When most Minnesotans think of state parks, they envision waterfalls and hiking trails and campgrounds. But behind all of those natural wonders and visitor amenities are buildings and facilities that are in tough shape, says Tom Landwehr, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

That’s why the DNR is seeking $72.5 million in its state bonding request to the Minnesota Legislature, $33 million of it to fix recreational facilities and other aging buildings across the state.

“Our big emphasis is on asset preservation — taking care of the buildings, roads and bridges we have,” Landwehr said in an interview as he was passing through Duluth last week.

In addition, the DNR is asking for $5 million in a supplemental budget request to support day-to-day operations in state parks, without which the agency would be forced to cut back park services, Landwehr said.

The bonding request for shoring up state properties is far more than the agency typically requests for that kind of work.

“We’d typically get $1 to $5 million,” Landwehr said. “… This is the highest we’ve ever asked for but only a third of what we need to get our buildings up to average.”

Currently, Landwehr said, 204 of the DNR’s 2,714 buildings are in “crisis unacceptable condition,” and 533 more are in poor condition. The DNR also maintains more than 3,300 miles of roads and 620 miles of paved trails, about 100 of which need to be resurfaced.

Itasca State Park near Bemidji, Minnesota’s oldest state park, is showing its age, DNR officials say. The agency is seeking $3 million in bonding money to fix the 40- to 50-year-old sewer system at the historic Douglas Lodge, improve park safety, upgrade public water access and reforest 800 acres.

At Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth, the DNR is requesting bonding money to replace its campground restroom and shower building, said Lisa Angelos, Jay Cooke park manager.

“Ours was built in 1960,” Angelos said. “It served a good, useful life. We can do a lot better with modern amenities for our customers and improve energy-saving aspects, too.”

Jay Cooke has 83 campsites that are all occupied on a regular basis during the peak of the summer season, Angelos said.

“Jay Cooke just celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015,” Angelos said. “We’ve been experiencing the largest visitation we’ve had in our history. It’s great to see our visitors coming out and using our park.”

The DNR’s bonding request is part of Gov. Mark Dayton’s overall $1.4 billion bonding proposal for more than 100 public projects statewide. Those projects would include new bridges, construction work at public colleges and universities, facilities to improve water quality and more. Dayton has said that with the current state budget surplus, now is a good time to borrow for worthy projects, although some legislators have said his proposal is excessive.

Beyond the DNR’s proposal to upgrade the department’s infrastructure, its other bonding requests include: