A Unique Partnership Project
Since the inception of the park, and the development of the park's General Management Plan (GMP) the benefit of having a National Park Service (NPS) visitor contact facility in each of the gateway communities was identified. Given that the NPS has no lands in the Crane Lake community, the need to seek a partnership opportunity to fulfill the objective was always necessary.
The community of Crane Lake has been instrumental in garnering funds through Minnesota's Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources to implement a community facility, with the vision of having the NPS lease space for visitor contact purposes. The community garnered $3.2 million for a municipal campground, and $2.6 million for the community building, which includes the proposed leased NPS contact station.
Construction on the building is scheduled to begin in 2023, with the likelihood of the NPS beginning to lease the facility in the summer of 2024.
Voyageurs Conservancy, the park's official philanthropic partner, along with the U.S. Forest Service, secured funding and Native Skywatchers Design LLC to design exhibits in the interior of the building. The National Park Service has assisted with the project development throughout the process.
Bringing experts from around the country to create and design this project ensures input from Indigenous tribes, state and government affiliations, and local gateway communities and partners.
To learn more about the community, visit Crane Lake.
Funding
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
Interior Themes for Visitor Education
- Dark Sky Education - Preservation, Enjoyment, Cultural Stories
- Regional Indigenous History
- Interconnected Skies & Waters (Stewardship and Enjoyment of Voyageurs National Park, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Quetico Provincial Park)
- Area Recreation Opportunities, Programs, Wayfinding
- Overview of Voyageurs National Park
