50 Years of Archeology at the Apostle Islands
As we look to the future of the Lakeshore, this knowledge will inform preservation planning and further study for ...
Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-maker
April 1, 2021
Gaylord Nelson, who served both as Senator from Wisconsin and Governor of the state, is often described as “the father of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.”
The characterization is apt, but barely scratches the surface in conveying the difficulties involved in transforming a dream dating to the late nineteenth century to reality in the turbulent 1960s.
During eight years of proposals and counter-proposals, debate, maneuver, and compromise, Nelson faced and overcame obstacles including procedural bottlenecks, local resistance, Native American suspicion, and a National Park Service that often seemed indifferent at best to the idea.
As one close observer noted, the creation of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore “involved the presidential administrations of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, resulted in twelve bills and bill drafts being written and rewritten… and produced thousands of pages of congressional testimony and hearing records.”
The phrase “professional politician” has become a common reproach in modern campaign rhetoric, but a reassessment of the term may be in order. Without Gaylord Nelson’s unmatched political acumen and years of commitment to public service, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore would not exist.
Recording of this presentation is not available.
Presenter biography
Bob Mackreth, NPS(retired), Apostle Islands NL
Bob Mackreth retired as Cultural Resource Management Specialist at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in 2005 after a 27-year NPS career.
He is currently active as a Executive Board member of the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy and the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
To sample more sessions choose below
A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL
An overview of the history of natural resource management and research at the national lakeshore over the past 5 ...
A singing wilderness: Songbirds of the Apostle Islands
Monitoring bird populations helps us keep an ear out for troubling changes in the island soundtrack.
A Vulnerability Assessment for Terrestrial Ecosystems
How might climate change affect Apostle Islands National Lakeshore? It’s a simple question with lots of potential ...
American Martens on the Apostle Islands
Our findings suggest that the Apostle Islands were naturally recolonized by progeny of translocated individuals ...
Amphibians of the Apostle Islands
The Apostles support 6 species of salamanders and 7-9 species of frogs.
Apostle Islands Flora
Diverse physical landforms and a variety of habitats contribute to the high total plant diversity of 810+ species ...
Emerging Water Resource Issues in the Apostle Islands
The lake is big, omnipresent, and seemingly resistant to change. However, a closer look reveals a variety of ...
Fifty Years of Cultural Resource Research at Apostle Islands NL
This presentation will look at the Lakeshore’s half century of efforts to study, understand, and steward these ...
Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-maker
Without Gaylord Nelson’s unmatched political acumen and years of commitment to public service, the Apostle Islands ...
Longitudinal Trends and Ecology of the Small Mammal Community
Long-term changes in small mammal populations across the archipelago likely reflect reduction of human extractive ...
New Insights Into the Dynamics of Apostle Islands Carnivore Communities
To determine how human activity and footprint affect the spatiotemporal activity of wildlife on the Apostle ...
Past, Present and Future of Fire in the Apostle Islands
We reconstructed fire history from fire-scarred red pine stumps collected on Stockton Island tombolo to better ...
Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands
New challenges are emerging and will direct fisheries management for the future.
Past, present, and future of piping plovers in the Apostle Islands
Partnerships with tribal, state, and federal officials have been key to monitoring piping plovers in the islands.
Resiliency and vulnerability of Apostle Islands coastal wetlands
We investigated wetland hydrology, geomorphology, vegetation, macro-invertebrates, and fish to identify ...
Through the eyes of 4th graders
Through the Eyes of Fourth Graders is a book written and illustrated by students about their experiences in the ...
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
What is TEK? How does it relate to scientific knowledge? Traditional knowledge is embedded within the very fabric ...
Under the surface and Zaaga’igan Ma’iinganag (lakewolves)
In this presentation, program directors Ian Karl and Toben Lafrançois highlight the photos and reflections from ...
Underwater Landscapes of the Apostle Islands
Since 2010, NPS and partners have developed high resolution benthic habitat maps for six coastal parks in the ...
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Additional topics related to this article | 50th Anniversary | Conservation | Gaylord Nelson | Park and Local History
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