Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts

Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts [Transcript] Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts [Sound Recording 01] Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts [Sound Recording 02] Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts [Sound Recording 03] Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts [Sound Recording 04]

Identity elements

Reference code

SR 11412

Name and location of repository

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Series

Title

Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts

Date(s)

  • 1998-05-21 - 1998-05-21 (Creation)

Extent

0.1 cubic feet; 2 audiocassettes (2 hr., 6 min., 27 sec.)

Name of creator

Shurts, John, 1956-

Biographical history

John Harrison earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Washington State University, and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. He was a reporter at the Spokane Chronicle. From 1990 to 2021, he was the information officer of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. He then worked as a freelance writer.

Name of creator

Harrison, John

Biographical history

John Shurts was born in 1956. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Colorado College, a law degree from Lewis & Clark College, and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Oregon. He was an adjunct professor at several universities in Oregon, and served as general counsel for the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts was conducted by Michael O'Rourke on May 21, 1998. 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.

In this interview, Harrison and Shurts speak at length about the origins of the 1980 Northwest Power Act, and describe the provisions of the bill. They describe the power planning and fish conservation responsibilities of the Northwest Power Planning Council. They speak about the challenges the council faced in its attempts to protect salmon populations, and about the application of the Endangered Species Act in the Pacific Northwest. They discuss how the changing politics in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s affected the council's work. They speak at length about the relationship between the Northwest Power Planning Council and the Bonneville Power Administration, particularly regarding funding.

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Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society, John Harrison, and John Shurts. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

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Languages of the material

  • English

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Finding aids

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Related archival materials

Northwest Power Planning Council records, Mss 1852, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Notes element

General note

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with John Harrison and John Shurts, by Michael O'Rourke, SR 11412, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Alternative identifier(s)

Description control element

Rules or conventions

Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.

Sources used

Archivist's note

Sarah Stroman

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