Regional Oral History Office Universityof California the Bancroft Library Berkeley, California
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Regional Oral History Office Universityof California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Richard A. Wilson RANCHER, CONSERVATIONIST, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY: TOWARD A WORKING LANDSCAPE FOR CALIFORNIA FROM ROUND VALLEY TO THE REDWOOD FORESTS Interviews conducted by Ann Lage 2001-2009 Copyright © 2012 by The Regents of the University of California ii Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Richard Wilson, dated May 19, 2008. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Excerpts up to 1000 words from this interview may be quoted for publication without seeking permission as long as the use is non-commercial and properly cited. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to The Bancroft Library, Head of Public Services, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should follow instructions available online at http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/collections/cite.html It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Richard A. Wilson, “Rancher, Conservationist, Director of the Department of Forestry: Toward a Working Landscape for California, from Round Valley to the Redwood Forests,” conducted by Ann Lage, 2001-2009, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2012. iii Richard and Susan Wilson, 1980s iv Table of Contents—Richard Wilson Interview History by Ann Lage xii Interview #1: August 31, 2001 [Tape 1, Side A] 1 Family background: father, John Cree Wilson, an orthopedic surgeon with roots on the land; mother, Anna Grant Wilson; stepmother, Marjorie Connell Wilson; two older brothers— Schooling at Pasadena Polytechnic and Thacher School—First trip to Covelo, 1947, staying at the McDuffie ranch—1929: building the family ranch at Henthorne, seventeen miles by horse from Buck Mountain. [Tape 1, Side B] 9 Early times on the ranch, ranchhands—His stepmother’s adaptation to life on the ranch— Working summers on the ranch during boyhood, a lasting impact—Observing the ranch workers and families—City life away from the ranch, importance of sports, house at Balboa beach, religion in the family—Life at Thacher School, church, track and soccer. [Tape 2, Side A] 19 Thacher School, 1947-1951, lifelong friends, fabulous teachers—Contrasts Thacher then and now, all-boys versus coed—College life: education at Dartmouth, 1951-1955, and in the agricultural program at Cornell—Drafted into the army in 1957: working for the Counter Intelligence Corps during the Korean War—Father’s death and their disagreements over Wilson’s career choices, 1957--Choosing life on the ranch, developing the ranch—Marriage to Susan Valentine and settling on the ranch—Surviving the flood of 1964. [Tape 2, Side B] 28 The flood of 1955, the ranch hands and the curious ranching community—Building up the ranch: buying land, a home in the valley, raising corn for silage. Interview #2: September 1, 2001 (morning) [Tape 3, Side A] 33 Inheriting the ranch, building it up as a balanced ranch—Protecting Henthorne Lake during logging operations—Wilson’s first attempt at conservation, 1960: timber contract with Crawford, 1960-1995—More on building a balanced ranch, producing its own feed, learning from old- timers—The cattle market, then and now—The Forest Service’s plan to build a road up into Henthorne opposed with cost-benefit analysis—Sale of Crawford lumber company to Georgia- Pacific—Devastation in the 1964 flood, longterm effects on the Eel River and its fishery. v [Tape 3, Side B] 42 The fury of the flood of 1964 continued, background to the Dos Rios dam proposal—Importance of one man, one vote to rural counties, made moderation and compromise difficult—Initial meeting in Covelo explaining plans for Dos Rios dam and flooding of Round Valley— Connecting with Lew Butler and a group with an interest in California and its natural resources—Curt Roberts’ brilliance in public relations: “The Controversial Dos Rios Project”— Forming support groups, doing economic analysis, countering recreational claims for the reservoir. [Tape 4, Side A] 51 Opposing the Dos Rios dam, continued: making the case to the Water Committee of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and to the state legislature, challenging on an economic basis, importance of transparency in government—Introducing Ike Livermore to the Dos Rios project at a Thacher School camp—The stance of other Reagan cabinet members—The temper of the times, the power of volunteers in the coastal initiative and other conservation initiatives, diluted as the initiatives become institutionalized—In Round Valley, perspectives of a divided community, the importance of opposition from Covelo Indians. [Tape 4, Side B] 62 Countering the promise of a recreational lakeshore—Support from fisherman groups, Joe Paul and the Committee of Two Million—A mix of people, building up steam on their own—Victory in the battle against Dos Rios, and a change in mentality, but big questions about a sustainable future remain—Wife Susan’s role, with three young children—The Indian Community in Covelo, and thoughts on history and culture—Old and new families in Covelo, “splendid solitude,” rules and regulations. Interview #3: September 1, 2001 (afternoon) [Tape 5, Side A] 73 Local people’s divided reaction to Dos Rios dam—Working on the wild rivers legislation, to make the Reagan decision on Dos Rios permanent: The Planning and Conservation League, “Saving our Wild Rivers,” labor union involvement through the Brody connection, securing the support of Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, working with Peter Behr and Randy Collier—Urged to run for office, prefers outsider role, not comfortable with conservation stances of Republicans—Since Dos Rios: On-going struggle for water between metropolitan, industrial, fishery, conservation, and agricultural interests—On the Covelo school board, making controversial changes. [Tape 5, Side B] 83 More on the school system in the valley—Arrival of Jeff Dennis and his My Ranch project, a time-share/trailer park subdivision, strong divisions in the community—Planning commission hearing in Ukiah, Barney Rowland’s defense of My Ranch—Campaign for No on My Ranch vi countywide vote, debate between Schmidt and Dennis—Victory in the referendum on My Ranch, but lasting animosities in the valley community—Wilson loses school board election— Community struggles with poor education system, drug use. [Tape 6, Side A] 93 More on education in Covelo—Introducing Alan Chadwick to Covelo and setting up the Chadwick garden project, 1973—Chadwick’s background and influences in England and South Africa—The Covelo community vs. Chadwick’s hippie students—Classes in gardening and theater—Chadwick’s eccentricities and difficult personality, Ruth Wells’s experiences and support—Apprentices, Steve Bundy; Steve Decater and the Live Power Farm—More on reactions of the Covelo community—Move of the farm to McComb ranch. [Tape 6, Side B] 103 Supporting the Chadwick farm through the Institute for Man and Nature—Alan Chadwick’s departure from Covelo, illness in Virginia—Wilson’s role in helping him return to the Zen farm in Marin, his death—Chadwick’s impact, and his quirkiness—Wilson’s openness, his contribution to Covelo community. Interview #4: September 2, 2001 [Tape 7, Side A] 109 Ronald Reagan’s visit to Covelo and the garden project, a bit of theater—Reflecting on Chadwick’s garden project and the vitality it brought to the community—Origins of Louisiana- Pacific lumber company, under Harry Merlo—Opposing the proposed timber-hauling road from Trinity County into Mendocino County, through Wilson’s property —Working on a general plan for the Covelo area, launching the Applied Rural Technology project to consider the watershed as a planning unit—Roads and exported timber versus the idea of a sustainable community with a local lumber mill helping the local economy—Mid-seventies wilderness bill, working behind- the-scenes against the road. [Tape 7, Side B] 119 The push to build the road and cut the timber before an expansion of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness area—Community’s reaction to the road, the logging, and the mill’s closing—Rushing the haul road through in drought years, politics on the