In a state teeming with wildlife, it's hard to pick a favorite.
But the Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to help it select four new "critical habitat" license plate designs from eight images.
The four plates will be offered to motorists later this year in addition to the current loon and deer designs, which will be retained as long as they continue to sell.
But loon and white-tailed deer fans don't despair -- new images of those critters are among the eight designs the state is considering. The options: a showy lady-slipper, a northern Minnesota fishing scene, a white-tailed buck, a pheasant in flight, a black-capped chickadee, a walleye, a pair of loons and a wood duck.
"I was hoping to generate some excitement," said Mark Holsten, DNR commissioner. "We want to give people a broader opportunity to express themselves."
He'd like to offer motorists a choice of all eight plates, but that's not possible, so the agency would like to hear from the public on which they prefer.
The DNR has posted the plates on its website, (www.dnr.state.mn.us) where people can vote for their favorite through March 23. The vote is nonbinding because, by law, the decision must be made by the commissioners of the DNR and Department of Public Safety. The new plates will be available later this year.
The new loon plate may have the inside edge. The current loon plate outsells the deer plate by 3 to 1. But it's been years since motorists have had a new choice. The loon plate was released in 2002, and the original deer plate was issued in 1996. More than 100,000 motorists have plates, but sales have leveled off in recent years and Holsten said plate sales have fallen along with car sales during the economic crisis.
