There's a piece of paradise in northeastern Minnesota. It's called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). Admirers credit the book "The Singing Wilderness," published in 1956, as part of the inspiration for creating the wilderness area; and they credit author Sigurd Olson for putting into words the reasons humans need wilderness. However, his views inflamed critics who feared Olson and other wilderness advocates worried more about habitat than humans.

MPR’s Dan Olson presents a collection of interviews with various individuals, a reading from book, and audio segments of Sigurd Olson speaking.

Transcript:

(00:00:04) In a culture where fake reality TV and are such celebrities are offered as diversions for the mind the words of sigurd Olson are like a breath of fresh air half a century ago. He extolled the joy of a canoe trip in his book The Singing Wilderness. The movement of a canoe is like a reed in the wind silence is part of it and the sounds of lapping water bird songs and the wind in the trees. It is part of the medium through which it floats the sky the water. The shores Olson and other Wilderness Advocates promoted the vision of protecting Northeastern Minnesota's glittering necklace, like chain of lakes rivers and Rapids. It would become the BWC a and be placed off-limits to Motors Mining and Timber harvesting the way of a canoe is the way of the Wilderness and of a freedom almost forgotten. It is an antidote to insecurity the open door to waterways of Ages past and a way of life with profound and abiding satisfactions when a man is part of his canoe. He is part of all that canoes have ever known the sermon like quality of Sigrid Olsen's writing is genuine. His father was a Swedish Baptist preacher the family left, Illinois and moved to Northern Wisconsin when Olson was a child as a young adult. He landed a teaching job in a Minnesota Iron Range town later. Wilson joined the faculty at then Ali Junior College now for a million Community College. That's where he became a lifelong friend of and Wilderness Ally with one of his students Bill

(00:01:37) ROM. My job was cleaning up 6 at a laboratory and it's office and desk and so

(00:01:43) forth ROM joined Olsen in the campaign to restore the Region's Wilderness character Advocates of motors and logging flew into a rage. They worried the restrictions would cost jobs her. The area's economy and end a way of life as passions Rose. Some of Sigrid Olsen's critics hanged him in effigy outside a congressional field Hearing in Ely on creating the BWC a and Bill ROM soon learned that not even his status as a Neely native or a World War Two veteran spared him from his detractors wrath

(00:02:17) blockaded our store Park big long logging trucks in front of it and ticketed customers as they came in. Had a big sign out there run the bum ROM out of

(00:02:30) town the end of the story is neither Bill Ramen or sigurd Olson left town. One reason is that Olsen's advocacy for Wilderness had Deep Roots and many supporters. He had played a very critical role nationally with the national parks Association Izaak, Walton League of America Wilderness and public lands director, Kevin, press hold. He was the head of the Wilderness Society board of directors. He played a crucial role in the passage of the 1964. Or Wilderness act

(00:02:58) the matter of preserving Wilderness is one which is occupied. Most of my

(00:03:02) life Sigrid Olsen's writing his charismatic personality and his voice were powerful tools in the campaign to create the Boundary Waters canoe area Wilderness

(00:03:12) we came from the Wilderness are long evolutionary background proves that we were at one with all forms of life. At the song of the Wilderness is something we all Listen to We're All searching for

(00:03:29) it after Decades of work on behalf of other Wilderness causes Observer say Olson's role in the BWC a effort. Was that of Elder Statesman he offered advice made occasional speeches and contacted members of Congress Sigrid Olsen son Robert at a recent Gathering honoring his memory says Olson was a reluctant public

(00:03:48) figure. He did not relish. The publicity

(00:03:55) and the education

(00:03:58) and the public relations

(00:03:59) aspect of it at all

(00:04:02) Sigrid Olsen preferred the written word for expressing his views Robert Olsen's wife Yvonne, encouraged her father-in-law to write a book and became one of his editors.

(00:04:11) We had some tussles, but generally he was very good about it. We had a few General things that I insisted on and he just Sometimes would laugh but he go ahead and do it his own way anyway.

(00:04:29) In order to mature as human beings and live happily. It depends on how much Wilderness is

(00:04:38) left the campaign to create the BWC a reached a climax in the mid-1970s. It came as a swarm of groups Wilderness Advocates mining companies Timber Harvesters and others targeted the region one of the most vexing issues to Olsen and others was a proposal from mining companies and state officials to extract the area's copper nickel deposits Wilderness proponents worried the pollution from smelters would damage the areas. System. So in 1975 the 78 year old Sigrid Olsen his voice still strong sat down in front of a microphone and Ali to warned of the

(00:05:14) consequences in decision whether to give up any wilderness foursome material activity which might destroy it is of terrific

(00:05:31) importance in 1978 Wilderness Advocates won their campaign when President Jimmy Carter signed the federal law creating the BWC a Sigrid Olsen died on a winter day in 1982 at age 82 after snowshoeing near the Wilderness Area. He helped create. The new federal law mostly eliminated Motors Timber cutting and Mining from the 1.1 million acre Wilderness the debate continues over how to manage those activities in nearby areas that could affect the BWC AZ ecosystem and for that matter the argument continues over how to preserve the entire states remaining natural habitat.

(00:06:16) Sigrid Olsen was an avid Hunter and angler. His admirers say he would have supported and attended a rally at the state capitol in st. Paul this print the carnival-like atmosphere at the second annual Gathering to lobby for waterfowl

(00:06:29) wetlands and clean water included duck calling contests and

(00:06:33) speeches by political figures exhorting citizens to lobby for preserving the environment Sigrid Olsen's friend David zentner from Duluth. The former National president of the Izaak Walton League says Olson would Lamented the state's waning commitment to conservation and the environment are General Revenue spending for all environmental purposes. Is that the lowest level in 35 years it barely makes a percent and if you look at the money's for natural resources, every dollar we've had or every subject has been rated if it hasn't been constitutionally protected.

(00:07:10) This is our world. The only world will ever have we depend upon the Wilderness for our welfare physically and mentally and above all spiritually. We cannot afford to lose any Wilderness in view of the increase in population going on all over the increase of industrialism. They putting your head in materialism. Beyond and above the spiritual

(00:07:44) Sigrid Olsen wrote nine books the first the singing Wilderness was published 50 years ago Vaughn arm Seth read passages Dan, Olson, Minnesota Public Radio news.