minnesota tried again in  authorizing a state park around lake itasca both for its recreational opportunities and to protect the source of the mississippi river interstate park on the st croix river was created in  other sites were added over the next two decades but with an inconsistent vision modest tracts of scenic land were acquired in minneopa and jay cooke state parks but much effort was also expended on creating historical monuments relating to the dakota war of  and the great hinckley fire moreover most of the sites were being administered by the state auditor who had many other duties itasca state park meanwhile was being administered as a state forest in  state auditor ray p chase excoriated this situation calling for wiser selection of park lands and a dedicated commissioner chases comments had an impact and two years later the department of conservation was created to manage the states natural resources including the state parks originally part of the forestry division the state parks received their own division in  to take advantage of federal programs such as the civilian conservation corps ccc in  the departmen