~ DNR would transfer 60 acres from Jay Cooke State Park to Department of Veterans Affairs ~

Saint Paul – In order to provide additional dignified burial places and a lasting memorial for veterans and their families, especially those in northeastern Minnesota, Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced a plan to have the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) transfer 60 acres of land in Jay Cooke State Park to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) for development of a new state veterans cemetery.

Legislation is required to transfer the land from DNR to MDVA. If the legislature approves the Governor’s plan, MDVA will apply for a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund design and construction of the new state veterans cemetery. The federal government would cover those costs, estimated to be approximately $8 million. The state would handle annual operating costs of approximately $300,000 per year.

The site of the proposed new state veterans cemetery is about 20 miles south of Duluth. This would be the second state veterans cemetery in Minnesota. The first was established seven miles north of Little Falls in 1994 and is the final resting place of more than 2,700 veterans and family members.

“We must support and remember veterans and their families with our words and our deeds,” Governor Pawlenty said. “This new cemetery will allow us to honor our heroes and remember their remarkable commitment, courage, and sacrifice with an appropriate final resting place that is close to home for families in northern Minnesota.”

As part of his comprehensive 2008 Military and Veterans Support Package unveiled in November, Governor Pawlenty proposed securing land for a new state veterans cemetery in the Duluth area to meet a growing need in northern Minnesota. More than 46,000 veterans live within 75 miles of the new site.

“The new cemetery will make it easier for families in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin to pay their respects,” MDVA Commissioner Clark Dyrud said. “Currently, families in the region must travel a significant distance. This new location will serve residents of both northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.”

Jay Cooke State Park contains 8,781 acres in Carlton County. The 60 acres that will be utilized for the new state veterans cemetery are located on the southern boundary of the park near the city of Wrenshall. This section of land is flat and lightly wooded with a rail line serving as an effective boundary on the northern portion of the parcel. The site is also two miles from the Veterans Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive/Highway 23. DNR will work closely with MDVA on resource management issues and visitor services.

“We are pleased to work together with the Department of Veterans Affairs on this important project,” said DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten. “Jay Cooke State Park is known for the beauty of the St. Louis River gorge and its northern forests. The new state veterans cemetery, located on the edge of the park in an area that was formerly farmland, will add to the reasons Minnesotans will visit this wonderful area.”

The cemetery is expected to draw up to 40,000 visitors annually and could provide as many as 500 interments per year. The concept for the proposed cemetery will take advantage of the area’s natural landscape.

The Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls follows the same eligibility requirements as the National Cemetery Administration. If a veteran is eligible to be buried in a national cemetery, he or she is also eligible to be buried in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery. To be eligible for burial, a veteran must have received other than a dishonorable discharge from active military service. Members of the National Guard and Reservists who have served at least 20 years are also eligible for burial. The spouse and minor children of eligible veterans are also eligible for burial.