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A Century of Wilderness Preservation Rainy Lake Watershed Area

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A Century of Wilderness Preservation Rainy Lake Watershed Area A Century of Wilderness Preservation in the Rainy Lake Watershed Area Prepared by the Rainy Lake Conservancy Photograph by Mary E. Lysne The Rainy Lake Watershed, often referred to as the Quetico-Superior region, is an immense area of 14,500 square miles. Illustration from the Oberholtzer Foundation A CENTURY OF WILDERNESS PRESERVATION IN THE RAINY LAKE WATERSHED AREA Introduction The Rainy Lake Watershed is an immense area of 14,500 square miles between Lake of the Woods and Lake Superior. Often referred to as the Quetico-Superior region, it is a unique meeting place of three great North American ecosystems: the boreal, the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence, and the prairie. Although the following summary outlines major events in the struggle to preserve the wilderness qualities of the entire region, greater emphasis has been placed on the Canadian side of the border. (References for detailed accounts of the history of the conservation movement in the Quetico- Superior area are listed at the end of the summary.) Background Scholars agree that prehistoric aboriginal peoples inhabited the Rainy Lake area approximately 10,000 years ago. By the time the French explorers arrived in the 1600s, Sioux and later Ojibwe (Chippewa) tribes were living in the region. With the explorers came the famous voyageurs who symbolized fur trading and the spirit of Quetico- Superior country. Eventually fur trading waned and was replaced in the 1880s by gold and iron mining. For a short time, gold mines at Mine Centre and the Little America Mine on Rainy Lake flourished. Finally, in the last decades of the century, mining settlements triggered big tree logging in Minnesota and Ontario. This was a period when some of the worst abuses Indian Encampment (Oberholtzer Foundation) and most significant reforms of government took place on both sides of the border. In Minnesota, some “settlers” ostensibly acquired land for farming, but, in reality, turned it over to lumber mills. In Ontario, favoured lumbermen were allowed to buy concessions on provincial land at low prices without public notice. Heavy logging of old growth red and white pine Detail from “Voyageurs at Dawn” by Frances Ann Hopkins changed the landscape of the region. Virgin forests were rapidly disappearing and with them, game such as elk, moose and caribou. Thoughtful Americans and Canadians began worrying about the future of their forests and wildlife. Over the course of the twentieth century dedicated individuals and governments in both countries combined forces to seek a balance between commercial interests and the preservation of this magnificent natural area. Old growth white pines Shoreline damage caused by the lumber industry (Phyllis Callaghan) (Oberholtzer Foundation) Pioneering Efforts 1899 The Ontario Forest Reserves Act set aside forest lands for more balanced land use. 1902 Minnesota withdrew 500,000 acres of land from sale. The Ontario provincial minister of Lands and Forests stated his government would do all in its power to preserve natural beauty spots and the value of woodlands. 1909 The Ontario Government established the Quetico Forest and Game Reserve to prevent wholesale logging and mining and to protect the remaining moose and caribou in the area. This was accomplished through the efforts of W. A. Preston, Rainy River District Member of Parliament, Arthur Hawkes of the Canadian National Railway, and many others. Superior National Forest, encompassing much of the present boundary waters area, was established by President Roosevelt. The International Joint Commission (IJC) was formed through the Boundary Waters Treaty between the U. S. and Canada to prevent disputes in the use of boundary waters, to provide a framework for cooperation, and to provide for the regulation of water levels and flows. 1913 Quetico Provincial Park was created to protect wildlife, under the direction of the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests. The Great Debate Over the next decades, land use issues focused on producing timber vs. preserving wilderness vs. providing recreation. The leaders in the great debate were Ernest Oberholtzer who visualized a time when the land would be valued for its aesthetic and spiritual qualities, and Edward Backus who felt that the wealth of the land belonged to those who could exploit its resources. Edward Backus, owner-manager of the Backus-Brooks lumber mill, a holding company for a score of forest products subsidiaries, wanted to harness the power of the watershed by significantly raising water levels to provide greater and more consistent hydroelectric power. Ernest Oberholtzer, a recent graduate from Harvard University, experienced the unspoiled beauty of the region during the summer of 1909, when he traveled unmapped lakes in the Quetico-Superior country. Billy Magee, his Ojibwe guide from Mine Centre, became his friend and inspiration and increased his appreciation for the native way of life. In 1912, a six-month trip to northern Manitoba and the Northwest Territories Billy Magee, Oberholtzer’s Ojibwe friend and guide (Oberholtzer Foundation) deepened his love of the wilderness and formed the foundation for his lifelong devotion to preserving the Rainy Lake watershed where he eventually settled. Edward W. Backus (E.W. Backus Family) Ernest C. Oberholtzer (Virginia Roberts French) Major Events in the Great Debate 1925 Backus presented a plan to the International Joint Commission that would raise water levels on Rainy Lake by 3 feet, Little Vermillion Lake by 80 feet, Lac La Croix by 16 feet, Loon Lake by 33 feet, Saganaga and Crooked Lakes by 15 feet. He contended that the resulting flooding would not harm the public interest. Dam built by the Backus enterprises at International Falls, c.1908 Oberholtzer countered that the benefits of additional electricity did not justify the destruction of 14,000 miles of wilderness beauty. He proposed protecting the visible shorelines of lakes and streams from flooding, logging, and exploitation while devoting the hinterland to practical forestry. The other 45 spokesmen at the 1925 hearing, including the representative from Fort Frances, opposed the Backus plan. The city of Fort Frances objected to flooding that would damage the municipal water system, cover the city park, and hurt tourist and resort business. 1928 The Quetico-Superior Council was formed by a group of concerned citizens and organizations as a vehicle for fighting the Backus proposal and preserving the Rainy Lake area. Oberholtzer was president, supported by many allies including Sewell Tyng, Frank Hubachek, Charles Kelly and Fred Winston. 1930 The Shipstead-Nolan Act prohibited logging on U.S. federal land within 400 feet of recreational waterways and forbade any further alteration of natural water levels affecting federal land in the Superior National Forest and boundary water lakes westward to Black Bay on Rainy Lake. 1934 The International Joint Commission ruled against the Backus proposal. The final report advocated the status quo with respect to dams and water levels and stated that “nothing should be done that might mar the beauty or disturb the wildlife of this last great wilderness.” (IJC Commission, 1934, 48). The report reflected a change in values which had taken place over the previous 9 years. The land and its resources belonged to the public as a whole, not just to Sewell T. Tyng and Ernest C. Oberholtzer at the IJC hearings on Rainy Lake (Oberholtzer Foundation) aggressive men who sought to monopolize them. Edward Backus died Oct 29, 1934, in New York. It was the middle of the Great Depression and his companies were bankrupt. 1935 The Quetico-Superior Committee, appointed by President Roosevelt to advise on the Quetico-Superior area, proposed a treaty which would have created an International Peace Memorial Forest in Quetico-Superior. Although the Ontario Government rejected the idea, American and Ontario Governments, as well as other agencies, met regularly over the next 40 years to discuss mutual interests in the watershed and to ensure the retention of its wilderness values. Canadian supporters included Arthur Hawkes, public relations man for the Canadian Northern Railway; Jules F. Prud’homme, city solicitor for Winnipeg; John W. Dafoe, editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, and H. H. Richards, manager of the Royal Bank in Fort The tow (E.W. Backus Family) William. Problems and Solutions wilderness preservation vs. commercial interests vs. recreation 1938-1967 On the American side of the border, the establishment of roadless areas and no- cutting regions along the international border accompanied on-going motorboat, snowmobile and logging conflicts. On the Canadian side, controversy centered mainly around increased logging in Quetico Park. Large timber licenses had been granted in the northwestern and northeastern sections of the Quetico. As a result, clear-cut areas, roads, and logging debris were changing the landscape of the park. 1960 An exchange of diplomatic notes indicated that the Ontario Government would collaborate fully with the U.S. Forest Service in seeking common policies for the Quetico-Superior country. 1964 The Wilderness Act protected the Boundary Waters Canoe Area but with “established uses” of limited logging and motorboats/snowmobiles. 1970 The Quetico Advisory Council was appointed by the Ontario Government to solicit public comments on the future of Quetico Park. 1971 Voyageurs National Park was approved by Congress. The 218,055-acre park preserves the scenery, geologic conditions, and interconnected waterways for the inspiration and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Ontario Government placed a moratorium Voyageurs National Park and on logging in Quetico Park. Quetico Provincial Park 1973 Quetico became Ontario’s first real wilderness park, with restrictions on the use of motorboats, cans and bottles, visitor group size and distribution. 1975 The Ontario Government purchased Sandpoint Island, Rainy Lake, from Ernest Oberholtzer who had kept the property undeveloped and the beach open to public swimming, picnicking and camping for 50 years. In keeping with Oberholtzer’s wishes, the public continues to Sandpoint Island beach (Mary E.
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