This collection includes interviews with former Bureau of Land Management administrator Robert Wolf. Wolf details the history of the Forest Service from 1870 to 2001, its practices, legislation, controversies, the Congressional processes by which specific laws are enacted or defeated and the roles of legislators and governmental agencies in these processes. The interviews were conducted from 1989 to 2001 by multiple interviewers. Wolf also discusses specific Forest Services practices such as clearcutting, use of public lands, timber sales and bidding, multiple use of forests lands, roads, budgeting, reforestation, recreation and the controversies over the Klamath and Quinalt tribal forest lands and allotments. The original interviews are held as Oral History collection OH 227 at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection includes 43 interviews.
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 16, 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf recalls the 1959 controversy over the Kern Plateau in California’s Sequoia National Forest. He describes how recreationists and the Sierra Club opposed the timber sales proposed by business groups on the Kern Plateau. Wolf discusses being sent west to investigate the conflict. He ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 16, 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf describes past attempts at reorganizing the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. He recalls how President Richard Nixon attempt to reorganize both offices by readjusting regional Forest Service Boundaries to align within ten proposed regions. Wolf tells how Senators Mike ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 16, 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Milo McLeod and Robert Wolf each describe some of the history of federal government support of road construction. Wolf highlights the connection between logging national forests and road construction. He also explains the background of the construction of the Lolo Pass Road. Wolf discusses the ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 16, 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf discusses the post-World War Two problem of housing for Forest Service employees including inadequate field housing and lack of accommodations for married veterans with children. He explains the 1957 resolution of the problem which involved political manipulation in the U.S. House of Representatives. ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 17, 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Alan McQuillan tells the history of the Quinalt Indian Reservation in Washington state. He describes the Quinalt tribe’s complaints regarding the mismanagement of timber sales and logging contracts by the Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA]. McQuillan notes that these complaints resulted in the 1957 congressional ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 17, 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf describes the events surrounding the federal government’s bail-out of the timber industry between 1978 and 1988. President Reagan signed a law providing dollar relief for timber contracts. Unfortunately this came in the wake of Western timber companies bidding above advertised prices between 1978 ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 27, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf discusses the significance of lumber trade with Canada in the 1950s and 1960s. He describes U.S.’s timber interests at that time as well as President John F. Kennedy’s trade policies in regard to the passage of the Trade Act of 1962. Wolf also ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 27, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf describes the U.S. Forest Service bidding practices for timber sales from the 1940s to the present. He discusses problems with the system and collusion in oral bidding. Wolf explains differences in Forest Service and Justice Department views on bidding practices. He concludes by ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 27, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf discusses the 1958 program of “road-building as an anti-recession measure” which helped provide funds for building more roads in national forests. He recalls how some agencies argued that timber companies should build these roads as part of their contractual responsibilities.
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 27, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf explains the 1950 change in the Siskiyou National Forest Boundary in Oregon, which increased the size of the national forest. He notes that the act passed through Congress quickly and with almost no controversy despite a widespread disapproval of any government land acquisitions ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 27, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf recalls U.S. government’s concern during the 1958 recession over timber sales in national forests. He discusses forest budgets, U.S. Forest Service budgeting processes and timber sales in the 1950s. He continues the interview by describing 1990 timber sales and the attempts to create ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 28, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf discusses the Attorney General Robert Kennedy’s opinion of 1962 regarding access to public lands. Wolf also explains the opposing viewpoints of federal agencies and the problems with accessing public lands.
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 28, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf discusses the short-lived 1960 Program for the National Forests. He describes the U.S. Forest Service’s difficulties in promoting recreation, reforestation and conservation.
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 28, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf outlines government reorganization plans by the Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter administrations. He describes Nixon’s plan to divide the country into ten regions in relation to the Forest Service as well as the broader impact. He recalls the Carter attempt to create a ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 28, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf describes the start of softwood lumber standards. He discusses the process by which the standardization of lumber products occurred and the reactions of the industry and government officials.
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 28, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf recalls the 1959 controversy over the Kern Plateau in California’s Sequoia National Forest. He describes how recreationists and the Sierra Club opposed the timber sales proposed by business groups on the Kern Plateau. Wolf discusses being sent west to investigate the conflict. He ... Read More
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Robert Wolf Interview, November 29, 1990
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf describes the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resource Act of 1974. He talks about why the act was needed and the legislative maneuvering required to pass it. Wolf also discusses what the act does as well as what it does not cover or intend.
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Robert Wolf Lecture, April 1989
Robert E. Wolf
Robert Wolf gives a lecture at the University of Montana on the National Forest Management Act and describes governmental changes since he started work in Washington in 1953. Wolf discusses the political processes by which bills are developed and enacted. He also describes the role ... Read More