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A Minnesota House committee has given a tentative nod to $300,000 over two years for tourism promotion in the Mille Lacs Lake area, which has taken an economic hit from a drop in the walleye population. Tina Chapman with Mille Lacs Area Tourism Council told lawmakers the lake has a “drastically shrinking pie” of interested customers, and they need to replace those with new customers. Chapman says additional dollars are necessary “to convey the promise of Lake Mille Lacs outside the traditional walleye fishermen.” Bill sponsor, Aitkin Representative Dale Lueck says the recent D-N-R announcement on fishing regulations “really depressed” the market and the goal is to bill Mille Lacs as a premier area for a variety of recreational activities.