What a welcome and hugely important piece of good news in Minnesota.

And what a good omen for the upcoming legislative session, too.

Now, if only Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Democratic leaders in the Legislature could preserve and protect this rare moment of good will.

The good news, of course, is the governor’s announcement that U.S. Steel has met the state’s price and will sell the land that’s set to become Lake Vermilion State Park. The start of the legislative session is only a few weeks away; wouldn’t it be great if the session somehow could convene on the Lake Vermilion shore?

The Lake Vermilion announcement is a bipartisan achievement in a state that has seen too few of those in recent years. The park’s creation will be an act for the ages, given the fact that Lake Vermilion State Park almost certainly will outlive every Minnesotan alive today.

Might not this news generate at least a few degrees of warmth, even in the chilly Capitol in St. Paul?

Actually, the Legislature must tie up a few loose ends before the park truly will be signed, sealed and delivered. In a move of real charity, U.S. Steel accepted Minnesota’s bid of $18 million for the Lake Vermilion land. (The company had said the land would fetch $25 million from developers and had wanted $20 million from the state.)

But although the state has budgeted enough for the purchase, $18 million still is more than 12 percent above the land’s state-appraised value. So, the purchase likely will require legislative approval.

Lawmakers quickly should deliver that approval, then do their best to keep alive the bipartisan spirit and long-term perspective that created the park.

Minnesota will need both of those things if the state is going to progress in solving its deficit this year.

Last year, the session ended in bitter anger and hard feelings. This year, the session can start on a very different note; and if the governor and legislative leaders are smart, they’ll work together to keep the spirit of Lake Vermilion alive.

— Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, Jan. 17