 Well, for nearly four decades, the International Eelpout Festival has made the community of Walker its home. With the possibility of the festival changing locations, Josh Peterson went to Walker to find out how significant the impact would be with a new location. In a community where its number one draw is tourism, people in the community have been buzzing over the possibility of losing one of its largest events. The International Eelpout Festival has made Walker its home for nearly 40 years, but now is looking to make a move to Bemidji due to ongoing issues in Cass County. I do not have a defined area on the ice, so I'll set up all my events and everything that's going on and at the last hour, anybody can come and put a tent out in the middle of the bay. One of the issues cited for the festival's possible departure was the strict enforcement of vehicles on the ice. For the Cass County Sheriff's Office, when having thousands of people on the ice, the main issue for the festival was public safety. The Sheriff's Office will, we will promote any event or allow any event to go on as long as it's done safely. I don't see how you can argue with that or argue with the fact that you should clean up your garbage when you're done. Whether residents here are for or against the possibility of the International Eelpout Festival leaving Walker, one thing is certain. No matter what the final decision, it will leave a lasting impact. Others just become more of a vacation destination year round. So I think we're in a better place than we would have been a few years ago, but I'm sure we will still feel the difference somewhat. At the Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the phone has been ringing off the hook with business owners and guests asking about the future of the festival. People just want to know and of course they all ask us, well, what's going on? What's the story? We don't know any more than anybody else. We're just waiting to hear. While most in the Walker community would like to see the festival stay, the Chamber and the county have both said they will assist Beltrami County and the city of Bemidji if needed. In Walker, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. A decision will be made by the Beltrami County Planning Commission in the next couple of months on whether or not a permit will be issued to hold the Eelpout Festival on Lake Bemidji. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.