COHASSET — The Department of Natural Resources did something DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said isn’t very common.
It hosted a naming ceremony for a state facility.
The DNR dedicated the Tioga Public Water Access on Pokegama Lake to the late Grand Rapids fishing guide and radio host Tom Neustrom on Friday, Nov. 6, at the access in Cohasset.
“It's a unique act, and there's no doubt that Tom was a very unique person and very uniquely deserving of this,” Strommen said.
Neustrom was deeply involved in Minnesota’s fishing scene.
“His combination of interests in the activity of fishing, in the stewardship of fisheries, and the caring of people and their connections to the outdoors really made it an appropriate thing to do,” Strommen said.
Neustrom’s friends, family and coworkers gathered to honor him and watch the unveiling of a temporary sign bearing the access point’s new name.
Neustrom was a distinguished fishing guide for over five decades. He was recognized by multiple organizations as one of the top walleye fishing guides in the country and co-hosted the radio show Reel Talk Outdoors.
He also served on DNR advisory committees and helped start the sportfishing advocacy group MN-FISH.
The access has been under construction since Sept. 8 as part of the DNR's Get Out MORE initiative. The DNR implemented the $500,000 project to bring the access up to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards and improve the safety and usability of the site.
Strommen said Neustrom was a very strong advocate for the initiative.
“To be able to dedicate the Tioga access there on Pokegama, which was an access that Tom used, it's a way to extend his legacy and allow him to continue to advocate for that access, to continue to educate people, to continue to be that connector for others to have an experience on the water,” Strommen said.
As for the dedication, Strommen said she thinks Neustrom would be humbled by it.
“Tom didn't do what he did for the recognition. He did it because he believed in it, and he got so much enjoyment from fishing and time in the water,” she said.
Neustrom died July 5 at home. He was 77.
Stella Mayerhoff is a Report for America corps member, covering Minnesota’s headwaters region for KAXE in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.
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