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HR-1310
Congressional Hearings:
International Falls, Minnesota
August 18, 1995
Letter to the (Mpls.) Star Tribune
Gary Fish
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
August 24, 1995
I would like to thank Jim Klobuchar for his balanced presentation in today's
issue of the Star Tribune (Thursday, August 24, 1995; page 3B) "if the
wilderness isn't broken, why bother to 'fix' it?" and I would also thank
him for all he has done for former Marine Captain Ray Jacobson.
I agree with him 100 % that one of the saddest performances was done by Jim
Oberstar, but one of the best performances from the heart was done by both Bruce
Vento and Martin Kellogg a former Marine Corps Colonel.
Jim Klobuchar is correct about his assessment because I had the opportunity to
talk with both Carol Byrne and Dean Rebuffoni yesterday concerning their piece
that was published. Carol was a gracious and courteous lady while Dean Rebuffoni
was rude and lashed out at me.
Mr. Rebuffoni's statement was that you must be one of those
"Environmentalists" or represent an environmental group. I told him
"NO", I am just a private citizen who happens to be a Scoutmaster that
takes his Boy Scout Troop into the BWCAW five (5) times a year and am the
Treasurer for the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Minnesota (a.k.a.) Marine
Corps Family Council. It was obvious where Mr. Rebuffoni's loyalties and
allegiances lay!
I can remember while serving as a Governor and Treasurer for Big Island Veterans
Camp on Lake Minnetonka and hearing and seeing every greedy developer trying to
get his or her hands on the prime 58 acres. It was a sad commentary. I can also
remember why Viking Council, Boy Scouts of America sold their camp on Lake
Minnetonka to build Many Point Scout Camp. And, I can hear the statement clearly
that was made at the Public Hearing last Friday, "We don't want to be like
Lake Minnetonka!"
It is very clear that Carol Byrne and Dean Rebuffoni missed the essence of
the Public Hearing on the fate of Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) held in International Falls last Friday.
This must not have been the same meeting I attended. Where, during cross
examination by Congressman Vento of State Senator Doug Johnson, Doug Johnson
lost his composure and stated that they wanted to log off the BWCAW and mine it
or when Congressman Vento was cross examining one of the citizen organizations
and they, in the heat of passion, stated that they were supporting and
representing State Senator Lessard?
It was very clear that these two (2) staff writers did not hear the impassioned
presentation by Martin N. Kellogg, President of USE, Incorporated located in
Stillwater, Minnesota. Colonel Kellogg being a retired United States Marine
Reserve Colonel, a player in the Republican Party, an MBA, Attorney and
Engineer. Where were the writers when Colonel Kellogg looked at Congressman
Vento and said "we have been on opposite sides as DFL and GOP, but in this
issue we are 'Brothers'"!
Where were the staff writers when economic issues that were raised by Lessard,
Anderson, Grams, Oberstar were totally destroyed by Congressman Vento and the
two local businessmen of the area who testified?
Where were the staff writers Thursday night, when State Senator Lessard was
tipping back the drinks full of himself at the Holiday Inn and sucking up to the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources representative for the Governor and
why did not the MN DNR representative not read the Governor's Letter?
Where were the staff writers when everyone adjourned to the Elk's Club, Fish
Fry, and the average citizen of the area kept saying leave it alone and leave us
alone! They have 90% of want they (Grams/Anderson/Lessard/Oberstar) want anyway
and that they just humor Lessard?
Where were the staff writers when the Mayor of International Falls was
introduced at the pre-demonstration rally and he was introduced as a developer?
Where were the staff writers when the staff of Senators Rod Grams kept handing
him questions to ask, because he was so unprepared for this Public Hearing?
What kind of people skills and observation skills do the staff writers have when
they missed how pale Senator Grams was when he entered the meeting, and left
ashen gray when this first round was finished because his grand political issue
and design had been crushed!
I must have missed something?
The story by Dean Rebuffoni ("Critics want management changes in
Park", Star Triune, Sunday, August 13, 1995, Metro/Region pages 1B and 3B)
state that you requested a public hearing in International Falls on Friday,
August 18, 1995. That the purpose of the hearing was to get every side of the
issue to express an opinion. My question is how do you expect to have a balanced
public hearing in International Falls or is this a stacked deck?
We would like to see a change of venue to the Twin Cities for a fair, open and
impartial hearing; barring that, a group of us who care for the pristine
wilderness do plan on being there. We feel that the US Forest Service and the
National Park Service do an excellent job with our federally protected lands
coupled with using the Endangered Species Act. We canoe, hike, snowshoe, and dog
sled in either area a minimum of five (5) times a year. Powerboats, planes and
floatplanes, and snowmobiles are an anathema destroying the wilderness and the
reasons we love to go to the wilderness.
I disagree with the statement "We can work out a solution to the problems
here; it doesn't have to be dictated from Washington," go to the Superior
Hiking Trail during the winter ...try snow shoeing in peace ...the snowmobilers
run 24 hours a day!
The wilderness is the only place that I personally can escape my computer,
telephone, television, voice mail, e-mail, fax's ...the only place where I can
see the beauty of the wildlife and the environment. Don't populate this with the
destructive forces of developers and economic developers for the personal profit
of these individuals that frankly don't care about life in general and our
natural surroundings in particular, but only their personal gratification and
glorification.
Our last trip in to the wilderness area was July 21st through July 28, 1995. We
did over 50 miles, and saw more beauty and wildlife than you could ever imagine.
We ran two (2) separate crews of Boy Scouts with three (3) new young Scouts.
Would you rather these kids on the streets or spending the summers in High
Adventure Boy Scout Canoe and Hiking adventure.
Where else do you teach them the morals and values that you claim are lacking
in the youth of today? Where else do you teach them team work, working with the
group, working as an individual, leadership and respect? Where else will these
Boy Scouts learn by role models and example? Where else do they receive their
character development? Don't destroy it, leave it for future generations!
I want to thank the park rangers that came to apologize to us for being in a
powerboat and disrupting the peace and beauty of the Lac La Croix but that they
were looking for powerboats crossing from Canada (Quetico side) to the US!
We believe in low impact, and what is being proposed is high impact to the nth
degree.
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