The lakes are still covered in ice, but the Crow Wing County Land Services department is already planning for spring.

They’ve started hiring part-time seasonal watercraft inspectors to search boats for aquatic invasive species, or AIS for short. It’s part of the county’s “Protect Our Lakes” initiative to keep invasive species from contaminating lakes and harming the ecosystems in them.

Inspectors look for many types of AIS, including zebra mussels and curly-leaf pondweed. And with about 500 lakes in the are, the Crow Wing County Environmental Services department needs all the help they can get.

“Ideally, we would have 50-60 watercraft inspectors. We cover 43 landings in the county, so to have 50-60 inspectors working at least Friday through Sunday on most landings, it’s a pretty big group that we hire,” said Jessica Shea, Crow Wing County Land Services Operations Manager.”

“If you want to make a difference for Crow Wing County, come be an AIS inspector,” said Chris Pence, Crow Wing County Environmental Services Manager. “It’s one of the things, I think, that you can actually get out and really make a difference, and these inspectors have that opportunity to come in and say, ‘Here, here’s how you should clean your boat. Here’s the right thing to do.'”

If you’re interested in being a watercraft inspector, you can visit the Crow Wing County website to learn more.

By — Lakeland News