Fishing licenses now available

by Sasha Aslanian, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Fishing licenses are available in Minnesota again. The Department of Natural Resources estimates it lost between $1 million $3 million in fishing license revenue during the shutdown.

Twelve people were ticketed for fishing without a license during the shutdown and 175 others were warned of the violation, said DNR Enforcement Director Jim Konrad.

Those warnings could be upgraded to citations if the violators fail to purchase licenses, now that they're available, Konrad said.

Minnesota's parks and state forest campgrounds are re-opening, and some will be ready for overnight visitors Friday, while others must undergo maintenance to clear storm debris and vandalism before they'll be fully operational. St. Croix State Park will be closed indefinitely due to wind damage caused by a July storm.

State DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr says the department will begin taking new reservations on Tuesday, the delay employees can first deal with the backlog of cancellations and refunds still needing to be processed.