Walter Mondale’s Enduring Legacy for the Boundary Waters

Vice President Walter Mondale was a Boundary Waters champion, and this week, we honor his birthday and remarkable legacy. Mondale’s deep love for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and his unyielding commitment to its protection remain a source of inspiration for countless advocates.

For Mondale, protecting the Boundary Waters was a personal mission. He viewed the responsibility to protect this cherished place as “the obligation of each generation,” urging public officials and citizens alike to rise to this challenge. He carried this sense of duty until the final weeks of his life, leaving behind a profound example of environmental stewardship.

Mondale’s reflections on the Boundary Waters highlight its importance not only as a natural treasure but also as a defining part of Minnesota’s identity:

“Arizona has its Grand Canyon, Wyoming its Yellowstone, California its Yosemite. These wonders come to mind almost unbidden as images of a place when those states are named. The Boundary Waters is such an image for Minnesota. It is also our responsibility.”

Throughout his life, Mondale emphasized that the preservation of this wilderness was no accident but rather the result of tireless advocacy and dedication. He recognized that safeguarding the Boundary Waters required continuous effort and vigilance:

“That our wilderness is intact and safe today is no accident. Rather, it is the result of an enduring struggle.

Defending the Boundary Waters is the obligation of each generation. Our parents and their parents worked to keep this place pristine and intact. Many great citizen activists are fighting every day to defeat this mine and protect the Wilderness.

Will we continue Minnesota’s commitment that began more than a century ago and take steps to ensure that the Superior remains a healthy multiuse national forest? Or will we instead allow the destruction of many thousands of acres of this beloved public land, upstream of the Boundary Waters, by permitting a single-use industrial hard-rock mining district, with the inevitable acid mine drainage that would seriously harm aquatic ecosystems downstream? The watershed of the Boundary Waters is simply the wrong place for this kind of mining.

…when we have won, you can tell your kids, and their kids, about how you were part of the effort that preserved Minnesota’s crown jewel. And when it’s their turn to raise their voice to fight for some noble goal, you can tell them what you did, and they will learn from you how it is that we fight and win.”

Mondale’s words continue to inspire a new generation of advocates to stand up for the Boundary Waters and ensure it remains unspoiled for future generations. His legacy reminds us that protecting our most cherished places is a shared responsibility and a noble endeavor.

This week, as we celebrate Walter Mondale’s birthday, let us also celebrate his vision and renew our commitment to preserving Minnesota’s crown jewel—the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.