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Clean lakes, clean air lose a genial steward
Wisconsin has a rich tradition of nurturing environmental leaders. John Muir and Aldo Leopold both shaped their philosophies on conservation and resources here in the state.
But Gaylord Nelson took that cause to Washington, D.C. - he politicized the environment and made it an issue that lawmakers knew they would be held to account on to the voting public.
Nelson, who died Sunday, had a notable history as a state lawmaker and governor, but it was as a U.S. Senator that he gained his national reputation as a dedicated defender of the environment.
He did it by creating "Earth Day", a grass-roots national environmental teach-in that was modeled after the anti-war teach-ins of the late 1960s.
And they did.
Millions of Americans turned out for the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 - an "instant movement" long in the making was born and politicians across the country suddenly became sensitized to environmental issues.
The Wilderness Act to safeguard millions of acres of federal land; the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Clean Air Act, revisions to the Clean Water Act, banning DDT, creation of national scenic lakeshores - including Wisconsin's own Apostle Islands, preservation of the Appalachian Trail, and the setting of fuel standards for cars and trucks - all bear Nelson's mark.
Those efforts at the national level were no surprise to Wisconsinites, of course. They had watched him work for years in Madison to do the same type of thing as a senator and then as governor. The Outdoor Recreation Acquisition Program - funded by a penny-a-pack tax on cigarettes - Wisconsin's landmark effort to acquire and preserve lands for state parks and conservation areas for the enjoyment of all state citizens was, naturally, one of Nelson's efforts.
Even after he left political office, Nelson remained a champion of the environment with the national Wilderness Society. Only last fall Nelson was railing against the Bush administration before the election, saying it was sabotaging earlier environmental reforms.
He fought his political fights with zeal, but without personal rancor; Nelson was as affable as he was dedicated.
Looking back on his career, even he would have to be pleased at the progress he helped forge and the visibility he gave to the importance of clean water, clean air and stewardship of the land. And he would probably have a list of things still to be done ... a list that will live on with work on each Earth Day and every day.
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