Community turns out to celebrate new Lake Vermilion State Park

Hundreds of area residents filled the Breitung Fire Hall, overflowing into the parking lot, for a community celebration and picnic in honor of the new Lake Vermilion State Park on Wednesday. DNR officials included DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten, Parks and Trails Director Courtland Nelson, and many other DNR division and management heads.

“We wanted everyone to see the wonderfulness of this park and your community,” Holsten told the crowd.

Holsten started off the brief program stating “I’ve been looking forward to this night for a long time.” The evening was a chance for locals to give imput, but mostly was a chance for everyone to celebrate the fact that the idea of preserving the USS land for public use and a park was now a reality.

Holsten stressed the importance of the community’s support for the park as far as getting the legislature to approve the sale, and added that the park needs to reflect the “values and culture of your community.”

“You folks touched the entire state with your support,” he said. “Legislators across the state heard you.”

Local officials echoed the enthusiasm of the DNR.

“We can’t tell you how happy we are,” said Breitung Chairman Tim Tomsich. “This is a dream come true for most of us.”

Tomsich noted that the idea of turning the USS lands into a park came from many years of local planning efforts, including the development of a joint long-range development plan for Tower and Breitung.

He thanked all the local residents who had been involved in the planning process that dated back at least ten years.

“She is a beautiful lake,” he said. “We will all enjoy her.”

Tower Mayor Steve Abrahamson said the park was “another jewel to add to our area.”

“This is one of the best things for our area,” Abrahamson said, noting the significance the park will have on the area’s economy. He said community involvement was a key piece of getting the park deal completed, and added that while not everyone in the community supported the park plan and that some would have rather seen the area developed for lakeshore housing, everyone’s opinion had been important.

Holsten ended his remarks by making a public commitment to get the park developed. He noted the park planning process will be completed by the end of the year, at which time there will be another round of public comments taken. He said the park plan will also incorportate ways to tie the new park into the nearby Bear Head Lake State Park and Mesabi Trail system.