Tim McKay Oral History Collection

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  History of the Environmental Movement in Humboldt County and Northwestern California

  Lucille Vinyard, Susie Van Kirk, Bill Devall, Tim McKay, and Northcoast Environmental Center

  Lucille Vinyard, Susie Van Kirk, Bill Devall, and Tim McKay were interviewed by Edie Butler on October 25th. 1989 at Tim McKay' s home in Arcata, California. This tape recorded session is the first in what is expected to be a series of sessions documenting the history of the environmental movement in Humboldt County and Northwestern California. These four individuals have been involved in various and numerous aspects of environmental activism in this region for many years. In this session events and trends were discussed in a general way. Future sessions will cover these matters in more depth. These events and trends include efforts to save old growth redwoods and wildlife habitat by organizations that began working in liaison with each other and were joined by others. Citizen participation in government decisions and policies started at the same time that the activist baby boom generation was increasing the enrollment at Humboldt State University (HSU) and the flight from urban areas first bringing many newcomers to the region. Freeways, bridges, dams, wilderness areas and coastal protection and the issues which new questions reflecting different values have arisen. Actual or proposed projects mentioned in this interview include: Prairie Creek Freeway, Woodly Island Bridge, Butler Valley Dam, Arcata Freeway, Eureka Freeway, Trinity River Dam, Shelter Cove development, the pulp mills around Humboldt Bay, Redwood National Park and the expansion, Gasquet-Orleans Road.