Environment and Conservation

Shortly after arriving in Washington in 1965, Senator Mondale was approached by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson who asked him to cosponsor the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act—legislation that would restrict development and preserve wilderness along several unspoiled rivers. One of those rivers was the St. Croix River, the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Senator Mondale agreed. Three years later the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was signed into law by President Johnson. In his memoir The Good Fight: A Life in Liberal Politics, Mr. Mondale says of the bill's success: "To this day it's one of the most satisfying things I've done."[1] He continued to advocate for the St. Croix River by introducing legislation that included the Lower St. Croix River and its tributaries under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In 2011 he weighed in on the debate to build a large, four-lane bridge over the St. Croix: "I think that people ought to be soberly thinking about whether they want to assault the uniqueness and majesty of that river. This is establishing a dangerous precedent of the whole river system."[2] Segments of rivers continue to be studied for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system as recently as January 2012.[3] In 2011, there were 203 rivers totaling 12,597 miles classified under the national wild and scenic rivers system.[4]

Senator Mondale was keenly aware of the environmental legacy his generation would leave. Joining Senator Nelson at the forefront of the environmental movement, Senator Mondale realized "that environmental issues would take a special place in my public career.... There was something almost spiritual about working on legislation where water and wilderness were at stake. It became one of the issues where I was willing to risk public opposition of the sort that could end a career."[5]

He argued that "what we owe are reparations to nature—and to our children—for what we have done to our world."[6] His argument for establishing the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Recreation Area— "unless we protect this unique area from careless development, future generations will not be able to enjoy the many opportunities for hiking, photography, hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-oriented activities this resource provides"[7] —was one he used for many environmental causes. He sponsored legislation that funded projects designed to develop new methods for removing and preventing pollution from lakes; he advocated for soil conservation to help keep silt and fertilizer pollution out of lakes and good soil on the land; he introduced the National Clean Lakes Act; he authored and introduced legislation that created Voyageurs National Park, the Upper Minnesota River Wildlife Refuge, and the Mississippi National Scenic Riverway System.

Senator Mondale recognized not only the aesthetic beauty of lakes and rivers, but also their economic potential: "Lakes are our salvation in the heartland of America. They refresh the landscape and rejuvenate our lives.... The benefits that flow from them are incalculable."[8] He understood that the protection of the natural beauty and natural resources of Minnesota was vital to tourism and the state's quality of life. He recalled his fight for increased federal protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota in The Good Fight:

As the Boundary Waters dispute unfolded, I found the most effective political strategy was just to listen. Where we could grandfather people in—let them keep their cabin or their resort for their lifetime—we tried that. Where we could delay the implementation of some rule, give people time to prepare and adapt, we tried that.

But at some point you simply had to take a deep breath, jump in, and vote the right way.[9]