Undated (KROC-AM News) - Former Governor Tim Pawlenty will join Governor Mark Dayton this afternoon at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first campground at the new Lake Vermilion State Park in northeastern Minnesota. The new campground will feature accommodations for up to 250 people, along with electricity, showers and Wi-Fi.

It was Governor Pawlenty who proposed the creation of the State Park on land adjacent to the Soudan Underground Mine State Park and pushed for funding to purchase the 3000 acre site from U.S. steel.

The annual Governor’s Fishing Opener is being held at Lake Vermilion this weekend and the groundbreaking ceremony will kick off the festivities.

Governor Dayton plans to try his luck moments after the stroke of midnight Saturday morning, but also plans to go fishing with House Speaker Kurt Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Bakk following an official ceremony celebrating the fishing opener and the start of the summer tourism season in Minnesota.

It’s estimated that a half-million people will participate in this year’s fishing opener. The overall economic impact of sport fishing in Minnesota is estimated at $2.4 billion a year.

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