St. Paul, Minnesota — House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL - Golden Valley) and state Senator Karin Housley (R - St. Marys Point) have introduced legislation that would rededicate the Minnesota portion of Interstate Park as Walter F. Mondale State Park.
“We are honoring Walter Mondale’s lifelong devotion to public service and his foresight in preserving the St. Croix Scenic Riverway as a national treasure,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “Vice President Mondale has left us a legacy of rugged and pristine beauty which we will enjoy for generations to come, and so it is fitting that we recognize him in this way.”
“Interstate Park is the first such interstate park in the nation. For decades, Minnesotans have marveled at its storied history and natural beauty,” Senator Housley said. “It’s only fitting that we renew the spirit of bipartisanship that led to the park’s creation by naming the Minnesota portion of Interstate Park after its original champion, Walter Mondale.”
Interstate Park is located within the boundaries of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, which is part of the National Park System. The designation of the national park occurred as the result of the passage of two laws: one passed in 1968 added the river north of Taylors Falls to the newly designated St. Croix River National Scenic Riverway, and a second in 1972 added an additional 52 miles south to the confluence in Prescott. The northern 26 miles of this segment from Taylors' Falls to the Boomsite includes Minnesota and Wisconsin’s Interstate Parks.
This legislation was co-authored by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and then-Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale. Without this designation, the St. Croix would likely have become heavily polluted and overdeveloped.
Mondale served as Minnesota Attorney General from 1960-1964, US Senator from 1964-1976, Vice President from 1977-1981, and Ambassador to Japan from 1993-1996.
Fifty years ago, the effort to create the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway received strong bipartisan support, and today’s bill is being introduced in the same bipartisan spirit. Majority Leader Winkler and Sen. Housley hope that their action will inspire their Wisconsin counterparts to rename the Wisconsin portion of Interstate Park after Sen. Gaylord Nelson.