Above all else, the late Gaylord Nelson
  will be remembered as the founder of
  Earth Day. Yet for those who love Lake
  Superior, the Apostle Islands National
  Lakeshore will always be a major part
  of his legacy.

Thus, for creation of both a gift to our region and a broader awareness of good stewardship for all such gifts, it is an honor to announce the 2005 Lake Superior Magazine Achievement Award for the former U.S. senator and Wisconsin governor.

The Achievement Award, revealed annually in this issue, is given to a person or organization that has improved the well-being of Lake Superior and its residents. We had chosen Gaylord Nelson earlier in the year and were, with others, greatly saddened by his death July 3, 2005.

Gaylord Nelson was an easy choice. Earth Day in 1970 was pivotal in changing attitudes and bringing the fledgling environmental movement into the mainstream.

As for the Apostles, Nelson pushed hard in the 1960s to create the lakeshore. It was approved in 1970. Now roughly 80 percent of the Apostle Islands (33,500 acres) is designated as the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness.

At a memorial, the lakeshore’s superintendent, Bob Krumenaker, described Nelson’s last visit to the Apostles two years ago during a film shoot. “We walked the beach at Stockton Island and sat on the dock together while the cameras rolled. The filmmakers encouraged him to wax eloquent on the meaning of the park to the American people - it was, literally, a made-for-posterity moment and a chance for him to paint a verbal picture of how much it meant to him.... But he would have none of it! He simply said the place speaks for itself; there was nothing more he could add. His lack of words - he felt no need to claim credit - was perhaps more eloquent than anything he might have said.”

Nelson’s innovative ideas emerged while he was Wisconsin’s governor. In 1961, he created the Outdoor Recreation Acquisition Program using a 1-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes to acquire thousands of acres for park land and wildlife habitat. As a U.S. senator, he helped to sponsor the Wilderness Act of 1964, protecting millions of acres of federal land. He authored laws to preserve the nation’s wild and scenic rivers, such as the St. Croix, Wolf and Namekagon, on which he had canoed as a boy.

The influence of Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day rippled through the 1970s with creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and passage of 28 major environmental laws. His success may be explained in part by his affable personality that respected other opinions.

Martin Hanson, who lives south of Ashland, is a member of the Friends of the Apostle Islands. He said of his longtime friend, “He had a big circle of friends. Gaylord was very popular in Congress. He had many friends on both sides of the aisle. He was just a lot of fun, a cordial person who respected the other person’s viewpoint for what it was.”

Nelson’s legacy extends to his influence on others. His daughter Tia Nelson, executive secretary of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands for Wisconsin, says, “For as long as I can recall, Papa has spoken about how the stewardship of our natural resources will be the determining factor in the quality of life for this and future generations. And I don’t ever remember not thinking that this would be my (career direction).”

Bill Bechtel, a friend who worked as Nelson’s staff director in Washington, says that even in failing health, Nelson wanted to encourage action. “Right up to the very end, I was working with him. He wanted to put out a statement” opposing diversion of Lake Superior water.

Thank you, Gaylord Nelson, for showing us how to work together to achieve protection of the environment. Because of your passionate leadership, national treasures like the Apostle Islands and Lake Superior will be healthier and better protected for generations to come.

Feedback: reader@lakesuperior.com