Boundary Waters is a legacy of the Wilderness Act

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September 3, 2004
Bob Kelleher - Reporter, Sigurd Olson - Profiled Subject and Speaker, David Backes - Interviewee, Hubert H. Humphrey - Profiled Subject, Don Johnson - Interviewee, Chuck Wick - Interviewee
Listen: Wilderness At 40 (Kelleher) - 3344
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MPR’s Bob Kelleher traces the individuals and movement that led to the U.S. 1964 Wilderness Act, creating the nation's system of federally protected wilderness. Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area was one of the first. Several Minnesotans played prominent roles, including then U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey and a junior college administrator from Ely, named Sigurd Olson.

Report also includes various brief interviews and commentary.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) People say sigurd Olson was more a listener than a talker. He was a man of the written word. But when he talked about the Wilderness he loved as he did in his later years in 1974 everybody

(00:00:13) listened. How are you going to explain love of the land? How are you going to explain the value of a sunset or a Lookout Point? How can you explain any of the things which motivate our actions? How can we explain why you are here tonight? We're all fighting for the same thing.

(00:00:41) Olson died snowshoeing eight years later, but his legacy lives on through nine books and countless articles written in the tiny building behind his Ely Minnesota home. It's just a small shack really an old garage a drab olive green with a pair of windows on each side and tucked under a few shade trees in the corner of the yard. Inside its mustiness an Old Pine The Faded Royal typewriter still Waits on a broad oak desk Olsen's pipes are in the cup to the right from this typewriter and this Shack Sigrid Olsen captured in words, the spirit of wilderness Olsen's poetic writing has been compared to Henry David thoreau's or John Muir's chuckwei cones The Shack now, there's all kinds of stuff here. This this Here, this is an interesting one here. This is a traitor Zach's that's back from the Voyager era Olson was worried that 20th century America was fast. Gobbling up the nation's last wild places for decades. You might find any of the nation's leading Wilderness advocates in this Shack debating ideas developing strategy or scribbling drafts of what would become Landmark federal law. It might be Howard's ionizer considered the father of the Wilderness act or Northern, Minnesota. Activists Earnest oberholtzer or even a fast-rising politician named Hubert Humphrey if these walls could talk, you know, if they would have had a tape recorder. I'm sure it would be a very interesting discussion. Also met Humphrey in 1949 Humphrey was the newly elected u.s. Senator from Minnesota. Olson was becoming a nationally known conservationist David Backes wrote A wilderness within the life of sigurd f

(00:02:31) Olson. This was at the peak of A fight to ban airplanes from what's Now The Boundary Waters canoe area. And Sig was the leading spokesperson in that fight and Humphrey was a brand new

(00:02:45) Senator Olsen wrote a friend about meeting Humphrey saying the senator could be

(00:02:50) useful and back here. I have it here. He says later on we can use him to good Advantage. He is a climber and wants National publicity and fast. That's what 6 that and May 2nd

(00:03:00) 1949. The opportunity came. Came in 1956 the Wilderness society's Howard's ionizer presented Humphrey. The first draft of what would become the federal Wilderness act. It would create a national system of areas protected by Congress from development. Meanwhile Sigrid Olsen had just published his first book The Singing Wilderness it quickly went to a second printing Humphrey may not have been aware that Olson helped write the Wilderness bill when he turned to his friend from Ely for advice Olson told him to go for it Humphrey did at Abacus the fight was

(00:03:34) on and what was so important in it first year probably for Humphreys continued support as well. As for the ultimate passage of the bill was creating the bill in such a way that The Boundary Waters would be taken care of in an acceptable fashion that it would protect it and yet wouldn't create so much of a fight in northern Minnesota that Humphrey would have to back up

(00:03:58) Humphrey could alienate his Democratic base in Minnesota and few. Ins were more loyal than the state's northeast corner Humphrey sought a balance for Minnesota's Boundary Waters canoe area between total Wilderness protection and long-established uses like motorboats and logging at first it seemed to please no one when hearings opened in 1957 the Ely press eviscerated Humphrey conservationists like Ernest oberholtzer worried about backlash sigurd Olson was getting it from both

(00:04:29) sides a number of local people who they feared. Our whole economy, and then you had Wilderness activists on the other hand who were afraid that that he might give in too much,

(00:04:43) but Olson stood firm in meetings in his writings. He explained over and over that he wasn't trying to change the Boundary Waters, but was trying to preserve. What was there The Boundary Waters debate finally quieted. It was eight long years of rewrites hearings and debates before the Wilderness Act passed Congress in 1964. For only one Wilderness Area is specifically named in the bill The Boundary Waters canoe area and biographer. David Backes says, it's there for The Unique exceptions given that single federal

(00:05:14) Wilderness, but the maze happen and thank God because look at the awesome Wilderness system that we have in this country right now

(00:05:22) Olsen's Wilderness writings were at the peak of their popularity throughout the debate. He leaves Chuck Wicks as Olsen gave the movement heart. I think his involvement. Was more as a spiritual leader of the whole movement. He was one of the three or four were leaders of the whole idea. And so that I think was more important than him sitting down and writing the language of it Olsen's memory is preserved in Ely by the listening Point Foundation named for Olsen's Log Cabin property on Burnside late Foundation president. Don Johnson says Olsen wrote what he

(00:06:04) experienced. I think that's that's what's critical about sega's. He's one of these people that got out there a lot and got out in the bush a lot got on the woods a lot and and loved it and instilled that that love really became and kind of manifest in his in his actions later to preserve what he loved

(00:06:23) and created on September 3rd 1964 the Wilderness system now holds over 100 million Acres where according to the act the Earth and its community of Life are untrammeled by man where man himself is a visitor who does not remain Bob kelliher, Minnesota Public Radio Ely.

Transcripts

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BOB KELLEHER: People say Sigurd Olson was more a listener than a talker. He was a man of the written word. But when he talked about the wilderness he loved, as he did in his later years in 1974, everybody listened.

SIGURD OLSON: How are you going to explain love of the land? How are you going to explain the value of a sunset or a lookout point? How can you explain any of the things which motivate our actions? How can we explain why you're here tonight? We're all fighting for the same thing.

BOB KELLEHER: Olson died snowshoeing eight years later, but his legacy lives on through nine books and countless articles written in the tiny building behind his Ely, Minnesota home. It's just a small shack, really an old garage. A drab olive green with a pair of windows on each side and tucked under a few shade trees in the corner of the yard.

Inside its mustiness and old pine, the faded royal typewriter still waits on a broad oak desk. Olson's pipes are in the cup to the right. From this typewriter and this shack, Sigurd Olson captured in words the spirit of wilderness. Olson's poetic writing has been compared to Henry David Thoreau's or John Muir's. Chuck Wick owns the shack now.

SIGURD OLSON: There's all kinds of stuff here. This piece here, this is an interesting one here. This is a trader's ax that's back from the Voyager era.

BOB KELLEHER: Olson was worried that 20th century America was fast gobbling up the nation's last wild places. For decades, you might find any of the nation's leading wilderness advocates in this shack, debating ideas, developing strategy, or scribbling drafts of what would become landmark federal law. It might be Howard Zahniser, considered the father of the Wilderness Act. Or Northern Minnesota activist Ernest Oberholtzer. Or even a fast rising politician named Hubert Humphrey.

SIGURD OLSON: If these walls could talk, you know, if they would have had a tape recorder, I'm sure it would be a very interesting discussion.

BOB KELLEHER: Olson met Humphrey in 1949. Humphrey was the newly elected US Senator from Minnesota. Olson was becoming a nationally known conservationist. David Backes wrote A Wilderness Within, The Life Of Sigurd F. Olson.

DAVID BACKES: This was at the peak of the fight to ban airplanes from what's now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and Sig was the leading spokesperson in that fight, and Humphrey was a brand new Senator.

BOB KELLEHER: Olson wrote a friend about meeting Humphrey, saying the Senator could be useful.

DAVID BACKES: In fact, here, I have it here. He says later on, we can use him to good advantage. He is a climber and wants national publicity and fast. That's what Sig said on May 2nd, 1949.

BOB KELLEHER: The opportunity came in 1956. The Wilderness Society's Howard Zahniser presented Humphrey the first draft of what would become the Federal Wilderness Act. It would create a national system of areas protected by Congress from development. Meanwhile, Sigurd Olson had just published his first book, The Singing Wilderness. It quickly went to a second printing. Humphrey may not have been aware that Olson helped write the Wilderness Bill when he turned to his friend from Ely for advice. Olson told him to go for it. Humphrey did. And according to Backes, the fight was on.

DAVID BACKES: And what was so important in that first year, probably for Humphrey's continued support as well as for the ultimate passage of the bill, was creating the bill in such a way that the Boundary Waters would be taken care of in an acceptable fashion. That it would protect it and yet wouldn't create so much of a fight in Northern Minnesota that Humphrey would have to back out.

BOB KELLEHER: Humphrey couldn't alienate his Democratic base in Minnesota, and few regions were more loyal than the state's northeast corner. Humphrey sought a balance for Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area between total wilderness protection and long established uses like motorboats and logging. At first, it seemed to please no one. When hearings opened in 1957, the Ely press eviscerated Humphrey. Conservationists like Ernest Oberholtzer worried about backlash. Sigurd Olson was getting it from both sides.

SIGURD OLSON: From a number of local people who they feared for their whole economy. And then you had wilderness activists, on the other hand, who were afraid that he might give in too much.

BOB KELLEHER: But Olson stood firm in meetings, in his writings. He explained over and over that he wasn't trying to change the Boundary Waters but was trying to preserve what was there. The Boundary Waters debate finally quieted. It was eight long years of rewrites, hearings, and debates before the Wilderness Act passed Congress in 1964. Only one wilderness area is specifically named in the bill. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area. And biographer David Backes says it's there for the unique exceptions, given that single federal wilderness.

DAVID BACKES: But they made it happen. And thank God because look at the awesome wilderness system that we have in this country right now.

BOB KELLEHER: Olson's wilderness writings were at the peak of their popularity throughout the debate. Ely's Chuck Wick says Olson gave the movement heart.

CHUCK WICK: I think his involvement was more as a spiritual leader of the whole movement. He was one of the three or four leaders of the whole idea. And so that I think was more important than him sitting down and writing the language of it.

BOB KELLEHER: Olson's memory is preserved in Ely by the Listening Point Foundation, named for Olson's log cabin property on Burntside Lake. Foundation President Don Johnson says Olson wrote what he experienced.

DON JOHNSON: I think that's what's critical about Sig, is he's one of these people that got out there a lot and got out in the bush a lot, got out in the woods a lot, and loved it and instilled that-- that love really became, you know, kind of manifest in his actions later to preserve what he loved.

BOB KELLEHER: Created on September 3rd, 1964, the wilderness system now holds over 100 million acres, where, according to the act, the Earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio, Ely.

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