Commerce Dept reminds real estate professionals & collection agencies to renew licenses

SAINT PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Department of commerce is reminding real estate professionals and debt collectors with a license expiration date of June 30, 2013 to renew by 4:30 PM Central time.

This includes abstracters, abstracter companies, real estate brokers, real estate salespersons, real estate companies, closing agents, limited brokers, collection agencies, and debt collectors whose licenses have a June 30, 2013 expiration date.

“Renewals are now done entirely online,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “Reminder postcards were sent earlier this month to individuals responsible for these licenses.”

The renewals are done online at www.pulseportal.com; additional detailed information is available on the Commerce Department website here and here. A couple of items to note:

Renewing a broker, salesperson, or real estate company license is done by the responsible broker. Salespersons should make sure that the broker who holds their license has all the information necessary to complete the salesperson's renewal, including verification that the salesperson has completed all of the applicable continuing education (CE) requirements.

When an individual real estate broker or real estate salesperson license renewal application is submitted, the PULSE system verifies whether that licensee has completed the required CE. Any individual who has not yet completed all applicable CE requirements should do so as soon as possible and no later than June 15. Education providers need time to upload their student rosters into the PULSE system.

New fishing license options cater to angler interests

Minnesota anglers who fish a lot or a little can hook newly created licenses tailored to their desires.

The new license options include a 72-hour fishing license, a three-year license and a reduced price annual license for youth ages 16 and 17, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“Based on feedback from our customers we created new options that reflect their interests,”
said Jenifer Wical, customer enhancement manager for the DNR’s Fish and Wildlife Division. “Customers now have more choices for convenience and value.”

Wical said the new $12, 72-hour license is likely to be popular among once-a-year weekend anglers, including those who have never fished and those who have lapsed. It does not require a trout stamp or spearing validation. The $63 three-year fishing license provides a $3 price break and is valid until 2016, a convenience. The $5 license for youth ages 16 and 17 is roughly a quarter of the cost of an annual resident fishing license, which is $22. Until this year youth ages 16 and 17 paid full price for a fishing license.

“If you love fishing, then share the passion with friends and family,” Wical said. “The new license options make it easier to recruit those who haven’t fished, retain those who do and reactivate those who have dropped out.”

She said license revenue is used to manage 5,400 fishing lakes and support 150-plus field conservation officers. Moreover, the license itself is a ticket to some of the best fishing in America. “Minnesota ranks third in the nation as an inland fishing destination,” Wical said. “Wherever you are in this state, you’re close to great fishing.”

Also new are individual and combination (married couple) super sports licenses that combine a variety of hunting and fishing opportunities into one license. The DNR is working with the Legislature to readjust the cost of this license as its current price exceeds that sum of its individual components.

Licenses can be purchased and printed online anytime at www.mndnr.gov/BuyALicense and details of new license types can be found at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/heritage/index.html

Bear hunt applications available; deadline is Friday, May 3

Applications for Minnesota bear hunting licenses are available beginning Monday, April 1, and will be accepted through Friday, May 3, the Department of Natural of Resources (DNR) said.

A total of 3,750 licenses are available in 11 permit areas. The number of available licenses for 2013 is about 35 percent fewer than the 6,000 licenses available in 2012.

The 2012 bear harvest was 2,604. That was a 22 percent increase from 2011, despite 15 percent fewer bear quota licenses being available. The increase in harvest for 2012 was largely due to poorer fall food conditions, making bears more attracted to hunters’ baits.

The DNR’s goal with the lower license quotas is to allow for a gradual increase in the current bear population.

“Although the trends in the last few years indicate a stable bear population, DNR is reducing bear license numbers in the quota bear area to increase bear population numbers,” said Dan Stark, DNR large carnivore specialist. “After intensive efforts in the 1990s and early 2000s to reduce a growing bear population, we are now at or near population goals. These quotas will help assure that we continue to have a productive bear population.”

DNR monitors the bear population using a modeling technique based on ages of harvested bears, supplemented periodically by total population estimates based on mark-recapture data. Bear ages are determined from tooth samples that hunters are required to submit.

Notification to successful lottery winners will be made in mid- to late May. The deadline to purchase licenses awarded by lottery will be Thursday, Aug. 1. Any remaining unpurchased licenses will be available to any eligible persons starting at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

Application for a bear license can be made at any DNR license agent, the DNR License Center in St. Paul, online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense or by phone at 888-665-4236. Bear licenses cost $44 for residents and $250 for nonresidents. There is a $4 application fee.

An unlimited number of bear licenses also will be available over the counter for the no quota area of east-central and far northwestern Minnesota. The bag limit in the no quota area is being reduced from two to one.

Complete information on the fall bear hunt is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/bear.