Series

Oral history interview with Peter J. Paquet

• 1998-10-21 - 2000-04-18 (Creation)

.1 cubic feet; 17 audiocassettes (14 hr., 7 min., 30 sec.)

This oral history interview with Peter J. Paquet was conducted by Michael O'Rourke from October 21, 1998, to April 18, 2000. 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 nine sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on October 21, 1998, Paquet discusses his family background and early life in Portland, Oregon, including his education, his social life, and his early jobs. He talks about his experiences at the University of Santa Clara in California, including his involvement in the student political movements of the 1960s. He talks about working for NASA after graduating; hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with his brother in 1971; and his experiences as a graduate student studying biology at Portland State University. He also discusses supporting his family by running a leather dressing business.

In the second interview session, conducted on December 15, 1998, Paquet discusses developments in environmental legislation and electricity production in Oregon during the 1970s. He talks about anti-nuclear activist Lloyd Marbet; shares his opinion regarding nuclear power; and speaks at length about working for the Oregon Department of Energy on the Energy Facility Siting Council in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He talks about renewable energy resources, and about working with the Bonneville Power Administration. A portion of this session, Tape 3, is missing.

In the third interview session, conducted on December 23, 1998, Paquet discusses his work with the Northwest Power Planning Council to create a fish and wildlife plan in the early 1980s. He talks about navigating the conflicting interests of power companies, state agencies, Native American tribes, and sport fishers and game hunters. He talks about the life cycle of fish native to the Columbia River, describes how those cycles are disrupted by the dams, and talks about efforts to mitigate these disruptions. He speaks about the reception and implementation of the NWPPC fish and wildlife plan. He also talks about the people he worked with on the plan.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on August 12, 1999, Paquet continues to discuss his work with the Northwest Power Planning Council to create a fish and wildlife plan in the early 1980s. He continues to talk about the life cycle of fish native to the river, describes how those cycles are disrupted by the dams, and talks about efforts to mitigate these disruptions. He continues to speak about the reception and implementation of the NWPPC fish and wildlife plan. He talks about changes to the plan after implementation.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on August 25, 1999, Paquet continues to discuss his work to create a fish and wildlife plan in the early 1980s. He continues to talk about changes to the plan after implementation. He discusses court cases regarding the plan. He talks about other members of the NWPPC, particularly Kai Lee, and describes their contributions to the council. He speaks about fish populations and inter-state politics leading up the 1987 amendment cycle for the fish and wildlife plan.

In the sixth interview session, conducted on September 15, 1999, Paquet continues to discuss fish populations and inter-state politics leading up the 1987 amendment cycle for the fish and wildlife plan. He discusses the changes made to the plan in 1987, the changes in the NWPPC's goals, and the implementation of the new plan. He talks about tracking fish, about mapping waterway systems, and about the organizational structure of the NWPPC. He then discusses the additional focus on the wildlife portion of the plan in 1991, and talks about the need to preserve habitat.

In the seventh interview session, conducted on September 16, 1999, Paquet continues to discuss the wildlife portion of the fish and wildlife plan. He speaks about the 1991 amendment cycle for the plan, including concerns that salmon could be added to the endangered species list, the contributions of Senator Mark Hatfield, and the development of new energy and fish forecasting models. He discusses the work of the National Marine Fisheries Service in Oregon, the philosophy behind watershed-based planning, and conflicting interests among the Pacific Northwest states in the 1990s.

In the eighth interview session, conducted on April 12, 2000, Paquet speaks at length about the political changes in the Pacific Northwest states in the mid-1990s and how that affected the work of the NWPPC. He speaks about the new council members, about changes in economic factors around power utilities, and about changes in the council's policies. He also talks about working with a reduced budget in the late 1990s. He talks about the results of an independent science review of the NWPPC's fish and wildlife plan, and discusses plans for the next amendment cycle in 2001.

In the ninth and final interview session, conducted on April 18, 2000, Paquet discusses Senator Slade Gorton's role in the NWPPC plan's 2001 amendment cycle. He speaks at length about members of the council, their roles, their contributions, and their personalities. He compares the council's efforts to restore salmon populations and habitats to other restoration efforts in the U.S. He also discusses the possible removal of dams on the Snake River. He talks about the status of salmon populations at the time of the interview in 2000, and about international interest in the work of the council, particularly in Eastern Europe. He closes the interview by reflecting on his career and family life since joining the council in 1980.

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

• English

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

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Peter J. Paquet, by Michael O'Rourke, SR 2750, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Forms part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project.

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

Sarah Stroman

• Columbia River--Power utilization
• Fishes--Conservation--Oregon
• Salmon fishing--Columbia River--Statistics
• Hydroelectric power plants--Oregon

• O'Rourke, Michael (Filmmaker) (Contributor)
• Northwest Power Planning Council (U.S.) (Subject)

• oral histories (literary works)
• Interviews