State conservation officials have put a popular Minnesota park at the top of their legislative funding wish list, and they are preparing to take their case to the taxpayers this week.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said Friday that it needs $33 million to repair recreational facilities and aging buildings across the state. That's a major slice of the agency's overall $72.5 million bonding request.
Itasca State Park at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, "in particular … is showing its age," the DNR said in a statement announcing a news conference Wednesday at the park to reinforce its appeal to refurbish the state's oldest park. The destination attracts more than 500,000 visits annually.
Specifically at the park, the DNR said it needs $3 million to fix the 40- to 50-year-old sewer system at the historic Douglas Lodge, reopen the Nicollet Court building, improve park safety, upgrade public water access and reforest 800 acres.
Leading Wednesday's news conference at the park will be DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr and Itasca State Park Manager Bob Chance.
Itasca State Park, which encompasses Lake Itasca and the Mississippi River headwaters, has remained largely unchanged from its natural state. The park includes 157 lakes covering over 3,000 acres, as well as 27,500 acres of upland and 1,500 acres of swamp. Most of the area has a heavy growth of timber that includes stands of virgin red or Norway pine, some of which are more than 200 years old.
In its overall pitch to the Legislature for money, the agency said that "historically, the DNR's assets have been significantly underfunded."
It said that a recent report found that more than 200 of the DNR's buildings statewide are in "crisis" unacceptable condition and another 533 are in "poor" condition. The report also said that 100 of the state's 620 miles of paved trails need rehabilitation.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
