Oral history interview with John N. Etchart

Collection

Identifier: SR 11352

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with John N. Etchart was conducted by Michael O’Rourke from August 8, 2002, to May 26, 2004. The interview was conducted as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project, which documented the history and purpose of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The interview was conducted in two sessions; a transcript is available.

In the first interview session, conducted in Bend, Oregon, on August 8, 2002, Etchart discusses his family background and early life on a ranch in northeastern Montana, including his education, his family’s political beliefs, and his involvement in athletics. He talks about his experiences at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, and then describes his experiences in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He also talks about studying law at the University of San Francisco, about pursuing a career in education and counseling, and about his marriage to Sarah Fortune Russell. He speaks about serving as the inland states coordinator for the Northern Tier Pipeline, and about his brief service as an under-secretary of the Department of Interior. He then discusses his work as a vice president of the Burlington Northern Railroad. He talks about the election of Montana Governor Marc Racicot, then speaks at length about becoming a council member from Montana on the Northwest Power Planning Council in 1993. He shares his thoughts about the council’s activities in the 1980s, particularly regarding the failure of the Washington Public Power Supply System, and talks about his fellow council members.

In the second interview session, conducted over the telephone on May 26, 2004, Etchart shares his reasons for voting against the NWPPC’s 1994 fish and wildlife plan, talks about how the council changed after the 1994 elections, and speaks at length about the controversy surrounding the departure of Executive Director Ed Sheets. He closes the interview by discussing his work as council chair from 1995 to 2000.

Dates

2002 August 8-2004 May 26

Creator

Etchart, John N. (John Newton), 1945-2017 (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

John Newton Etchart was born in Glasgow, Montana, in 1945. In 1968, he earned a degree from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. That same year, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He was discharged in 1971. He studied law at University of San Francisco, but withdrew after two years. In 1975, he and Sarah Fortune Russell were married; they later had one child. In the late 1970s, he earned a master’s degree from Eastern Montana College in Billings, then briefly worked as a school counselor. During the 1980s, he served as the inland states coordinator for the Northern Tier Pipeline, as an under-secretary of the Department of Interior under President Ronald Reagan, and as a vice president of Burlington Northern Railroad. From 1993 to 2000, he represented Montana on the Northwest Power Planning Council, and served as council chair for most of that time. He died in 2017.

Historical note

The Northwest Power Planning Council is a four-state regional planning body formed by Congress through the Northwest Power Act of 1980 to develop and maintain regional conservation and electric power plans and a fish and wildlife program. The council is composed of two representatives from each member state: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The mission of the council is "to preserve the benefits of the Columbia River for future generations." The body was originally known as the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council; the name was shortened to Northwest Power Planning Council in October 1981, and in 2003, the name was changed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (4 audiocassettes (2 hr., 53 min., 58 sec.) + transcript (81 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with John N. Etchart conducted by Michael O'Rourke from August 8, 2002, to May 26, 2004, as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project. Etchart represented Montana on the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, from 1993 to 2000.