Boundary Waters Conservation Alliance initiate BWCA blockade as protest to Dayton-Walls agreement

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August 5, 1978
Alan Searle - Reporter, Unknown - Interviewee, Interviewee, and Interviewee
Listen: BWCA blockade 3
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MPR’s Alan Searle reports on Boundary Waters Canoe Area blockade initiated by Boundary Waters Conservation Alliance as an act of protest to the pending Dayton-Walls BWCA agreement going through Congress. Report includes various interviews with alliance members blocking BWCA entry points.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) As early as 4:30 a.m. Supporters and members of The Boundary Waters Conservation Alliance gathered at BWC a entry points tourists coming into the area heard something like this when stopped at checkpoints
(00:00:12) case, you're wondering what's going on. Okay, say we're being shut out of there. And this is our last chance in 10 days. They're going to push through a so-called compromise that is going to wipe out anybody that cares the use anything except the paddle. And we're just letting people know that enough is enough. And this is our last chance to do anything about it and so are
(00:00:37) inconveniencing people. If one proceeded further turning down one of these smaller roads leading to one of the main be wcan. Tri-Lakes one wouldn't get far blocking the roads in some places up to 50 Vehicles. The general image was one of a relaxed Saturday picnic, which many were having by the way, but in talking to the people a different picture emerges we just said,
(00:01:00) We've tried all the legal channels. We spent $200,000 in Congress for lobbying actions didn't mean anything. We've had petitions we turn in 20,000 petitions at one time didn't mean anything our backs are to the wall where one vote away from being kicked out of here. And this is the only thing to do.
(00:01:20) What about Senator Anderson's announcement on Thursday. Did that really blow the lid on an already boiling Kettle
(00:01:26) here? I think it did. I think we were at the brink of doing something and That did it right there. We will fold down the drain along with Senator Anderson. He was all down the drain with it. They don't think there's a person in you that knows the true facts that isn't going to steal campaign for Senator Anderson. So the Anderson was sold
(00:01:45) down the drain who in your opinion bought him. He
(00:01:48) wasn't bought and this that'll come out next week. We'll be putting out movie releases on this but He's definitely isn't Senator Anderson fault. As far as I'm concerned the pressures put on Senator Anderson and Jim Oberstar are tremendous and this deal so far Jim Oberstar in sticking right with us and he's getting the heat tool. Are you convinced that he did
(00:02:14) that he is going to get the best possible settlement that could be had this
(00:02:18) year. No, that's what he said on Thursday that compromise. So called walls deep and compromise probably the sell-off is going to compromise at
(00:02:27) all at all because the government promised that was only ever going to take in 1964 and now they want to move out us out of our homes and everything and there's the Senators saw that there is that's not overcrowded is plenty of room for everybody. It's
(00:02:45) apparent to me that I'm the next couple of generations all in nothing left. And if something isn't done now. People who are rule who know only rural ways will eventually be forced to an urban
(00:02:57) life and that is not fair. This is
(00:02:59) affecting the entire population of the
(00:03:01) area. And you don't think it's fair. I
(00:03:05) think it's totally unjustified. I think it's inhumane by mid-afternoon many of those blocked into the BWC a had gotten out most of those locked out. We're letting in Alliance Representatives said the blockade was their last chance to let the people of America know how they felt about the issue. There were the usual political opinions expressed as well support for Bob Short The Independent who is opposing Congressman Don Fraser in the September dfl primary for Minnesota's four-year senate seat. Praise for Congressman Jim Oberstar who introduced the original BWC a bill and a general vote of confidence for Senator Wendell Anderson. Although Anderson is now sponsoring a bill whose terms were rejected by the alliance membership last weekend most Alliance supporters. I spoke to said they still support Anderson. Some said he was under great pressure to and the issue as soon as possible and believe that he did the best. He could PWC a demonstrations continue next week in Grand Marais that town will reportedly shot Shut down entirely for a day in protest of possible restrictive BWC a legislation in Ali. This is Alan Cyril reporting.

Transcripts

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ALAN SEARLE: As early as 4:30 AM, supporters and members of the Boundary Waters Conservation Alliance gathered at BWCA entry points. Tourists coming into the area heard something like this when stopped at checkpoints.

SPEAKER 2: In case you're wondering what's going on, OK, I'll say it. We're being shut out of there. And this is our last chance. In 10 days, they're going to push through a so-called compromise that is going to wipe out anybody that cares to use anything except a paddle. And we're just letting people know that enough is enough. And this is our last chance to do anything about it. And so we're inconveniencing people.

ALAN SEARLE: If one proceeded further, turning down one of the smaller roads leading to one of the main BWCA entry lakes, one wouldn't get far. Blocking the roads in some places, up to 50 vehicles. The general image was one of a relaxed Saturday picnic, which many were having, by the way. But in talking to the people, a different picture emerges.

SPEAKER 3: We're just fed up. We've tried all the legal channels. We spent $200,000 in Congress for lobbying action. It didn't mean anything. We've had petitions. We turned in 20,000 petitions at one time. It didn't mean anything. Our backs are to the wall. We're one vote away from being kicked out of here. And this is the only thing to do.

ALAN SEARLE: What about Senator Anderson's announcement on Thursday? Did that really blow the lid on an already boiling kettle here?

SPEAKER 3: I think it did. I think we are at the brink of doing something. And that did it, right there. We were sold down the drain, along with Senator Anderson. He was sold down the drain with it. I don't think there's a person in Ely that knows the true facts that isn't going to still campaign for Senator Anderson.

ALAN SEARLE: You said Anderson was sold down the drain. Who, in your opinion, bought him?

SPEAKER 3: He wasn't bought. And this debt will come up next week. We'll be putting out news releases on this. But this definitely isn't Senator Anderson's fault, as far as I'm concerned. The pressures put on Senator Anderson and Jim Oberstar were tremendous on this bill. So far. Jim Oberstar, he's sticking right with us. And he's getting the heat too.

ALAN SEARLE: Are you convinced that he did, that he is going to get the best possible settlement that could be had this year?

SPEAKER 3: No.

ALAN SEARLE: That's what he said on Thursday.

SPEAKER 3: That compromise, the so-called Walz-Dayton compromise, we call it a sellout. It's not a compromise at all.

SPEAKER 4: We shouldn't have to go back at all. Because the government promised that was all they were going to take.

ALAN SEARLE: In 1964?

SPEAKER 4: And now they want to move us out of our homes and everything. The senators saw that it's not overcrowded. There's plenty of room for everybody.

SPEAKER 5: It's apparent to me that in the next couple of generations, they'll have nothing left. And if something isn't done now, people who are rural, who know only rural ways, will eventually be forced to an urban life. And that is not fair. This is affecting the entire population of the Ely area.

ALAN SEARLE: And you don't think it's fair?

SPEAKER 5: I think it's totally unjustified. I think it's inhumane.

ALAN SEARLE: By mid-afternoon, many of those blocked into the BWCA had gotten out. Most of those locked out were let in. Alliance representatives said the blockade was their last chance to let the people of America know how they felt about the issue. There were the usual political opinions expressed as well. Support for Bob Short, the independent who is opposing Congressman Don Fraser in the September DFL primary for Minnesota's four-year Senate seat, praise for Congressman Jim Oberstar, who introduced the original BWCA bill, and a general vote of confidence for Senator Wendell Anderson.

Although Anderson is now sponsoring a bill whose terms were rejected by the Alliance membership last weekend, most Alliance supporters I spoke to said they still support Anderson. Some said he was under great pressure to end the issue as soon as possible and believe that he did the best he could. BWCA demonstrations continue next week in Grand Marais. That town will reportedly shut down entirely for a day, in protest of possible restrictive BWCA legislation. In Ely, this is Alan Searle reporting.

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