50 YEARS AFTER THE
ENACTMENT OF THE WILD AND
SCENIC RIVERS ACT, TWO
REMARKABLE INDIVIDUALS HAVE
COLLABORATED ON A GORGEOUS BOOK.
THE BOOK ON THE ST. CROIX AND
NUMBER COGGIN RIVERS FEATURES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG BLACKLOCK,
AND AN ESSAY BY ONE OF THE
SENATORS WHO GOT THE ACT
PASSED, MINNESOTA'S OWN WALTER
MONDALE, WHO OF COURSE WENT ON
TO SERVE AS VICE PRESIDENT.
THERE IS A MUSEUM EDITION OF
THE BOOK AS WELL AS A
COLLECTORS EDITION AND A COFFEE-
TABLE VERSION, WHICH IS RIGHT
BEHIND ME.
AND, CRAIG BLACKLOCK JOINS ME
NOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
IN, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT.
AS WE TALK TO YOU, WE ARE
GOING TO SHOW PICTURES OF THIS
BOOK WHICH IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON
YOUR WEBSITE, ST. CROIX
PHOTOGRAPHY.COM.
SO, IF YOU WANTED, THE COFFEE-
TABLE EDITION, $90.
WHEN WE SEE THESE DOLLARS, IT
IS A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT IS
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU STARTED
THIS.
A FRIEND OF MINE SUGGESTED
THAT I LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY
OF DOING A BOOK ON THE ST.
CROIX RIVER.
I LIVE IN THE WATERSHED.
I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE
RIVER.
I DID AN EXPLORATORY FIRST
PADDLE, AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH
THE DIVERSITY AND THE GEOLOGY.
THEN, I GOT ACQUAINTED WITH THE
ST. CROIX RIVER ASSOCIATION
THAT WORKED WITH ME ON THIS.
I DISCOVERED THAT 2018 WAS THE
50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE THE
WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT.
WE CONNECTED WITH VICE
PRESIDENT MONDALE IN DOING THE
FORWARD FOR THE BOOK.
IT HAS BEEN NONSTOP PHOTOGRAPHY
AND EDITING.
YOU CAN SEE THESE AMAZING
PHOTOGRAPHS.
I WANT TO QUOTE FROM THE
PREFACE OF THE BOOK BY VICE
PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE WHO
SAYS THAT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL
COMMIT TO DOING YOUR PART IN
PROTECTING THIS WONDERFUL AND
DIVERSE RESOURCE.
IT IS SO CLOSE TO A MAJOR AND
GROWING METROPOLITAN AREA.
I LOVE THAT COMMENT, BECAUSE
THESE RIVERS ARE CLOSE BY.
I MEAN, FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT
GET TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS,
THIS IS ALMOST -- THIS IS OUR
BACKYARD.
I HAVE SPENT THE LAST TWO
DAYS TALKING WITH PEOPLE AND
WATCHING THEM LOOK THROUGH THE
BOOKS.
FOR THEM, THESE ARE OUR RIVERS.
WHETHER YOU ARE IN MINNESOTA OR
WISCONSIN.
WE THINK OF THEM AS OUR RIVERS.
PEOPLE HAVE TREMENDOUS
EMOTIONAL TIES TO THESE RIVERS.
WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING THROUGH
THE BOOK, IT IS LIKE -- I KNOW
THAT SPOT, I KNOW THAT CAMPSITE.
ANYONE WHO PURCHASES THE
BOOK WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A
SPECIAL VIDEO.
WE HAVE A CLIP FROM THAT.
♪ ♪ [ MUSIC ]
SO BEAUTIFUL.
ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU STARTED
THIS PROJECT TWO YEARS AGO,
SHORTLY AFTER YOU WERE VERY
SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A FREAK
ELECTRICAL ACCIDENT, AND YOUR
HANDS STILL BEAR THE SCARS.
WAS THAT A MOTIVATION.
I MEAN, AT ONE POINT WERE YOU
WONDERING IF YOU COULD EVER
TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS AGAIN?
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE
RESULTS WERE.
I HAD THIRD DEGREE BURNS AND
SKIN GRAFTS.
SO, I WAS NOT SURE WHAT THE
RESULTS OF THAT WOULD BE.
I DID A LOT OF HARD WORK IN
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.
I AM FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND BACK
PADDLING AND KAYAKING.
I TRIED TO JUST PUT THAT BEHIND
ME.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS I
STARTED THE PROJECT.
I KNEW THE COLD WATER OF LAKE
SUPERIOR WOULD BE HARD TO DEAL
WITH COMPARED TO THE WARM
WATERS OF THE ST. CROIX.
AS I SAID, THE PICTURES
REALLY ARE JUST REMARKABLE.
THEY JUMP OFF OF THE PAGES.
I ASSUME THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN
GREAT.
IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
AS I MENTIONED, WHEN I WENT
TALKING -- THE SUBTITLE, THE
ENDURING GIFT, THESE ARE THE
PLACES WE HAVE GIVEN OURSELVES,
BUT IT IS ALSO THE HISTORY OF
THIS, WITH NORTHERN STATES
POWER GIVING 24,000 ACRES TO
THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM AND
THE STATE PARKS.
THAT WAS THEIR GIFT TO US AS
WELL.
IT IS OUR JOB TO PRESERVE THAT
GIFT.
AND, YOU'RE GOING TO BE
SIGNING AT MIDWEST
MOUNTAINEERING RIGHT AFTER THIS
SHOW.
YOU ARE GOING STRAIGHT THERE.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE THERE I
GUESS UNTIL 5 PM TODAY, AND
THEN AGAIN -- IN THE FIRST TWO
WEEKENDS INTIMATE YOU WILL BE
AT THE WATERSHED CAFI IN
OSCEOLA, WISCONSIN.
AGAIN, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
PURCHASING THE BOOK, IT IS ST.
CROIX PHOTOGRAPHY.COM.
WE HAVE THAT LINK ON OUR
WEBSITE, AND AGAIN IT IS JUST
BREATHTAKING.