Assessment of watercraft inspection and decontamination legislative provisions for the management of the trailered boat invasion pathway in the U.S. Great Lakes States
In the Great Lakes region, recreational boating presents a particularly significant management challenge for efforts aimed at limiting the spread and impacts of aquatic invasive species (AIS). The adoption of legislative policy with a regulatory component (including mandatory boat inspections) has been especially strong in western US. Here, we present a review of the current WID laws and regulations for all eight Great Lakes states to see how each state’s program compares to the recommended authorities set forth in the Model. Our review uses the framework developed by Sea Grant Law Center.