Board member since 2004
Please tell us what your involvement with the Quetico Superior Foundation means to you:
The Quetico-Superior region is a unique landscape that I have enjoyed visiting all my life. I’ve lived in other parts of the country and that’s made me realize how special the boundary lakes region is and how lucky we are that it’s right in our back yard, so to speak.
Of the many interests for the region, I fall on protection of wilderness side. We gain so much as a state and as a country from maintaining the wilderness status of the BWCAW. The region is important for tourism and for ecological health. The Quetico Superior Foundation is an important organization that seeks to protect the wilderness character that is important to me.
What other ways have you been active in the Quetico-Superior Region?
I try to visit the BWCAW at least once a year. I enjoy visiting the North Shore of Lake Superior as well. It is important to me to introduce this amazing landscape to our kids so they are able to experience wilderness. The Quetico-Superior Region provides an escape from the connected world that is so important for our kids and for us.
I am a member of the Trust for Public Land Minnesota Advisory Board and in that role I serve on the Northwoods Committee. This committee focuses on the organization’s Northwoods Initiative which works to protect the iconic landscapes of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan and preserve a heritage that is at risk of disappearing.
What is the most pressing issue you see in the region today?
There are two very pressing issues. The first is that fewer people, especially children are visiting the region and exploring the wilderness areas than in the past. This concerns me because the future stewards of this region are the youth that experience it today. The second pressing issue is the potential of large-scale sulfide mining in the region. I worry that mining will cause permanent damage to Minnesota’s northern lakes and rivers, including Lake Superior.
What’s one of your favorite memories from the Quetico-Superior Region?
Seeing the reaction of my daughter as she watched, for the first time, the northern lights dance across the sky in the BWCAW.
What’s your favorite spot or way to see the Quetico-Superior Region?
One of my favorite activities is hiking on the Superior Hiking Trail. One of my favorite spots is on Oberg Mountain, one can see magnificent views of the Lake and of the inland forest as well.
This article originally appeared in Wilderness News Fall Winter 2013 >