By Bob Robinson, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Sales & Marketing

50 years ago today, Earth Day was born from the mind of Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson. Nelson hailed from the tiny community of Clear Lake, WI which is roughly a 45 minute drive from our office in Prescott, WI. In Nelson’s own words, “The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration on concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy, and finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.”

 
Earth Day kicked off what many termed the “environmental decade.” I can remember as a kid walking 4 blocks from my house to fish on the Wisconsin River. The vivid memory included viewing raw sewage dumped into the river as well stench. The many fish I would catch were so polluted that you would not dare eat them. I remember seeing images of natural water bodies on fire around the Great Lakes Region because of all of the contaminants. Earth Day was the beginning to the end of this abuse of our most precious resource.
 

 

Images above from Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies – UW Madison

Nelson was deeply involved and influential with many environmental legislation including:

• The Environmental Education Act
• The Clear Waters Act
• The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
• The Federal Pesticides Act
• The Clean Air Act
• The National Hiking Trails & The National Scenic Trails Acts
• Establishment of the Apostle Islands National Lake Shore

Why not take a step outside and enjoy the waters of this great nation, go for a hike and appreciate the natural resources we have. We at Kasco are here to help make your body of water a better place.