Fishing opener celebrations begin
 Check out this video of DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen wishing anglers luck ahead of the fishing opener.
Commissioner, Lt. Governor to take part
in Take a Mom Fishing Weekend
Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen will take their kids and join other moms on the shore of Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis on Saturday to celebrate Take a Mom Fishing Weekend (May 7-8).
“Fishing is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my son and I know that’s a sentiment shared by many Minnesota moms. What a treat to shine a spotlight on Take a Mom Fishing Weekend with other moms and families while showing how accessible and fun fishing can be,” Strommen said. “There are so many ways to enjoy this pastime, whether from a boat, canoe, kayak, or from the shore or pier. I encourage all families to get outside and experience what our land of more than 4,500 fishing lakes and 16,000 miles of fishable streams and rivers has to offer.”
Established by the Minnesota State Legislature in 1988, Take a Mom Fishing Weekend is a chance for Minnesota moms to fish for free without a license on Mother’s Day Weekend.
This year, it’s also part of a series of activities leading up to the Governor’s Fishing Opener on May 13-14 in north-central Minnesota.
Moms are encouraged to share their photos of Take a Mom Fishing Weekend on social media by using #MomsFishMN and #MNGFO2022.
Governor's Fishing Opener
Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan will host a variety of events and celebrations May 13-14 to celebrate the kickoff to the summer tourism season near Lake Winnibigoshish. Events will take place in and around the Chippewa National Forest, Cass Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe lands in north-central Minnesota.
Governor's Fishing Opener participants include DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Explore Minnesota Director Lauren Bennett McGinty, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Chairman Faron Jackson, Sr., Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame guide Tom Neustrom, Leech Lake fishing guide Rory Haaland, DNR Fisheries Section Manager Brad Parsons, DNR Enforcement Division Director Rodmen Smith, and other DNR, tourism, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe staff and local business and community leaders.
Minnesota boasts about 1.4 million licensed anglers each year and a half a million who fish during the fishing opener. The Governor’s Fishing Opener has been a tradition in Minnesota since 1948. The event was designed to promote the development of Minnesota’s $2.4 billion fishing industry, and in recent years, it has served as an iconic kick-off celebration for the summer tourism season
Letter from Commissioner Sarah Strommen:
Wrapping up Public Service Recognition Week
Dear colleagues,
You are deeply appreciated for all you contribute to Minnesotans and our shared natural resources!
This is a sentiment I carry all year long, but Public Service Recognition Week (May 1-7) is a great opportunity to reflect on the myriad ways your work contributes to the quality of life in Minnesota.
DNR staff served Minnesotans in extraordinary ways over the past year.
We protected lives and property by responding to a significant wildfire season.
We connected more Minnesotans to the outdoors for the recreational and mental health benefits people sought during stressful times.
We drove innovation in many aspects of our work, such as using online land sales to improve our sales rate and sales price to minimum bid ratio.
We ensured people had the opportunity to peacefully exercise their first amendment rights on public lands and in cities.
We protected our state’s waters throughout a severe drought, while ensuring that communities could continue to meet their essential needs.
We created and improved processes to adjust to evolving work conditions intended to keep each other and the public safe.
We administered state mineral leases that provided millions in revenue to benefit the state’s permanent school and university funds as well as local counties, cities, townships and school districts.
We protected and managed wildlife, including a continued strong, nimble, and strategic approach to addressing chronic wasting disease in our wild deer population.
We undertook important work to adapt and mitigate climate change through our operations and natural resources work.
This is just a small snapshot of our contributions, and we did all of this while continuing to navigate the evolving complexities of COVID-19 and its impacts on our work and lives. The past year was full of challenges and opportunities, and what seemed to be endless change; however, you were constant in your hard work and dedication.
I’m so proud that people are increasingly recognizing just how vital DNR‘s work is to the health of the public, economy, and environment of our state. In fact, this was a specific and significant point of conversation between Governor Walz, Tom Neustrom, and Larry Hanson on Reel Talk Outdoors Radio last evening.
Thanks to our employees, we continue to demonstrate the power of state government to create a more sustainable future, generate jobs and opportunity, strengthen families and communities, and improve the lives of people throughout Minnesota. As we continue to do our important, challenging, and rewarding work, I hope you know what a gift your commitment, innovation, and flexibility are to Minnesota’s people and natural resources.
If these past couple years have reinforced one thing, it’s that DNR employees are incredible and that we can succeed no matter the circumstance.
Thank you again for all you do – this week and every week.
Sincerely,
Sarah Strommen
Commissioner
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DNR starting pilot hoteling project
 A hoteling space at Central Office.
In 2021, the DNR initiated the Work Evolving and Opportunity (EVO) Project. It was developed to evaluate, refine, and improve how and where DNR employees do their work. While the pandemic will not define how we do work in the future, we have a unique opportunity to try new things and shape our vision for all our work, not merely telework.
As part of the ongoing Work EVO Project, the DNR is implementing a Hoteling Pilot Project starting on May 6 and running for three weeks. “Hoteling” is a new approach we have not used previously. Like booking a hotel room, employees reserve a workstation for the days they are in the office.
The project will include three DNR locations: Bemidji Simonson, Region 3 Headquarters, and Central Office. It will continue for the foreseeable future at the Region 3 Headquarters. Supervisors have communicated with pilot participants at these locations. These employees will be coming into the office at least two days a week to fully experience the project and provide their feedback.
Each location has an established area of workstations, which participants will reserve using Teams. The workstations will be equipped with monitors, a docking station, a chair, and an adjustable desk (when available). To reduce sharing high-contact items, participants will bring their own laptop, keyboard, mouse, and headset.
Through the Hoteling Pilot Project, the department will evaluate technology for reserving workstations, identify best practices to replicate at other worksites, and gather feedback from participants about their experience. We will share the results after the pilot project is complete.
Monitoring old growth forests
 Old growth pine forest at the Lost 40 Scientific and Natural Area.
This summer, dozens of staff from four divisions and four regions will visit 60 of DNR’s designated old growth pine and hardwood forests. They will assess on-the-ground conditions and identify whether management, like invasive species treatment or prescribed fire, is needed to maintain or improve the site’s old growth quality. Most of these sites were last assessed 20-30 years ago – a lot can change in a forest over that amount of time.
Old growth forests develop over a long period of time, essentially free from major disturbances like wildfire or timber harvest. They provide unique habitats for native plants and animals, as well as important recreational and spiritual opportunities for Minnesotans.
Today, less than 6% of Minnesota’s forests are old growth, which is much less than what existed prior to European settlement (~50%), according to the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources. To protect this important resource, the DNR has a longstanding goal to maintain a viable statewide network of high-quality old growth forests on state lands.
This summer’s field checks are part of the Old Growth Forest Monitoring Project, which is developing a long-term approach for monitoring the status of DNR’s old growth forests over time. The project is exploring both field and remote sensing methods. It’s a very interdisciplinary project, involving staff and leadership from the Forestry, Parks and Trails, Fish and Wildlife, and Ecological and Water Resources divisions.
Ultimately, land managers and decision makers will be able to use the monitoring data to support site-level management and statewide policy decisions associated with DNR’s Old Growth Forest Policy. Contact project manager Emily Peters for more information.
Spongy Moth is the new Gypsy Moth
 A female spongy moth and egg mass. Photo credit: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
By Val Cervenka, forest health program consultant
Cultural awareness continues to grow, and today we realize that some words — previously considered unimportant — matter. Most of us don’t think how an insect’s common name matters either, unless you are in a group affected negatively by that name.
Last July, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) and their Better Common Names Committee dropped using the common name "gypsy moth" for the invasive insect that was accidentally introduced in the Boston area in 1869 by a French researcher. According to the age-old story, the moth was brought to the U.S. to build a silk industry here. When the experiment failed, the moths were simply released, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The common name was chosen because to someone, the brown color of the male moth resembled the skin color of the Roma/Romani people. The name was widely in use in England at the time the insect was introduced in the U.S. However, most people acknowledge that the common name is an ethnic slur. Throughout history, Romani people have been the targets of enslavement, genocide, and forced migration, and the word “gypsy” has been associated with traveling or roving. While using an ethnic slur is enough reason to stop using a common name, the former common name was doubly inappropriate because it linked a group of people as “pests” targeted for genocide with an invasive pest insect that remains targeted for population control and eradication.
The ESA has approved “spongy moth” as the new common name for the moth species Lymantria dispar. A working group of entomologists and forestry professionals convened by ESA proposed the name after evaluating a wide variety of name options through professional and community input processes. Formally approved and announced on March 2, “spongy moth” is derived from "spongieuse," the common name used in France and French-speaking Canada and refers to the moth's sponge-like egg mass.
The DNR is transitioning to the new “spongy moth” name on websites and new documents. Other agencies may wait until spring treatments are completed this year before rolling out the new common name to the public.
Meanwhile, please use “spongy moth” in your communications…starting now.
Lands and Mineral’s Pete Clevenstine named Mining Professional of the Year
Pete Clevenstine, assistant director of Lands and Minerals, has been named Minnesota Mining Professional of the Year. His decades-long career received worthy recognition at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Minnesota conference. The annual event is the top regional mineral mining conference in the Midwest and Clevenstine’s prestigious award celebrates him as a leader and innovator in the mining industry.
Clevenstine has mining in his bones – and in his family. His father worked for mining companies, so it was no surprise that the mining industry became Clevenstine’s path.
Clevenstine is an engineer by trade with a degree in business, making him a vital asset at mining companies like US Steel, MinnTac at the mine in Mountain Iron, and Minnesota and the Cleveland Cliffs properties in Michigan, including Empire and Tilden. As a sales manager for a specialized manufacturer supplying materials and equipment to mining companies, he visited many of the operating mines in North America. Each site visit allowed for an up-close and personal tour of the mines, the concentrators, and the pellet plants. His vast knowledge of company operations and keen understanding of the state's land management goals means that Clevenstine offers a dual perspective of productivity and environment protections while working as a partner to the mining companies.
Clevenstine joined the Department of Natural Resources 24 years ago in November 1998. After living in so many different places and traveling across North America, he never imagined returning to Hibbing, Minnesota, where he was born and raised. Still, the opportunity to fill the engineering manager's role (and later, assistant director) was just too appealing for him. Not to mention, he used to play as a young boy at Bennett Park, across the street from the Hibbing office.
When asked about his favorite part of the job with DNR, Clevenstine said he is fortunate to be part of a noble cause working cooperatively with mining companies across the region, work that has ensured their success while meeting the department's responsibility to the state to provide revenue and critical funding to Minnesota's public schools and universities, local governments, and communities.
“It is a worthy endeavor to take a rock with no value in the ground and turn it into a saleable product used to raise communities worldwide and ensure good quality of life for generations,” he said. “There is no better place to see that in action than in Minnesota.”
Over the last decade, mineral leases on Minnesota's trust lands have raised more than 75 million dollars for the state.
Clevenstine is passionate about Minnesota's impact on mining and mining's impact on Minnesota. Most recently, he's become an avid advocate of "green steel," and the work industry, academia, and government have undertaken to transform steel and iron ore production into a carbon-neutral industry. The consumer's need for raw iron ore and steel material is constant and growing. Clevenstine has collaborated with industry leaders to host forums and other events that allow experts to share ideas and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from iron ore and downstream steel production.
Clevenstine's career has seen him as an engineer, a salesperson, and a director – but he is most proud of the connections he has made and the teams he has worked with and helped build both in government and industry. When he does retire someday, he knows the state, the DNR, and the mining industry will be in great hands.
Congratulations to Clevenstine, the 2022 SME Mining Professional of the Year!
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 The following are several highlights from the weekly Conservation Office reports.
April 25, 2022
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reported sturgeon anglers proved to be a tenacious bunch this past weekend. Campers from various sites along the Rainy River reported waking up to inches of water in tents and water surrounding campers and wheelhouses. Success was not as good as hoped but most people were in good spirits and several anglers contacted had caught their first sturgeon ever.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) took a report of illegal birch pole theft in the state forest. The suspect was located and stated he was just cutting a few trees to decorate his home. He did not know if he was cutting on state or private property and was unaware of Minnesota’s law regarding transportation of decorative forest materials.
CO Pilot Jason Jensen (Brainerd) reported flying a station flight for a field officer to locate possible illegal deer stands. Potential wetland violations were also found during this flight. Jensen flew in support of the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office to assist in looking for stolen vehicles possibly hidden in or near a state forest.
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May 2, 2022
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) worked fish run activity and turkey hunters, and spoke to a firearms safety class on laws and ethics. Plautz awarded two volunteer safety instructors with their 40-year awards for teaching firearms safety to youth.
CO Chris Tetrault (Maplewood) checked area anglers and worked the St. Croix River opener. The weather dampened the spirit of many and not many anglers were found on the river. Some walleyes were measured, and some success was found. He also continued with an ongoing fire investigation. Assistance was also given to DNR Wildlife with the EagleCam eaglet that fell out of the nest.
CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reported completing a year-and-a-half-long investigation on a deer case. Charges were filed and a deer and firearms were seized. Time was also spent checking trout anglers. Success has been spotty as the weather has been cold and windy. Turkey hunters were also checked. Poor weather again slowed hunting activity and bird activity as well.
Change coming to MNIT DNR Service Desk May 26
MNIT DNR Service Desk staff will be integrated with the MNIT Enterprise Service Desk starting May 26. As a result, MNIT will be able to offer DNR 24/7 support, seven days a week for routine support requests.
Please continue to call 651-259-5900 through May 25. Starting May 26, please contact the Enterprise Service Desk at 651-297-1111. Emails can continue to be sent to mnitservices.dnr@state.mn.us before and after the transition.
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Can I accept a mug as a gift as part of my job?
 It depends.
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) recently updated three policies that likely impact you. Even if you think you know these policies from the past, read through them to ensure you are up to date.
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Code of Ethical Conduct (HR/LR Policy # 1445)
The new policy provides definitions for terms like “nominal value,” specific examples of conflicts of interest, and specific examples of acceptable gifts. So, can you accept a mug as a gift for performing your job? If it is a generic mug that has nominal value (no marketable value), absolutely. However, if the mug has marketable value (e.g., a Yeti mug), you cannot accept it.
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Mobile Device Use (HR/LR Policy # 1438)
The policy was formerly part of the Appropriate Use of Electronic Communication and Information Technology policy. It establishes standards for appropriate use of state mobile devices, including cellphones, laptops, and tablets. It also protects employees from being required to use their personal mobile devices for state business.
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Appropriate Use of Electronic Communication and Information Technology (HR/LR Policy #1423)
The policy specifies reasonable uses and prohibited uses of state electronic resources for personal purposes. It also advises employees about monitoring of state business electronic communications. Remember, use of state IT resources must be able to withstand public scrutiny. Ask yourself if it is something you would want to go viral online or appear on the news.
You will need to complete an acknowledgement form for these three policies. More information on the acknowledgements and how to complete them will be communicated in the coming weeks.
At the DNR, we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. We strive to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us, and part of being a good steward is maintaining public trust. Your knowledge and understanding of these policies is an important part of that work.
Brake Bread is back at Lafayette Park
Want fresh bread biked to you? Now you can! Brake Bread is a St. Paul bakery that delivers bread, pastry and pantry items by bike to homes and pick up sites around the city. The Pollution Control Agency lobby is a pickup site once again for staff of the PCA, DNR and other agencies within Lafayette Park. Yay! You can learn more on Brake Bread’s website or hop right into it by signing up. Choose: Pickup. From the drop down choose, "PCA/DNR." Brake Bread is offering a coupon code (firstyearfree) to offset the cost of the first year of membership. Questions? Contact Melissa Wenzel.
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 Enforcement K9 Brady
 Water Resources Enforcement Officer Julie Siem and K9 Brady.
A career spent protecting natural resources comes to an end
By Joe Albert, Enforcement communications coordinator
It’s a little quieter in Water Resources Enforcement Officer Julie Siems’ truck these days, now that the partner she’s spent half her career working with is settling into a well-earned retirement.
K9 Brady, who has been Siems’ partner since early 2013, retired as of April 26. He’s 11 years old.
“It was his time to retire,” said Siems, who works in the southeastern part of Minnesota. “He’s our house dog now.”
Brady, a golden retriever mix, joined the Enforcement Division as part of its initial group of dogs trained to detect zebra mussels on boats and other water-related equipment. Siems had begun the year before as a water resources officer, which included heightened responsibilities in the area of aquatic invasive species. Siems, a conservation officer since 2004, grew up with dogs but was new to the world of intensive training and working dogs.
Brady had been surrendered by his previous owner and didn’t have any manners, let alone training. He and Siems began training together in April 2013. By the next month, they were certified and working together in the field by the fishing opener.
“Brady is a great dog, so it was just as much me needing to go through the training to figure out when to deploy a dog, what the best circumstances are …” Siems said. “It was helpful that we were both new to this.”
And oddly enough, the fact Brady hadn’t previously been taught not to jump on a counter to grab food or root around the trash can, for example, was helpful to his development as an extraordinary detection dog. He was adept at finding many items beyond zebra mussels, including firearms, bullets, shell casings and other evidence that provided Siems – and other conservation officers across the state – what they need to build successful cases.
“I don’t know that Brady had ever been told anything (by his previous owner),” Siems said. “He wasn’t afraid to dig into a box, or a bag of decoys. There wasn’t any hesitancy. That was really helpful, though in the beginning it was a little bit tough around the house.”
Eventually, he came to excel both at being a house dog and a working dog. During Brady’s career, he worked at dozens of AIS check stations, sometimes locating zebra mussels on boats that otherwise would have been launched into non-infested waters. He also located crucial evidence in in cases that resulted in overlimits of deer, turkeys and waterfowl, or charges for shooting from the roadway and trespassing. The dogs in the Enforcement Division K9 Unit work throughout the state to help other officers, work special events (such as Governor’s Fishing Openers), and provide positive public relations.
Siems and Brady, for example, conducted many detection demonstrations and provided many “meet and greets” for school-aged children.
While Siems doesn’t plan to get another working dog (the Enforcement Division is looking for another zebra mussel-detecting dog/handler team), she believes the K9 Unit is tremendously important.
“It’s a really good program for the division,” Siems said. “People would be amazed by all the things these dogs can do.”
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Going fishin'
 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan purchased their fishing licenses and walleye stamps at the DNR Central Office ahead of the Governor's Fishing Opener May 13-14 near Lake Winnibigoshish.
“With our fishing licenses in hand, the Lt. Governor and I are now ready to start placing bets on whose catch will be bigger,” said Gov. Walz. “The Fishing Opener is incredibly important for our state’s vibrant $2.4 billion fishing industry, and I can’t wait to drop a line bright and early on Opener Weekend on Lake Winnie. This is the unofficial kickoff to our summer tourism season, and one of the best days of the year to celebrate the extraordinary outdoor opportunities our state has to offer.”
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