Even when he was very young, Dave Zentner realized that he needed to be outdoors. He was growing up in rural South Dakota, and at 7 or 8 years old, he was allowed to roam free at the edge of town.
"I knew really early that I wanted to be in nature," said Zentner, who now lives in Duluth, Minn. "I was able to take the family dog and run around the outskirts. I was allowed to be by myself. I knew I loved monarch butterflies. I knew mink were something that were terribly interesting. And cackling rooster pheasants."
That early exposure to the outdoors led Zentner to a lifetime of hunting, fishing and deep immersion in conservation issues.
Now 80, he took time recently to reflect on a life in the outdoors and his conservation advocacy.
During a successful career in insurance and financial planning, Zentner always found time for issues that have affected the outdoors experience of thousands of Minnesotans. He was a driving force behind the effort to pass the Minnesota's Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that generates $300 million per year for wildlife habitat, clean water, parks and the arts. He worked with others to establish Voyageurs National Park and protect wilderness values in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He served on the board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency at a time when the Reserve Mining controversy was raging.
Under Gov. Rudy Perpich, he served on a coalition that led to the creation of the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Program, which pays landowners for voluntarily converting marginal croplands to wildlife habitat. He served as national president of the Izaak Walton League of America in 1976 and 1977.
"He's a living conservation legend, a strong mentor and an inspirational role model," said Martha Minchak, a Department of Natural Resources assistant area wildlife manager in Duluth. "The state of Minnesota is richer for having Dave Zentner's care and attention for so many years."
