Courtland Nelson, a one-time Forest Lake area resident, is coming home.Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Gene Merriam late last week announced the appointment of Nelson as the agencyís new Parks and Recreation Director. The Minnesota native joins the DNR after working as deputy director of Arizona State Parks and for the past 11 years as state park director in Utah.
ìParks in general and state parks in particular are invaluable in what they provide for the mental and physical health of our citizens,î Nelson said in a DNR release.
ëWhether parks provide a location for physical fitness, spiritual renewal, love and friendship, appreciation of culture and history or a great outdoor experience, I am committed to improving the quality of life through parks and programs in Minnesota.î
In his new role, Nelson will oversee a system which includes: 72 state parks and recreation areas (66 parks and six recreation areas), eight waysides, one state trail and 54 forest campgrounds and day-use areas.
ìI am privileged to be the new director of such a storied and successful organization,î he said.
Nelson was selected from a national search to replace Bill Morrissey who retired from the DNR after 30 years of service, the last 16 as director of parks and recreation.
ìCourtland comes to Minnesota with outstanding credentials,î Merriam said. ìHe has a strong history of resource conservation and leadership initiatives and will be a welcome addition to our team.î
Nelson was appointed Director of the Utah State Division of Parks and Recreation in February of 1993. He was responsible for the administration, planning and operation of Utahís 41 state park facilities and for the administration of the off-highway vehicle program, the non-motorized trail program and the Utah boating program. He supervised 300 full-time, 250 part-time employees and over 500 volunteers.
His most recent significant project for the Utah State Parks was the development of Soldier Hollow at Wasatch Mountain State Park, which was the Nordic venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games.
In 2002, Nelson received the prestigious Distinguished Service Award of the National Association of State Park Directors in recognition for his career commitment to outdoor recreation and heritage development.
From 1987-1993, Nelson was deputy director of Arizona State Parks and was responsible for the management, planning and operation of 26 state park facilities.
Nelson, who attended school in St. Francis and Forest Lake, graduated from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD, and holds a masters of science in Outdoor Recreation Education from Utah State University, Logan UT. One of his first jobs was that of a ranger at Great Salt Lake State Park in Utah.
He and his wife Mitzi, have one daughter, Megan, who is a college freshman. Nelson, 53, is a 1968 graduate of Forest Lake High School.
He is the son of Dorothy Nelson, Cambridge, and the late Neal Nelson, who was a teacher and coach at Forest Lake High School.
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