Posted: 7/9/03

DNR puts lottery money to use with new boat

Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has a new River Pro 2072 LoPro shallow water patrol boat to be used on the St. Croix River.

The boat was purchased with money from the Minnesota State Lottery. When Minnesota started its state lottery system, it was stated that the DNR was to receive some of that revenue, but it never did.

Then district 56A state legislator Mark Holsten was chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Commission. As part of the commission, Holsten saw that the money that the DNR was supposed to be getting actually got there.

ìThe money was diverted away from the environment, we came in three years ago and diverted it back,î Holsten said. ìThe intent was to use the money for special needs to get equipment to help the officers do their jobs.î

Holsten has since resigned as state legislator to take over as the deputy commissioner of the DNR. ìHis work as a state legislator is now benefiting him with the DNR,î Conservation Officer Jason Jensen said

Holsten visited Jensen on the St. Croix River to get a look at the new piece of DNR equipment. ìThis is really a specialty piece of equipment that wouldnít be standard equipment in other places of the state,î Holsten said.

What makes this new boat special is that instead of having a propeller that can be easily damaged in shallow water, it has a jet thrust that is concealed as part of the boats hull. The jet thrust allows the boat to go over any debris in the water without ruining the boat.
ìIt gets you into all the nooks and crannies that other boats canít get into,î Jensen said. ìIt can reach the back waters normally only accessible by canoes.

Along with being jet thrust, the new boat is ecologically friendly. The jet thrust has a minimal wake, even when the boat is at top speed, and has a low sound profile.

The boat will be used by the DNR to patrol the waters to ensure that all hunters, anglers, and anyone enjoying the river is safe and obeying all rules. The boat will also be used for search and rescue missions when needed.

ìThe boat can be called out anywhere within the state if a shallow water boat is needed,î Jensen said. ìDNR conservation officers and sheriffís deputies have access to the boat.î
Jensen added that the Forest Lake Fire Departmentís air boat is the only other search and rescue vessel in the area that can search shallow waters.

The boat has already been tested just over two weeks ago when there was a distress call where the Apple River meets the St. Croix. Jensen said he was there within five minutes with the new boat. It turned out the emergency was simply a dead battery.

ìIt was kind of a false alarm, but was a good test for us because things can and do go wrong,î Jensen said.

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