Senate District 9
Sen. Jordan Rasmusson
State Senator (R)
All of Pickerel Lake is in Senate District 9.
Take Action
A lake is protected at the access — and at the Capitol.
Clean-Drain-Dry keeps invasives out of the water. But the inspectors, decontamination stations, and county AIS programs that back it up are paid for by the Legislature — and that funding is decided one session at a time. When the state debates cutting AIS Prevention Aid, the households on this lake are exactly who lawmakers need to hear from.
Why this matters right now
County AIS Prevention Aid is capped — and on the table every session.
In 2025 the Legislature amended the County AIS Prevention Aid law (Minn. Stat. § 477A.19), setting statewide aid at $10 million a year for 2025 and 2026 after a proposal to cut the program roughly in half. The deepest cut was turned back that year — but only because lake associations across Minnesota spoke up. The program is now capped, and it comes up for debate again every budget cycle.
Otter Tail County uses that aid for the boat-ramp inspections and decontamination that slow the spread of zebra mussels — the same invasive confirmed in Pickerel’s east bay in July 2024. Less funding means fewer inspection hours at the accesses our boats share with un-infested lakes.
Sources: MN DNR 2025 Invasive Species Annual Report; Minnesota Session Laws 2025 (amending Minn. Stat. § 477A.19); MN Coalition of Lake Associations legislative updates.
Step 1
Find who represents Pickerel Lake.
All of Pickerel Lake sits in Minnesota Senate District 9. Maine Township and Richville are in House District 9B; cabin owners whose mailing address falls elsewhere in the county may be in 9A. If you’re unsure, confirm your exact districts by address with the state’s official lookup.
House District 9B
Rep. Tom Murphy
State Representative (R)
Richville & Maine Township are in House District 9B.
House District 9A
Rep. Jeff Backer
State Representative (R)
Parts of Otter Tail County outside Maine Township are in 9A.
Confirm your districts by home address — official MN lookup ↗
Step 2
Say it in your own words — it carries more weight.
Legislators count a personal note from a constituent far above a form letter. Keep it short, be specific about Pickerel, and make one clear ask. Here is a starting point you can adapt:
“I’m a constituent and a member of the Pickerel Lake Improvement Association in Otter Tail County. Zebra mussels were confirmed in our lake in 2024, and county AIS inspections are what help keep them from spreading to other lakes. Please protect and strengthen County AIS Prevention Aid — don’t cut it. Healthy lakes are the backbone of our local economy and our way of life.”
- • Lead with your address or town so they know you’re a constituent.
- • Name the lake. “Pickerel Lake, an infested water since 2024” is concrete.
- • Make one ask. Protect County AIS Prevention Aid; support lake-protection funding.
- • Be courteous. A respectful note from a neighbor is remembered; a rant is not.
Step 3
Let the statewide coalitions amplify you.
You don’t have to track every bill yourself. PLIA belongs to a statewide network that watches the Legislature and sends an alert the moment AIS funding is at risk — with the bill number and a pre-addressed message ready to send.
Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations (MN COLA)
The statewide coalition PLIA belongs to. MN COLA sets a legislative agenda each session and sends action alerts when AIS funding is threatened. Their newsletter, Current Waters, tracks bills in real time.
Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLR)
MLR runs a one-click 'Take Action' system that emails your legislators about AIS Prevention Aid and related bills. Lake associations log over 1.2 million volunteer hours a year at boat ramps — MLR turns that into political weight.
This page is non-partisan constituent information. The Pickerel Lake Improvement Association does not endorse candidates or parties — we advocate for clean water and the funding that protects it, whoever holds the seat.