1920 – 1995
Inducted 2016
“There is no wall between man and the environment. We are one.” — LeRoy Lintereur
LeRoy Joseph Lintereur born November 22, 1920, in Two Rivers, Wisconsin where as a boy, he was introduced to hunting and conservation by his father. He kept a journal almost daily for over 30 years where he recorded and solidified his natural history observations and personal reflections.
LeRoy served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Later, he enrolled at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin and then transferred to the UW-Madison where he studied biology and wildlife ecology and completed his degree. In 1952 he was hired by the Wisconsin Conservation Department in Burlington, as a game manager. He was reassigned to Wausaukee in 1956, and finally to Marinette in 1958. While at Marinette he was promoted to Area Game Manager where he was in charge of wildlife programs and staff in Marinette, Oconto, Shawano, Florence and Menomonie counties. The Area Game Manager’s responsibilities were many and varied, and required the skills of a biologist, ecologist, botanist, sociologist, policeman, real estate broker, land appraiser, administrator, supervisor, farmer, surveyor, engineer, educator and politician. Lintereur handled the tasks with ease.
During the time he worked for WDNR, LeRoy dedicated his life to learning about and caring for the natural world. As an administrator, heacquired critical habitat for wildlife and rare plant communities. As a resource manager, he educated the public about the habitat purpose and proper care. He led countless tours, delivered numerous lectures, and wrote a weekly newspaper column for the Marinette newspaper from 1968 to 1985 tallying more than 700 articles on the natural history of northeastern Wisconsin. As his career unfolded, LeRoy found his niche in the community by sharing his knowledge with anyone who had an interest. He taught classes, gave seminars, led field tours, contributed information on specimens collected to museums and herbariums, ceaselessly wrote letters to editors, and conducted surveys. He also founded the Wisconsin-Michigan Chappee Rapids Audubon Society based in Marinette.
Throughout his career, Lintereur was especially active in promoting protection and preservation of wetlands. Grounded in this profound interest of the natural world, he worked to create an awareness of Green Bay west shore marshes located in Marinette and Oconto counties, and to establish a State land acquisition project to protect them. His actions prevented the destruction of this estuary-like wetland system which is one of the most extensive in the Great Lakes.
Lintereur was especially concerned about having a strong biological basis for determining wetlands classification. As one of five members of a committee that drafted the Marinette County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance Number 24 in 1967, he was instrumental in having a wetland defined as an “area where groundwater is at or near the surface much of the year and where any segment of plant cover is deemed an aquatic according to N.C. Fassett’s Manual of Aquatic Plants.” This was a broad classification for defining wetlands and greatly increased areas over which Marinette County and WDNR could extend protection. His open acceptance created an aura where people always felt free to talk and ask about any topic.
Resources
LeRoy Joseph Lintereur Biography
WCHF Induction presentation, including photos, by daughters Judith and Julie, 2016
Quotes from LeRoy Lintereur, excerpts from AFIELD: Portraits of Wisconsin Naturalists, Empowering Leopold’s Legacy, by Sumner Matteson
Writing by LeRoy Lintereur, 1991
Herring gull, article by LeRoy J Lintereur in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1977
Star Nosed Mole, article by LeRoy J Lintereur in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1977
Porcupine, article by LeRoy J Lintereur in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1979
Harbinger strikes rival dead, article by LeRoy J Lintereur in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1981
Who cares for the north, article by LeRoy J Lintereur in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1983
An avian frenzy, article by LeRoy J Lintereur in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1983
Fall Foods for Wildlife, article by Leroy Lintereur for Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin
Blarina Shuns Being Exposed, article by Leroy Lintereur for Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin
Time Running Out?, article by Leroy Lintereur for Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin
Try Hunting Snowshoes!, article by Leroy Lintereur for Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin