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Ted Swem, Interview 2, Part 1
Ted Swem was interviewed by Bill Schneider on July 6, 1993 at his home in Evergreen, Colorado. Ted was also interviewed by Bill Schneider on October 10, 1991 (ORAL HISTORY 91-22-25 and 91-22-26). Ted was the key person in the National Park Service for development of National Park areas in Alaska. In these interviews, he traces the history of National Park Service interest in Alaska and the various people who played a role in identifying, studying, and helping to promote the "new" National Interest Lands, which were finally established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980. Swem's account is the the story of Washington D.C. and the connections with Alaskan operations, a story not well known in Alaska. In this first of a four part interview, Ted talks about Alaska national parks in the 1960s and 1970s, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), and studying lands for inclusion in new national parks.
Digital Asset Information
Archive #: Oral History 93-15-26
Project: Wrangell-St.Elias National Park
Date of Interview: Jul 6, 1993
Narrator(s): Ted Swem, Sr.
Interviewer(s): Bill Schneider
Location of Interview:
Funding Partners:
National Park Service
Alternate Transcripts
There is no alternate transcript for this interview.
After clicking play, click on a section to navigate the audio or video clip.
Sections
1) 1969 Monument Proclamation under President Johnson
2) The initial interest in developing national parks in Alaska
3) Master Plan Study of Mount McKinley National Park in 1968
4) Nixon Administration and Alaskan parks development
5) Skagway and the Gold Rush story
6) A joint National Park Service and Canadian Gold Rush parks committee
7) The Skagway proposal to Walter Hickel
8) Things going on in Alaska during Hickel's tenure as Secretary of the Interior
9) His next involvement in Alaska parks in 1971
10) Gates of the Arctic and Senator Bible's trip to Alaska
11) Traveling by plane around Alaska
12) Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)
13) The signing of ANCSA by Nixon
14) Ted being in charge of Alaska lands studies
15) Alaska study teams in the early 1970's as related to ANCSA
Click play, then use Sections or Transcript to navigate the interview.
After clicking play, click a section of the transcript to navigate the audio or video clip.
Transcript
Section 1: Juneau\ Riley, Burke -- Interior Representative under Johnson\ Johnson, Lyndon B.
Section 2: proclamations 1965\ Hartzog, George -- Director of National Park Service\ Alaska -- park potential\ Collins, George\ Kauffman, John\ Luntey, Bob\ Leonard, Doris\ Conservation Associates\ Washington, D.C.\ Corbett, John\ Swem, Ted\ report\ Service\ Bureau of Land Management\ report -- not released\ 1972\ report -- a resource\ ANCSA
Section 3: Rutter, John\ Wayburn, Ed\ Sierra Club\ Conservation Organization\ Olson, Sig\ Secretary of the Interior\ Donau, Al\ concessions
Section 4: Hickel, Walter\ 1967\ National Park System\ Skagway\ McMurray, Carl\ 1969\ Hartzog, George\ Kaiser, Ed\ Washington D.C.\ Kaiser Aluminum\ Denver Broncos\ Special Assistant to Walter Hickel -- Kaiser, Ed\ Curry Ridge\ Mt. McKinley National Park\ TWA\ National Park Service\ preliminary site plan\ Mt. McKinley\ hotel -- fell through\ Kaiser, Ed\ Pacific Northwest
Section 5: 1967\ Hickel, Governor Walter\ Hartzog, George\ Skagway\ Gold Rush story\ McMurray, Carl\ Skagway -- national landmark\ 1969 -- study follow up
Section 6: National Park Service\ Canadian National Park Service\ joint committee\ hike\ Dyea\ Chilkoot Pass\ Lake Bennett\ Canada participants\ provincial government\ Howe, Bob\ Glacier Bay\ Anchorage -- school teacher\ Esbensen, Yvonne\ Dyea\ gold rush -- artifacts\ canvas boat\ Yukon Drainage\ Lake Bennett\ Whitehorse\ Dawson\ Bennett, Peter -- Historic Parks Unit of Canadian Park Service
Section 7: Esbensen, Yvonne\ proposal\ story -- Yvonne Esbensen\ Bennett, Peter\ legislation\ Ryan, Pat\ electric power\ ANCSA\ Skagway proposal\ Hickel -- left office\ Morton, Rogers -- Maryland Congressman
Section 8: Horton, Jack\ ANCSA\ study\ pipeline\ agencies -- Interior\ National Park Service -- not involved in pipeline\ story -- Secretary Hickel\ Thomas, Lowell\ Stenmark, Dick\ Hickel, Walter\ Hartzog, George\ Morton, Rogers\ committee -- abolished
Section 9: Alaska -- 1970 no involvement\ Hartzog, George\ Bible, Senator Allen -- Nevada\ National Park Subcommittee -- Senate\ map -- development\ parks -- new areas\ Mt. McKinley -- trip\ Wayburn, Ed
Section 10: National Park exhibit\ Gates of the Arctic\ country -- west of Gates\ Brooks Range Proposal\ Arctic Coast\ Gates of the Arctic -- extension\ Bible -- interested in National Parks\ Hartzog, George
Section 11: travel -- plane
Section 12: ANCSA\ Hickok, Dave\ Fitzgerald, Joe\ Hickock, Dave -- sympathetic with Natives\ Legislation -- recognize Native rights\ Alaska Statehood\ Allin, Roger\ Statehood Act -- no Native recognition\ Statehood Act\ land -- selection\ Native claims\ Native opposition\ Udall, Secretary Stewart\ Nixon Administration\ Hickel, Walter\ Udall, Bill\ "Act of Congress to take care of Native rights"\ ANCSA -- December 1971\ Native claim issue\ Alaska lands -- national interest\ national park and refuge lands\ conservationists\ Wilderness Society\ Crandell, Harry\ Scott, Doug\ Hickok, Dave\ national interest lands\ Hartzog, George\ Bible Amendment -- ANCSA\ D2 provision\ ANCSA -- summary\ land withdrawal -- National Park Service\ areas of national interest -- submitted December 1973
Section 13: Lambe, Mike -- National Park Service legislation head\ Bracken, Frank\ Morton Administration\ Lambe, Mike -- story\ Nixon, Richard\ ANCSA -- signing
Section 14: Hartzog, George\ Swem, Ted -- responsible for Alaska land studies\ ANCSA -- signing\ Pecora, Bill\ Silcock, Burt\ BLM\ Bracken, Frank\ administrators -- little knowledge about ANCSA\ Morton, Secretary -- "Do things right the first time"
Section 15: kickoff meeting\ Fish and Wildlife Service\ National Park Service\ maps -- development\ Means, Larry\ Refuge System\ Hartzog, George\ Reed, Nat\ areas of interest\ To Have and To Hold -- 1971\ waterfowl\ production and protection\ George Collins Report -- 1965\ Alaska Task Force Report\ Stenmark, Dick\ National Park Service