Supreme Court: DNR Can Change Name of Lake Calhoun
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ A divided Minnesota Supreme Court said Wednesday the state Department of Natural Resources has the authority to change the name of a popular lake back to its original Dakota name.
The state Court of Appeals ruled in April that the agency overstepped its authority in January 2018 when it changed the name to Bde Maka Ska.
It said authority to change the name rested with the Legislature under statutes governing lake and other place names.
Hennepin County asked the DNR for the change because Lake Calhoun was named for pro-slavery former Vice President John Calhoun. But some nearby property owners challenged it.
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