Dayton Starts Special Session Legwork For Mille Lacs Lake

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton started laying the groundwork Wednesday to call a potential special session to provide emergency relief to a Mille Lacs Lake area bracing for an abrupt end to its walleye fishing season — perhaps as soon as the end of next week, Dayton said.

Resorts and other businesses around Mille Lacs Lake thrive off anglers traveling to the state's marquee destination for walleye fishing. But state officials say they may have to end the lake's walleye season in early August — they're on track to surpass the lake's harvest quota for the fish Aug. 3.

Dayton was set to meet with Mille Lacs tourism officials Wednesday afternoon and scheduled a trip to the lake Friday. Lawmakers were expected to assemble a working group charged with hashing out the scope and size of a relief package that may include zero interest loans, property tax abatements and advertising dollars. Dayton spoke with legislative leaders about the prospect of a special session Tuesday, spokesman Linden Zakula said.

The Democratic governor said cobbling together a relief package may not be possible by the Aug. 7 date he hopes for, but stressed that he and lawmakers need to act fast.

"I'd like to do it as soon as possible," he said.

State officials have slashed walleye harvest quotas as the fish population on Mille Lacs Lake has dwindled to a 30-year low. A 500,000-pound quota from 2012 fell to 40,000 pounds this year, Dayton said.

The governor defended the need to step in with relief for one small industry. He compared the situation to Leech Lake more than a decade ago, where many businesses closed amid a precipitous drop in the lake's walleye population.

"I'm not willing to give up on either the lake or the businesses who depend upon the lake for their livelihood until we've made every effort," Dayton said of Mille Lacs.

Up for debate in the special session legwork is whether lawmakers should mandate restocking Mille Lacs to re, as they did at Leech Lake. Dayton said that discussion may need to wait, but he's not ruling it out.

"This is not going to be an immediate turnaround, but I think we owe it to the businesses there, we owe it to the state of MN itself to make every effort to turn that lake around," he said.

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