November 25 @ 1 p.m. CST: "A Compelling Story of Successes in Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention"
Doug Jensen (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
Summary
In this webinar, Doug Jensen, will share how Minnesota has become a North American leader in Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention. For over 30 years, research and practice have shown that prevention is far more cost-effective than management, and Minnesota’s approach has combined public outreach, watercraft inspection and decontamination, enforcement, and risk assessment to slow the spread of AIS.
Doug will walk us through the shift toward more strategic, consistent, and simple messaging that encourages boaters and anglers to consistently practice AIS prevention behaviors. The results are compelling: awareness among water users is at an all-time high, with 95% or more complying with prevention laws, and many counties reporting 98–99% compliance. Recent analyses by the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center and the Cass County AIS Program further show that the rate of AIS spread has slowed significantly over the past decade.
Join us to learn why Minnesota can claim AIS prevention is working, and what lessons can be applied more broadly. This one-hour webinar will include time for questions and discussion. Please note that the session will be recorded and made available afterward on the LOWWSF website.
About the Presenter:
Doug Jensen is an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Planner for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources who provides technical support to local governments as they develop, implement, and assess local AIS prevention aid plans and activities within their counties. For over three decades, he has used science-based outreach strategies to change people’s behavior aimed at preventing AIS spread via his leadership supporting from national to local programs. He has authored dozens of scientific papers and education resources and received dozens of national and regional awards for his work.
Regionally, Doug is the Outreach Committee Chair for the Great Lakes Panel on ANS and contributes leadership as a member of the Minnesota Invasive Species Advisory Committee and co-facilitates the DNR’s Statewide Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee. In November 2026, he will again co-chair the Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference in La Crosse, WI. He has an MS in Education with a program evaluation focus and a BS in Biology from the University of Minnesota Duluth.