As docks and boat lifts are removed from lake shorelines this fall, be sure to carefully inspect the equipment for the presence of zebra mussels. The invasive mollusks can be be tiny and easy to miss (see image). Look in corner joints, on wheels and under crossbars. If you spot a suspected zebra mussel, place it in a ziplock bag and call the SDGFP office in your area. Be a Citizen Detector and help with detection and reporting of aquatic invasive species! (fb)

HERE’S WHY WE NEED TO DO MORE TO STOP AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES. Cancer has been a leading cause of death in the US for well over 100 years. Despite massive efforts to prevent, mitigate and eradicate cancer, it persistently remains the number two killer of Americans. Its impact is devastating to families and costs the US economy hundreds of billions of dollars annually in lost productivity. So why continue to fight this disease if we haven’t been able to stop it? A large nationwide investment in cancer research over several decades has resulted in identification of prevention measures that can lower a person’s chance of getting cancer. Newly discovered drugs and therapies have lowered cancer mortality and increased the odds of surviving this disease. Can we entirely stop people from getting cancer and dying from the disease? Maybe not, but we don’t hear many people saying we shouldn’t make every possible effort to find a cure and learn better ways to prevent it while the search continues for a cure. This exact same analogy applies to harmful aquatic invasive species (AIS) and it’s the rationale that most states are using to invest in fighting AIS much more aggressively and passionately than South Dakota. The message being delivered in South Dakota for the last several years has been “We could spend another million dollars, but we’re never going to stop the spread of AIS”. That defeatist attitude and messaging needs to change. (fb)