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So why should today's political class and environmentalists take notice of this seemingly staunch Kansas born conservative? The answer: Walter Hickel was a pivotal force in America's 1960-70's environmental movement and has had more success protecting America's resources than any person at Greenpeace.
Seems a bit suspicious and it should. That may be why hard left Democratic Senators Walter Mondale and George McGovern joined the Sierra Club in heavy testimony against Hickel's 1969 nomination by President Nixon to serve as Secretary of the Interior; a post that would have him leave his Alaskan Governorship in mid-term.
Hickel (pictured, right, with Nixon in 1969) went to work immediately and built a resume that the Sierra Club could only dream of (that is - assuming the Sierra Club dreamt of tough but sensible regulation). He did so with an even hand that allowed domestic resources to be utilized while imposing strict safeguards on oil rigs. He backed a multitude of new laws that finally put liabilities directly on oil companies for on and off-shore drilling spills.Hickel immediately imposed stringent cleanup regulations on oil companies and other water polluters after a Union Oil rig explosion off the coast of Santa Barbara created havoc just 5 days after he took office. He later fought to save the Everglades from being destroyed by developers and advocated for making Earth Day a national holiday. Sound like a Republican from Alaska?
The Secretary's term was cut short after being fired by Nixon following his criticism of the force being used against students and protesters during the Vietnam War.
But Hickel's mark had been made, he was part of an administration that founded the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) along with broad based clean air and water legislation. The Everglades was spared from plans that would have made it one of Americans largest population centers. The Big Cypress National Preserve was officially set aside by Nixon in 1972.
Back home in Alaska, Hickel would continue his deft handling of both industry and the environment; he won a second Governorship in 1990 (a full 24 years after his first).
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, eulogized Hickel as a visionary.
"A champion of the lands claims of Alaska's Native peoples, Wally left a lasting legacy for generations to follow," she said in a statement. "We've truly lost a giant figure whose leadership greatly influenced Alaska's birth, its present and its future."
A wave of "Oh!" and "Oh, my God" rippled through the audience when word of Hickel's passing was mentioned Saturday morning at the Alaska Democrats convention in Sitka. For all of his accomplishments Hickel somehow avoided partisan politics (perhaps entirely) as he helped build a legacy of protection, respect, and sustainable development in Alaska.
And what of that other famous Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin? Hickel was an early supporter which helped Palin to office. However, after the McCain Presidential run Hickel offered a wise warning, "Palin became the spokesperson for the divisive voices in American politics... she missed a golden opportunity to challenge the rest of the country to adopt the welcoming spirit of the Alaska Frontier and the message of mutual respect," he wrote.
The vision of Wally Hickel: a site for sore eyes that Americans beg to see again.
"I believe this administration finds itself today embracing a philosophy which appears to lack appropriate concern for the attitude of a great mass of Americans -- our young people,"- Walter Hickel, 1970 following the Kent State Massacre that left 4 students dead and 9 wounded.
