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A legislative order made, during the
<br />waning hour of last year's session �
<br />to close the Metro Region headq�ar-
<br />ters, of the Minnesota, Department of
<br />Natural Resources (DNR) — came
<br />under fire this week from the M,inne-
<br />sota Sportfishling, Congress,.
<br />The organized opposition to the elm
<br />Ing of the office at 1200,Warner lid..,
<br />St. paul,, came just as . the D,NR, pre-
<br />pared, to submit a_ study ordered by
<br />the legislative conference commit-
<br />tee, a plate to close as many as two
<br />moire regional offices., '-* . r y. r egio nz 01111M 00m 111-Lut- .
<br />W A
<br />and effectively cancel many Innoi
<br />ti,ve fish management, programs now
<br />being conducted, by the Metro of-
<br />fice,"' he said.
<br />Schneider noted that 40 percent of
<br />the state's, 1,.5 million, fishermen live
<br />in the metro area. which has about
<br />300 fishing lakes in addition to por.
<br />tions, of the 1!dISSISSiPpi7 Minnesota
<br />and St. Croix rivers.
<br />b4irs really a, valuable tool for Us$ 1111
<br />Alexander said. "There's no, way tithe
<br />central, office could, handle what a
<br />"We haven't colistanybody any, man-
<br />e ' not closing, it before this. 11
<br />The Issue arose when It was decided,
<br />that the DN'R had to trim $4510,000
<br />from its 198,3-1,98,5 budget
<br />"It costs, $4510,000, annually to run
<br />that region,, including the hatchery, 09
<br />Alexander said,. "'I donut think we
<br />could get rid of the real tats. I
<br />don*t belleve anyone has looked, at
<br />40,
<br />what would happen if we closed it."''
<br />Ill'Elimination of the Metro office
<br />He said closing the Metro office and
<br />relocating Its services in Rochester
<br />could cost up to $810101,000, but, doubt,-
<br />ed that many, of the 10,0010 yearly
<br />Inquiries would be mde with long-
<br />distance calls.
<br />O@The raw savings of closing, the Met-
<br />ro, office would be about $15,01,000
<br />per year,,"' Alexander siaido "',but we
<br />don't know what, relocation explenses
<br />will be, with bumps and, unemploy-
<br />ment.,
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