DULUTH – In the late 1960s, James Ulland was a commercial tree farmer with 660 acres of tax-forfeited land he had acquired between French River and Alborn, in northern Minnesota. He had started with 10,000 trees and quickly expanded to 140,000 — with plans to add 60,000 red pine and white spruce seedlings in the spring.
This rated as a superlative: In the previous two years, Ulland had planted more trees in St. Louis County than any other private individual. He told a reporter from the Duluth News Tribune at the time that the red pines wouldn’t hit maturity until he was 109 years old.
In 1968, Ulland’s occupation was listed as economist/tree farmer when was elected as a Republican to the Minnesota House and later to the Minnesota Senate from traditionally Democratic-leaning Duluth. He spent 15 years in state politics and was later appointed by Gov. Arne Carlson to be the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. In 1997, he founded Ulland Investment Advisors, a boutique Minneapolis firm where he spent the rest of his career.
Ulland died Nov. 29, a year after he was diagnosed with cancer, surrounded by family, according to his obituary. He was 82. His connection to the environment would be a through-line in his life.
“It didn’t matter whether it was politics or business or family and friends — he was very funny, very smart with a quick wit, and very active,” said Ann Glumac, who is married to Ulland’s brother Bill Ulland.
Former Gov. Arne Carlson remembered Ulland as bright with a good sense of humor and a delight to work alongside. He is remembered as a strong environmentalist with a message about the hole in the ozone layer and its effects on humankind, Carlson said.
“He was the first [layperson] to grasp the early stages of what we now call climate change,” Carlson said. “He began to realize over time that we had to develop policies that had a long-term impact and to recognize that the earth’s climate was changing and it was harmful to man’s ability to survive.”
Mike Jaros, who served in the Minnesota House about the same time as Ulland and represented neighboring areas, said he always admired Ulland. They came from different parties, but DFLer Jaros said he enjoyed working with Ulland.