Citizens' conservation advisory council press release 2026
Minnesota Duck Hunters Call for Independent Citizens'
Conservation Advisory Council Ahead of 2026 Governor's Race
87.2% combined support across Game Fair and Prairie Pothole Days; more than 330 Minnesota sportsmen polled; bipartisan outreach underway to both major gubernatorial candidates
MINNESOTA — The Duck Summit Group's planning committee has formally advanced Plan A — the creation of an independent Citizens' Conservation Advisory Council (CCAC) to serve the next Governor of Minnesota. The push follows polling at two Minnesota sportsmen's events — the 2026 Minnesota Game Fair and Prairie Pothole Days in Willmar — with combined results showing 87.2% support for the council among more than 330 respondents.
The CCAC would bring together ten citizen members — one representing fisheries and one
representing wildlife in each of Minnesota's five ecological regions — to provide independent,
science-based recommendations directly to the Governor's office. Unlike the existing Fish and
Wildlife Advisory Committee, the CCAC would operate outside DNR direct oversight and report to the executive branch.
"Minnesota's fish and wildlife resources belong to the people, not to the agency tasked with
managing them," said Brian Myres of the Duck Summit Group. "Both candidates are running on
government accountability. Here is a chance to prove it — create a council that gives citizens an
independent voice in how the DNR manages our fish and wildlife, and do it in the first year.""
10 Members · 5 Regions · 1 Voice for Minnesota Sportsmen
Two members per region: one fisheries representative, one wildlife representative
The Duck Summit Group — the organizing committee behind the annual Minnesota Duck Summit — has engaged U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's gubernatorial campaign and has reached out to Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth's campaign. The group is presenting both candidates with the CCAC proposal and requesting a meeting to discuss how the council would fit into their first-year agenda. Both candidates have made government accountability a centerpiece of their campaigns; the CCAC offers a concrete, bipartisan way to deliver that accountability directly to Minnesota's 1.1 million hunters and anglers.
Polling at the 2026 Game Fair showed strong support across all five ballot questions, with the CCAC proposal receiving the highest support of any measure asked:
The CCAC has drawn a public response from DNR Commissioner Sara Strommen, who opposes the creation of an independent advisory council. Duck Summit Group says that opposition underscores the case for the council. 'When the head of an agency publicly argues against an independent citizen check on that agency's work, that is exactly the accountability gap the CCAC is designed to fill,' said Myres. Bipartisan support is expected to grow as the November election approaches.
For more information, interview requests, or to review the full CCAC Charter & Year-One Agenda, contact Brian Myres, Duck Summit Group, minnucon.com or brian.myres@gmail.com.
