Minnesota officials to weigh paying for keeping federal park areas open

October 11, 2013 at 6:39AM
Namakan Lake in the historic Kettle Falls area on the Minnesota-Ontario border is a highlight for many visitors to Voyageurs National Park.
Namakan Lake in the historic Kettle Falls area on the Minnesota-Ontario border is a highlight for many visitors to Voyageurs National Park. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minnesota officials say they'll review an offer from the Obama administration to let states use their own money to reopen national parks that have been closed by the federal government shutdown.

Matt Swenson, a spokesman for Gov. Mark Dayton, says the administration will review what it would cost and how much revenue it would bring in before deciding.

Minnesota has one national park — Voyageurs National Park on the Canadian border. The National Park Service also runs the Mississippi and St. Croix national scenic river areas.

Governors in at least four Western states have asked for authority to reopen national parks within their borders because of the economic effects caused by the park closings.

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