No Vermilion park?

Sen. Tom Bakk says that despite Gov. Tim Pawlenty's strong support, the future of Vermilion State Park is dim.

"I'm very doubtful that it ever is going to be a state park," the Cook Democrat told a Senate environment committee Tuesday.

One of his main concerns is the need to spend $20 million to $40 million to develop Vermilion park, along a lake by that name.

Even so, the committee unanimously passed a Bakk bill giving Pawlenty permission to buy the land for $20 million. The same provision is contained in a public works funding bill also making its way through the Legislature.

Pawlenty has put a high priority on Vermilion, which adjoins the existing Soudan Underground Mine State Park.

Bob Meier of the Department of Natural Resources told the committee that the Soudan and Vermilion parks would be operated as one unit, even if they remain separate parks.

The bill also allows local governments to get state payments to replace property taxes that they would have received.

Posted by: Don Davis on 3/06/2010 at 4:59 AM | Permalink

Tags: bakk, legislature, vermilion