ABOUT THIS BOOK

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a breathtakingly beautiful archipelago of twenty-two islands in Lake Superior, just off the tip of northern Wisconsin. For years, the national park has been a favorite destination for tourists and locals alike, but the remarkable story behind its creation is little known. In Environmental Politics and the Creation of a Dream, Harold Jordahl, one of the primary advocates for designating the islands as a national park, discloses the full story behind the effort to preserve their natural beauty for posterity. He describes in detail the political and bureaucratic complexities of the national lakeshore campaign, augmented by his own personal recollections and those of such prominent figures as Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and President John F. Kennedy. Writing in collaboration with Annie Booth, Jordahl recounts how activists, legislators, media, local residents, and other players shaped the islands’ future establishment as a national park.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Harold Jordahl (1926–2010) was professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and former chair of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board. Annie Booth is associate professor in the Ecosystem Science and Management Program at the University of Northern British Columbia.

REVIEWS

“There is not another collection of islands of this significance within the continental boundaries of the United States. I think it is tremendously important that this collection of islands be preserved.”—Gaylord A. Nelson

“From Harold Jordahl’s memories of the battle, his very detailed and extensive personal collection of papers relating thereto, and years of dedication to preserving the environment, he has prepared a very rich, full account.”—Margaret Bogue, author of Around the Shores of Lake Superior: A Guide to Historic Sites

“Bud Jordahl was one of those insiders with know-how who helped giants like Gaylord Nelson to achieve so much as champions of environmental preservation. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is just one shining example.”—Congressman David R. Obey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Part One: The National and State Context for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

1. The Apostle Islands in Historical Context

2. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Political Context: State and Federal Initiatives

3. A New Era in Wisconsin: Gaylord A. Nelson and Conservation

Part Two: Establishing the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

4. The 1960s Road to a Lakeshore: The Decade of Planning, Bureaucratic Obfuscation, and Politics

5. The Blow Up—Or Do We Have a Lakeshore?

6. Long Island at Last

Part Three: Issues and Policy Studies

7. Planning the Lakeshore

8. The Role of Politics in Establishing the Lakeshore

9. The Sellers of Dreams: The Role of The Media in Supporting the Lakeshore

10. The Local Citizens and the Lakeshore

11. The State and the Apostle Islands

12. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and the Native Americans

Part Four: Conclusions

13. Reflections

Appendix One: A Chronology of Significant Events Regarding the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Appendix Two: Identification of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Participants

Appendix Three: Bills on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Notes

Index

REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE

If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you with an electronic file for alternative access.

Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.

It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.