses in Polk County and around the state. The taskforce is hoping to accomplish many great things in the years to come. One project that was completed in 2020 was purchasing a CD3 boat cleaning station that is stationed on East Shore, Maple Lake.  Stop by the CD3 watercraft cleaning station to make sure your watercraft and equipment is clean, drained and dried to prevent the spread of AIS species throughout Minnesota. See the below information for more details on this great public tool!

Members

Members include:

• Loren Abel - Maple Lake Improvement District
• Ken Pederson  - East Polk SWCD Board
• Morgan Torkelson, Nicole Bernd - West Polk SWCD
• Michael Norland, Thomas Hibma, & James Tadman - Polk County Sheriff’s Office
• Margo Bowerman -Youth Development - UMN Extension
• Gerald Olson - Union-Lake Sarah Improvement District representing Lake Sarah
• Lindsey Kallis, Corey Hanson (Alternate) - Red Lake Watershed District
• Rachel Klein, Jenna Simonson- East Polk SWCD
• Joan Lee - Polk County Board
• Richard Rock, Lonnie Paradis (Alternate) - Union-Lake Sarah Improvement District representing Union Lake
• Steve Tischman - Polk County Township Association
• Rich Sanders - Polk County Public Works
• Jacob Snyder - Polk County Environmental Services

Clean, Drain, & Dry

A creative series of three PSAs has been professionally produced by LB Video Productions to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). 

This video series is presented by Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates and funded collectively from the counties of Wabasha, Goodhue, Otter Tail, Yellow Medicine, Cook, Washington Benton, Lake, Polk, Stearns, Douglas, Chippewa, Cass, and Kanabec.

The creative and humorous concept behind this series is backed by the recent research published: MN DNR’s Preventing AIS Through Behavior Change.

“In Minnesota, lakes are our most important resource. In many areas of the state, shoreline property values are the majority of the tax base. Clean lakes and rivers are our identity and economy as a state. AIS is one of the most serious threats. The good news is that this threat can be mitigated with behavior change. That is why public education on AIS is so critically important and so incredibly effective. Water connects us all.” ~Jeff Forester, Executive Director, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates.