Cravaack to Cut Coast Guard out of Mille Lacs

A U.S. House Committee has passed the "Mille Lacs Lake Freedom to Fish Act" on to the full House floor for consideration.

The legislation authored by 8th District Congressman Chip Cravaack is designed to cut red tape from the Coast Guard.

The Freshman Republican does not like that in March of 2010, the Coast Guard began requiring fishing guides on Lake Mille Lacs to acquire a so-called federal “six-pack” boating license.   He says the certification is difficult to obtain and can cost individual fishing guides up to $2000 in fees, training, and travel costs. The policy change was based on a 1981 Army Corps of Engineers determination that the lake had been used in the 1800s for logging.

Cravaack says the state has been conducting effective oversight for over 100 years, and the Coast Guard’s action negatively impacts the local fishing industry