INVASIVE: Whole deal smells fishy

Inspection for invasive species... really?

In an effort to be proactive for the weekend's canoeing activities, my husband and I made a trip to the rest area just west of Coeur d'Alene to have our boat inspected and to purchase a sticker.

Two teenagers in orange vests looked at our boat, took down our license and informed us that we would have to visit a local purveyor for the sticker. We could also purchase stickers online and they would be mailed. We were not given a receipt or any paperwork to document our inspection visit.

Later, when attempting to purchase the sticker online, the website was not functioning properly and a purchase was not possible.

I am confused as to the purpose of the inspection, and the requirement to pay for a sticker that serves not to prove that one's boat is free of invasive species, but is rather a random fee that proves nothing, other than a sticker was purchased.

Why are we stopping every watercraft that goes through Coeur d'Alene, when there is no documentation, or action? This exercise does absolutely nothing to stop invasive species.

If this sticker program is truly to stop invasive species, then it is flawed by design, and smells like fraud.

DENA DARROW

Coeur d'Alene