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
50 Years of Archeology at the Apostle Islands
A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL
A singing wilderness: Songbirds of the Apostle Islands
A Vulnerability Assessment for Terrestrial Ecosystems
American Martens on the Apostle Islands
Amphibians of the Apostle Islands
Apostle Islands Flora
Emerging Water Resource Issues in the Apostle Islands
Fifty Years of Cultural Resource Research at Apostle Islands NL
Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-maker
Longitudinal Trends and Ecology of the Small Mammal Community
New Insights Into the Dynamics of Apostle Islands Carnivore Communities
Past, Present and Future of Fire in the Apostle Islands
Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands
Past, present, and future of piping plovers in the Apostle Islands
Resiliency and vulnerability of Apostle Islands coastal wetlands
Through the eyes of 4th graders
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Under the surface and Zaaga’igan Ma’iinganag (lakewolves)
