Pawlenty, U.S. Steel to sign Vermilion land deal

"MN Governor"

06/08/2010

St. Paul, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Pawlenty and a top U.S. Steel executive are signing a land deal on Tuesday to create a new state park on Lake Vermilion.

The Republican governor has long sought the new park in northeastern Minnesota near Tower.

He is holding a Capitol news conference with John Goodish, chief operating officer of U.S. Steel, where they will finalize the state's agreement to buy the company's land for $18 million.

The park deal has been through twists and turns, with the company prepared to sell the land for private development.

It includes five miles of undeveloped shoreline on a 40,000-acre lake dotted with islands. The park itself will cover 3,000 acres.