ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE ARCHIVES:
RECORDS OF THE STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY
Meghan Marie Kane
B.A., Gonzaga University, 2007
PROJECT
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
HISTORY
(Public History)
at
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
SPRING
2011
ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE ARCHIVES:
RECORDS OF THE STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY
A Project
by
Meghan Marie Kane
Approved by:
__________________________________, Committee Chair
Lee Simpson, Ph.D
__________________________________, Second Reader
Jeff Crawford, M.A.
____________________________
Date
ii
Student: Meghan Marie Kane
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format
manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for
the Project.
__________________________, Department Chair
Aaron Cohen, Ph.D.
Department of History
iii
________________
Date
Abstract
of
ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE ARCHIVES:
RECORDS OF THE STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY
by
Meghan Marie Kane
Statement of Problem
The records of the Board of Forestry arrived at the California State Archives through several
different accessions and not all of the records had been processed and described in a finding aid.
These unprocessed records need to be described and made easily accessible to researchers so the
documents can be used to help fill the gaps in the environmental history of California.
Sources of Data
I consulted several different sources while writing this thesis project. The sources
included archival materials at the California State Archives, manuals and publications,
web pages and monographs relating to environmental history.
Conclusions Reached
The records of the California State Board of Forestry are an integral resource for
developing a more complete environmental historiography of California.
_______________________, Committee Chair
Lee Simpson, Ph.D.
_______________________
Date
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
If you had asked me five years ago if I would be pursuing a master’s degree in
Public History and completing a thesis project on archival records I would not have
believed you. However, after finding my way into the public history program and two
years of hard work, I know I have found the right career path.
I could not have completed this thesis project and my master’s degree without the
love and support of my family. I would especially like to thank my parents for their
unconditional support and encouragement. To my brothers and sister, I would like to say
thank you for reminding me that there is more to life than school and making sure I took
a break every now and again. I would like to say another special thank you to my friends
who might not have always understood my passion for history but supported me
nonetheless.
I would also like to thank the entire staff of the California State Archives,
especially Jeff Crawford and Sara Kuzak – their assistance and patience made this thesis
project possible. I also owe a great deal of gratitude to Dr. Lee Simpson. I cannot thank
her enough for her guidance through the master’s program and my thesis project. I would
have been completely overwhelmed without her help. Finally, to all my classmates –
thank you for your support and encouragement during this process.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................... v
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION …………….………………………………………………………… 1
2. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 10
Accessioning .............................................................................................................. 10
Getting Ready to Process ........................................................................................... 12
Processing and Arrangement ……………………………………………………… 15
Description ………………………………………………………………………….24
Research Availability ……………………………………………………………….26
3. ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIA ..................................... 28
4. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 42
Appendix A. Sample Processing Checklist........................................................................... 46
Appendix B. Sample Processing Plan Worksheet ................................................................ 49
Appendix C. Sample Separation Sheet …………………………………………………….51
Appendix D. Sample Catalog Cards ………………………………………………………..53
Appendix E. Sample Finding Aid …………………………………………………………..55
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 69
vi
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
When the average person calls to mind an image of an archival repository perhaps
the iconic image they conjure up is the quiet and dimly lit rotunda of the National
Archives showcasing the seminal documents of American history.1 This image is a valid
one. The National Archives is one of the most popular attractions in Washington, D.C.
but what the public may not realize is that the archives’ collection does not stop with
what is on display. The National Archives and other archival repositories across the
country document the unique part of United States history.
The term “archives” has three possible meanings – materials, a place, or an
agency.2 An archive, in its most basic form, is a place where the public can go to access
primary sources. These records can include photographs, letters, business records,
government records, memoranda, campaign documents, and much more. Each state,
including California, has its own archival repository responsible for collecting and
preserving records important to the state’s history. These repositories are staffed by
archivists. According to the Society of American Archivists, an archivist has two
meanings. First an archivist is “an individual responsible for appraising, acquiring,
arranging, describing, preserving, and providing access to records of enduring value,
1
Archival tradition in the United States began with the creation of the National Archives in 1934.
Gregory S. Hunter, Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives, (New York: Neal-Schuman
Publishers, Inc, 2003), 2. When referring to materials “archives” refers to the noncurrent records of an
organization or institution preserved because of their enduring value. The place meaning is the building or
part of a building where archival materials are located. This is also referred to as an archival repository. An
archives agency is the program office or agency responsible for identifying, preserving and making
available records of enduring value. This agency is also referred to as an archival agency, archival
institution, or archival program.
2
2
according to the principles of provenance, original order, and collective control to protect
the materials’ authenticity and context.” Second he or she is “an individual with
responsibility for management and oversight of an archival repository or of records of
enduring value.”3 The mission of these archivists is to identify records of enduring value,
preserve them, and make them available to researchers.4 This archival mission is carried
out in many different archival institutions in the state but the official repository for
records pertaining to state government records in California is the California State
Archives.
California State Archives is one of the largest and oldest archival institutions in
the state. California’s first legislature that met in 1849 – 1850 charged the Secretary of
State with the duty of receiving and housing
all public records, registers, maps, books, papers, rolls, documents, and other
writings. ..which appertain to, or are in any wise connected with the political,
civil, and military history, and past administration of the Government in
California; the titles to bonds within the territory, or any other subject which may
be interesting, or valuable as references or authorities to the Government, or
people of the State.5
Today, the California State Archives is still under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
State but the amount of records deposited here has increased significantly since its
inception. This particular institution collects, preserves, processes, and provides access
to the historic records of state government and some local governments. The collection is
primarily composed of records from the three branches of California government
Richard Pearce-Moses, “Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology,” Society of American
Archivists, http://www.archivists.org/glossary/term_details.asp?DefinitionKey=293. [accessed February
15, 2011].
4
Hunter, 3.
5
California, An Act Concerning the Public Archives, Statutes (1850), 1:44.
3
3
including records from the governor’s office, the state legislature, state agencies and
departments, and the State Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal.6 Among the more high
profile items in the collection are the Robert F. Kennedy assassination investigation
records, the original 1849 and 1879 state constitutions, and the Spanish and Mexican land
grants.7
Every year researchers contact the State Archives in search of answers to various
historical quandaries. With a simple request, researchers can access most of the over
100,000 cubic feet of archival holdings within the Archives. Various specialized
programs within the State Archives assist researchers in their quest. These programs
include the Legislative Archives Program, the Court Records Program, the Governor’s
Records Program and the State Records Appraisal Program. The Legislative Archives
Program coordinates the transfer and access to records from legislative committees,
caucuses, and working files of state legislators. These records are heavily used for
legislative intent research. The Court Records Program oversees the case files and
administrative records of the California Supreme and Appellate courts. The State
Archives’ Governor’s Records Program administers the various files created while a
Governor was in office including executive clemency files, pardons, proclamations,
executive orders, speeches, press releases, and enrolled bill files.8 Finally, the State
6
About the State Archives, http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/about-the-archives/ [accessed
February 10, 2011].
7
Collections, http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/collections/ [accessed February 10, 2011].
8
California Public Records Act. Section 6268 of the Public Records Act states: “Public records,
as defined in Section 6252, in the custody or control of the Governor when he or she leaves office, either
voluntarily or involuntarily, shall, as soon as is practical, be transferred to the State Archives.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Governor, by written instrument, the terms of which shall
4
Records Appraisal Program works with different state agencies to identify records that fit
the State Archives collection policy and would contribute to California’s historical
narrative.
The State Records Appraisal Program identifies state agency records with long
term historical value for the state of California. These records are identified and made
accessible to the public according to the Public Records Act (Government Code section
6250) and the California Information Practices Act (Civil Code Section 1798).9 Section
6250 of the California Public Records Act states “the Legislature, mindful of the right of
individuals to privacy, finds and declares that access to information concerning the
conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in
be made public, may restrict public access to any of the transferred public records, or any other writings he
or she may transfer, which have not already been made accessible to the public. With respect to public
records, public access, as otherwise provided for by this chapter, shall not be restricted for a period greater
than 50 years or the death of the Governor, whichever is later, nor shall there be any restriction whatsoever
with respect to enrolled bill files, press releases, speech files, or writings relating to applications for
clemency or extradition in cases which have been closed for a period of at least 25 years. Subject to any
restrictions permitted by this section, the Secretary of State, as custodian of the State Archives, shall make
all such public records and other writings available to the public as otherwise provided for in this chapter.
Except as to enrolled bill files, press releases, speech files, or writings relating to applications for clemency
or extradition, this section shall not apply to public records or other writings in the direct custody or control
of any Governor who held office between1974 and 1988 at the time of leaving office, except to the extent
that that Governor may voluntarily transfer those records or other writings to the State Archives.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the public records another writings of any Governor who held
office between 1974 and 1988may be transferred to any educational or research institution in California
provided that with respect to public records, public access, as otherwise provided for by this chapter, shall
not be restricted for a period greater than 50 years or the death of the Governor, whichever is later. No
records or writings may be transferred pursuant to this paragraph unless the institution receiving them
agrees to maintain, and does maintain, the materials according to commonly accepted archival standards.
No public records transferred shall be destroyed by that institution without first receiving the written
approval of the Secretary of State, as custodian of the State Archives, who may require that the records be
placed in the State Archives rather than being destroyed. An institution receiving those records or writings
shall allow the Secretary of State, as custodian of the State Archives, to copy, at state expense, and to make
available to the public, any and all public records, and inventories, indices, or finding aids relating to those
records, which the institution makes available to the public generally. Copies of those records in the
custody of the State Archives shall be given the same legal effect as is given to the originals.”
9
“State Records Appraisal Program.” http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/state-records-appraisal/ [accessed
February 15, 2011].
5
this state.”10 This act gave the public access to information but also provided certain
exemptions from disclosure for certain classes of records. If information is exempt from
public access the agency in possession of the records, such as the State Archives, must
redact or remove the restricted information while still providing access to the remainder
of the record.11 Section 1798 of the California Civil Code also governs the state records,
including those at the State Archives. This section requires agencies to protect sensitive
personal data and maintain the confidentiality of the information received under the
California Information Practices Act. It also clearly outlines what is considered a record.
The civil code explains
“Records” means any material, regardless of the physical form, on which
information is recorded or preserved by any means, including in written or spoken
words, graphically depicted, printed, or electromagnetically transmitted.
“Records” does not include publicly available directories containing information
an individual has voluntarily consented to have publicly disseminated or listed,
such as name, address, or telephone number.12
Both acts recognize the importance of public access to records created by the government
but also recognize the necessity of privacy protections and specific limits to that access.
Each agency in the State of California must establish a records retention schedule
to manage the records and information collected within the agency.13 The State Archives
10
California Government Code, Section 6250, California Public Records Act.
“Summary California Public Records Act,”
http://ag.ca.gov/publications/summary_public_records_act.pdf [accessed March 24, 2011]. Several
exemptions are based on recognition of an individual’s right to privacy (i.e. privacy in certain personnel or
medical records). A second category of exemptions are based on the government’s need to function
efficiently. These exemptions include investigative records, official information, pending litigation and
preliminary notes or memoranda.
12
California Civil Code, Information Practices Act, Section 1798.80
13
California Government Code, Section 14750. This section states that the “head of each agency
shall: (a) Establish and maintain an active, continuing program for the economical and efficient
management of the records and information collection practices of the agency. The program shall ensure
that the information needed by the agency shall be obtained with a minimum burden upon individuals and
11
6
reviews each agency’s records retention schedule and “flags” records with archival value.
These records with archival value are transferred to the State Archives once they have
reached the end of their lifecycle within the creating agency and the agency is not legally
required to keep them. Once transferred to the State Archives archivists again appraise
these records. The State Archives does not keep every record transferred to them. Over
the years SRAP has identified numerous record series created by the state Board of
Forestry as having enduring archival value. These Board of Forestry records were
gradually transferred to State Archives as the reached the end of their lifecycle. These
records help illustrate the role of state government in California’s forest management, fire
prevention and protection, and other statewide environmental policies.
The California Board of Forestry was one of the first of its kind in the country.
Signed into creation in 1885 by Governor George Stoneman Jr., the Board of Forestry
consisted of three people appointed to four-year terms. This board had the authority to
collect and disseminate statistics in regard to forestry and tree culture, to make
investigations, enforce and carry out national and state forestry laws, and other
responsibilities. Although effective in theory, this first manifestation of the Board of
businesses, especially small business enterprises and others required to furnish the information.
Unnecessary duplication of efforts in obtaining information shall be eliminated as rapidly as practical.
Information collected by the agency shall, as far as is expedient, be collected and tabulated in a manner
which maximizes the usefulness of the information to other state agencies and the public. (b) Determine,
with the concurrence of the director, records essential to the functioning of state government in the event
of a major disaster. (c) Comply with the rules, regulations, standards and procedures issued by the director.
7
Forestry had little actual power and was short-lived. It was legislated out of existence in
1893.
The California State Legislature re-created the State Board of Forestry in 1905.
This new board consisted of the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and
State Forester.14 The State entrusted all matters of forest policy and forest management
to the board. This new Board of Forestry had similar goals to the first board but this time
its power was in more than name only.
The object of forestry is to secure the highest permanent returns from forest lands,
both in useful material and in water for irrigation. Its aim is to preserve existing
forests by wise use, to replace them where they have been destroyed, and to
establish them where they never existed. All such matters, in so far as they are
within the jurisdiction of the State, are in charge of the State Board of Forestry
acting through the State Forester.15
In 1919 the membership of the board increased to five people – the governor and four
other members with qualifications in the areas of timber, livestock, and grain and hay
industries.16 Like most governments, California’s was constantly evolving and in 1927 an
act of the Legislature created the Department of Natural Resources. This new department
was “charged with the administration and conservation of California’s natural resources
through its five divisions.17 The Board of Forestry was placed under the Division of
Forestry in the Department of Natural Resources. The division’s responsibilities included
“the prevention and suppression of fire in the timbers and watershed areas not under the
jurisdiction of the federal government and with the protection of forests from insect and
14
California Blue Book or State Roster, 1909, p. 87.
California Blue Book or State Roster, 1909, p. 87.
16
California Blue Book or State Roster, 1909, p. 87.
17
California Blue Book, 1946, p. 265. The divisions include beaches and parks, fish and game,
forestry, mines, and oil and gas.
15
8
disease. Through an act of the Fifty-sixth Session of the Legislature, it becomes
responsible for the acquisition, administration, protection, and reforestation of forest
lands.”18
On January 1, 1998, the Board of Forestry became the Board of Forestry and Fire
Protection through an amendment to the Public Resources Code. The legislative bill
stated:
On and after January 1, 1998, wherever any reference is made in any law to the
State Board of Forestry in the department, the reference shall be deemed to be a
reference to, and to mean, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. No
existing supplies, forms, signs, or logos shall be destroyed or changed to reflect
the name change and they shall continue to be used until exhaustible.19
This name change did not affect the duties of the board itself. Today, the Board of
Forestry and Fire Protection is under the California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection. It consists of nine members all appointed by the governor. The governor also
chooses the chairman but the members elect a vice-chairman annually. “To achieve a
balanced approach to forest land policy, the Public Resources Code delineates the
character of the Board by designating that five members will be from the general public,
three are chosen from the forest products industry, and one member is from the rangelivestock industry.”20 The board is also divided into four different committees - Policy
and Management, Roads and Watersheds, Forest Practices, and Resource Protection.
This allows for more focused discussion so the board can better serve the public and
specifically, the forest management community.
18
California Blue Book, 1946, p. 265.
Public Resources Code, Article 2, Chapter 730, 1998.
20
“Board Organization,” Board of Forestry and Fire Protection,
http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/about_the_board/board_organization/, [accessed February 22, 2011].
19
9
The Board of Forestry records at the California State Archives is an unrestricted
group of records with information about the forest policy in California from 1919 – 2004.
The majority of the records are meeting files that give detailed information about the
monthly board meetings. Most of the information in the collection relates to timber policy
and logging in the North Coast of California. However, it also includes information
about pest issues in state forests, constituent concerns over forestry policy, and forest fire
prevention and recovery techniques. These files were deemed worthy of retention
because they clearly illustrate the growth and development of the Board of Forestry and
forest policy in the state. The collection does not include any records exempt from public
disclosure; therefore the researcher has access to all the material. These important
records also place the Board of Forestry in the broader context of the environmental
history of California.
10
Chapter 2
METHODOLOGY
Part of the archival mission is to make the records available to researchers but before this
can be accomplished the records need to be accessioned, preserved, arranged, and
described. Researchers can access records after they are accessioned but once the records
are arranged and described researchers have the most complete access. The California
State Archives has a standardized set of policies and procedures for processing records.
Each archivist and processing student follows the same steps to ensure each collection is
processed with the same level of detail and quality.
Accessioning
The first step toward making records accessible to the public is accessioning.
“Accessioning is defined as the act and procedures involved in a transfer of legal title and
taking records or papers into the physical custody of an archival agency, records center,
or manuscript repository.”21 At the State Archives accessioning is done by any of the
archivists or intern. Records are physically delivered to the State Archives and received
by an archivist on the first floor of the building. Records from the same agency may
arrive at different times and even during different years so oftentimes different archivists
accession records from the same record group or collection.
When records arrive at the State Archives the accessioning archivist does basic
appraisal of the received records, determining if the records have potential historic or
21
Hunter, 101.
11
archival value. Additionally during accessioning the archivist transfers the records into
acid free boxes and removes binder clips, rubber bands or any publications from the
group of records. This helps the archivist develop a basic understanding of what the
collection entails. Some agencies include box transfer lists detailing what records are
being transferred. These lists are especially helpful because they provide useful
information about what each box of records should contain. After appraising the arriving
records, the accessioning archivist gives the records an accession number and enters basic
descriptive information into the internal archival management database called Gencat.
This allows other staff members and the public to see that the records are in the physical
possession of the State Archives but have not been processed. This information is
outlined on an accessioning worksheet.22 A copy of the accession worksheet is put in a
master file and another into an accession binder in the research room. The accession
worksheets in the binder in the research room are grouped by agency or provenance. The
copy of the accession worksheet in the research room helps archivists and researchers
alike to use the records before they are processed. It is simply another way for the State
Archives to make sure as many records as possible are available for public use.
Sixty cubic feet of records for the State Board of Forestry and the later Board of
Forestry and Fire Protection arrived at the California State Archives between 1993 –
2008. These mostly textual records appeared to be arranged in multiple record series and
chronologically within each series. “A series is a group of files or documents maintained
22
The accessioning worksheet includes a basic description of the records including the creator,
types of materials, volume of the records and the temporary location of the records.
12
together as a unit because of some relationship arising out of their creation.”23 Some of
the records series titles listed on the Board of Forestry accession worksheets were Board
Binders, Mass Mailings, Correspondence and Meeting Minutes. It is important to note
the original order and series titles on the accession worksheet so the processing archivist
can maintain the original order when processing the collection. Original order is the
organization of records established by the creator of the records. It is important because
it “preserves existing relationships and evidential significance that can be inferred from
the context of the records. Second, it exploits the record creator's mechanisms to access
the records, saving the archives the work of creating new access tools.”24
Getting Ready to Process
Processing the records is one of the most important parts of making the collection
in the accessible to the researcher. Processing is the sometimes daunting task of
physically reviewing each document in a group of records. This includes but is not
limited to removing anything potentially harmful to the records, photocopying newspaper
articles, re-foldering and re-boxing the records and labeling the folders and boxes.
Processing not only includes the physical processing of the records but the intellectual
description as well. “For the archivist, processing is often referred to as the “nuts and
bolts” of the profession; that is, through the processing of historical records, archivists
23
Hunter, 117.
“Original Order,” Society of American Archivists,
http://www2.archivists.org/glossary/terms/o/original-order [accessed March 25, 2011].
24
13
link their management and preservation to their eventual use. It is only by careful and
patient processing that the research use of records can be fully realized.”25
There are several steps an archivist must take before processing a collection.26
First the Processing Coordinator provides the processing archivist with the accessioning
sheet kept in the master file. The processing archivist then marks the copies of the
accessioning sheets in the research room as “out for processing” as well as updating the
Gencat record for Minerva. The processing archivist keeps the original accession
worksheets with her while processing the collection. It is important to mark the copies of
the accession sheets in the research room as “out for processing” because this lets the
reference archivists and support staff know that a certain collection is being processed
and that it is not housed at the location listed on the accession sheet.
Next the processing archivist needs to research the history of the record creator,
which in this case is the Board of Forestry. Researching the history of the record creator
prior to processing helps the archivist to understand the timeline of the board, its
functions and major changes that occurred during its existence. There are several ways to
research the origin of a collection. The State Archives has a library, only accessible to
staff members, that contains different state publications chronicling the development of
different state agencies and the growth of California government as a whole. Some of the
sources available in the staff library include state telephone books, statute books,
governor’s budgets and California Blue Books. The Public Resources Code and
25
Laren Metzer, California State Archives, Processing Manual, 3.
The steps performed prior to and during processing are outlined on the processing checklist
provided by the California State Archives. A copy of the processing checklist is provided in the appendix.
26
14
California Blue Books provided the most essential information about the development of
the Board of Forestry. For example, the 1975 California Blue Book clearly outlines the
board’s organization:
The division maintains a headquarters in Sacramento to administer five field
regions covering the entire state. The regions are further divided into 23 ranger
units. The division employs 2,800 permanent, professional and administrative
personnel. In the summer and fall – California’s fire season – an additional force
of nearly 2,000 firefighters, forest fire lookouts, and other seasonal help is hired.27
Understanding the development and responsibilities of the Board of Forestry make it
easier to determine which documents should be kept and which records are not integral to
the board’s history.
After researching the agency history, the records are removed from the stacks and
taken to the processing lab. The Board of Forestry records and most other accessioned
but unprocessed records are stored on the “B” or second floor of the archives’ stacks.
Once all the records are pulled off, the processing archivist then sends out an email to all
staff notifying them how many cubic feet of records were pulled and their new location.
That way if a researcher or a staff member needs to access the records being processed
they do not look for the records in the location listed on the accession sheet but in the
processing lab.
The processing archivist next conducts a preliminary review of the records and
identifies the different sub-groups and series within the collection. During the
preliminary review of the Board of Forestry records it became obvious that the records
were already arranged in several distinct series and it would not be difficult to keep the
27
California Blue Book, 1975, p. 508.
15
original order of the records. This preliminary review of the records lends itself very
easily to the next step, creating a processing plan.28 The processing plan is where the
processing archivist outlined her approach to processing the collection. In the plan, the
processing archivist identifies the types of materials, the physical condition of the
records, total volume to be processed and record units. This plan is reviewed and
approved by the processing coordinator prior to physically arranging the records. The
plan helps keep the archivist on track and in line with the processing standards of the
California State Archives.
Processing and Arrangement
Arrangement of the records can be a long and involved task. It can take months to
go through an entire collection and process it to the standards of the California State
Archives. The archivist must thoroughly examine each box of records, perform basic
preservation techniques and re-folder and re-box the records in acid free materials.
Another aspect of processing, perhaps the most important, is the archivist’s decision
about retaining or discarding files. The decision about whether or not to retain certain
files is called appraisal. Appraisal decisions can be very difficult because all records
have some conceivable value. It is the archivist’s job to “select those records with
sufficient value to justify the costs of storage, arrangement, description, preservation, and
reference.”29
28
29
See appendix.
Hunter, 52.
16
When assessing records with the possibility for destruction it is important to
understand the potential value of the record. The archivist must consider the records’
operating, administrative, fiscal, legal and archival value. Operating value of records is
the value of records towards the current work of the organization or institution. Records
with administrative value are those that may summarize operations or pertain to the
management of a state agency, legislative committee, or similar administrative body.
Records with legal value are those that the State Archives is required by law to retain for
a specific amount of time or records that might document the legal rights and interests of
individuals or corporations. Records with fiscal value document financial transactions
and leave what is often referred to as an “audit trail.”30
Archival value of a record is perhaps the most difficult to determine. It requires
the archivist to evaluate the value of the record on several different levels – evidential
value and informational value. When a record has evidential value it relates to the origin
of an entity, anything that establishes the background or creation of the entity. Evidential
value can also be any documentation relating to the development of any of the major
programs within the organization or entity. This includes things like policy files, internal
memos, publications or promotional materials. For example, anything relating to the
timber management policy created by the Board of Forestry has evidential value. To
determine if a record has informational archival value an archivist must consider the
extent to which records provide information about people, things or events. An archivist
can ask – is this record unique? Can it be found anywhere else? What is the physical
30
Hunter, 54-55.
17
condition of the record? Can it be easily preserved or will it require a large amount of
time and money to get the document ready for research? And finally, how important are
the people, things, and events represented in the records? Will they warrant future
research?31 If the answers to most of those questions determine that a record has archival
value the record is usually retained by the collecting institution. “In a typical business,
only 1 or 2 percent of the records are worthy of archival preservation. In some
government settings, the figure might approach 5 percent. And in a nonprofit institution
very conscious of its history 8 or 10 percent of the records might reach the archives.”32
In its most basic terms, arrangement is the process of organizing records to reveal
their contents and significance. Arrangement is by no means the end of processing but
part of the process and a means to the end – researcher accessibility. The five levels of
arrangement are: repository, record group (collection) and subgroup, series, file unit,
item. A record group is a body of organizationally related records established on the basis
of provenance. A subgroup is a subordinate administrative unit or a major division
within the record group. A series is a group of files or documents maintained together as
a unit because of some relationship arising out of their creation, receipt, or use. A file unit
is a level of arrangement where record creators place individual items into units for ease
of filing. The item level of arrangement is the most extreme and detailed level of
31
32
Hunter, 57 – 59.
Hunter, 53.
18
arrangement. It identifies each item individually. An item is a letter or a similar
document, regardless of length found within the file units. 33
The sixty cubic feet of records arrived at the State Archives in an original order
that was easy to maintain. The arrangement of the records was obvious from the
beginning. When the Board of Forestry transferred records to the California State
Archives the records were organized into distinct groupings. It was helpful to consult the
original records retention schedules developed by the Board of Forestry. Here the board
listed out the different groups of records like “Board Meeting Monthly Binders” and
“Rulemaking Files.” These groups of records later became the different series. The only
challenge within the organization was the combination of records from the Board of
Forestry and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Board of Forestry became the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection through
an amendment to the Public Resources Code in 1998. But as the amendment explicitly
indicates none of the “existing supplies, forms, signs, or logos shall be destroyed or
changed to reflect the name change and they shall continue to be used until
exhaustible.”34 This name change is important to note because it means that there are
records created under two different boards with the same authority but with different
names. The majority of the documents created in 1998 and 1999, after the name change,
were still stamped with the Board of Forestry logo. This made it difficult during
processing to determine at first glance which documents created in the late 1990s were
Hunter, 115 – 119. Series level description is the standard at the California State Archives.
Collections are rarely described down to the file or item level.
34
Public Resources Code, Article 2, chapter 730, 1998.
33
19
from the Board of Forestry and which ones were created under the Board of Forestry and
Fire Protection.
Because the Board of Forestry underwent a name change during its existence the records
were identified using two different identification numbers. Records from the Board of
Forestry dating from 1919 – December 24, 1997 had the record group number “R161”.
Records from the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection from January 1, 1998 –
December 2006 had identification number “R162”. These unique identification numbers
make it easy for archivists and researchers to differentiate between the Board of Forestry
and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. It is yet another way to assist the research
process through clear identification.
Series R161.1 Meeting Files, August 1919 – November 1989.
This first series contains meeting files from the Board of Forestry monthly
meetings from August 1919 – November 1989. It is the largest series with 516 file
folders of documents available for research. When the agency transferred these records
to the State Archives they were already in a specific order and this was the first series of
records in that original order. The meeting files were arranged in chronological order
according to meeting date. Each folder included a meeting announcement specifying the
monthly meeting date. The rest of the information varied from folder to folder but
generally included a meeting agenda, meeting minutes, articles, and memoranda relating
to the topics discussed at the monthly meetings. Some of the older documents had faded
considerably so they had to be enhanced on the copy machine to give the researcher a
better quality document. The processing archivist removed all the paperclips and other
20
fasteners, copied newspaper articles to prevent the highly acidic paper from damaging
other documents, and removed any other harmful materials from the files.35
Series R161.2, Chronological Correspondence, January 1976- December 1989
This second series is made up of correspondence to and from the Board of
Forestry. These ninety-eight file folders are arranged chronologically by month and
contain both constituent and professional correspondence. The constituent
correspondence includes letters of support and opposition to certain policy decisions or
practices of the Board of Forestry. The professional correspondence is mostly from
registered foresters, professional organizations, and loggers in the north counties of
California. Some documents in this series were printed on acidic paper so those
documents were copied to preserve not only the words on that document but also to
prevent the acid from spreading to records surrounding it.
Series R161.3, Rulemaking Files, 1975-1986
Part of the duties of the Board of Forestry included making the forest policy for
the state. A large part of that responsibility meant making new forestry rules for
California. The records in this series are official rule changes submitted to the Secretary
of State. Each rule change is on the standard form and identified by a number. This
series contained no apparent arrangement and required the processing archivist to create a
system of organization. To assist the researcher, the processing archivist determined the
35
This includes post-it notes and rusted staples.
21
topic covered under each rule change (i.e. logging, forester licensing, etc) and then
organized the topics alphabetically.
Series R161.4, Committee Files, 1939, 1958-1975
These committee files consist of nine file folders. Each folder contains
documents relating to a specific committee. Members of the Board of Forestry were also
members on different committees such as the Forest Practice and Environmental
Protection Committee and the Forester Licensing Committee. As with every other series,
the processing archivist removed any fastener, threw away any duplicates, and copied any
documents on acidic paper.
Series R161.5, Meeting Agendas, 1984-199836
Series R162.1, Meeting Agendas, January 1998 – June 2004
This chronologically arranged series includes only meeting agendas. The Board
of Forestry had monthly meetings and these agendas outlined the topics discussed at each
meeting. The agendas have a high value to the researcher because they can be used to
track the different policy measures on the agenda and are helpful when trying to
determine when a certain topic was discussed and where to look for more information
regarding that topic. Because of their high research value, the processing archivist kept
all of meeting agendas.
Series R161.6, Board Meeting Monthly Binders, January 1993 – November 1997
36
Meeting agendas, board meeting monthly binders, premail files and mass mailings are divided
into two different series with the same name but described as one. The particular groups of records
contained documents from both the Board of Forestry and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection so the
meeting agendas, board meeting monthly binders, premail files and mass mailings series are divided into
two different series, one with an R161 number and the other with an R162 number.
22
Series R162.2, Board Meeting Monthly Binders, January 1999 – May 2002
Board Meeting Monthly Binders are documents relating to each month’s board
meeting that are put together by the Board of Forestry. The “binders” include newspaper
clippings, meeting agendas, board publications, memoranda, and correspondence. There
are some agendas that appear in both the meeting agendas series and the board meeting
monthly binders series but the processing archivist made the decision to keep these
duplicate agendas because they are in two different series and the records creator kept
both in order to provide context for the records in this series.
Series R161.7, Premail Files, April 1995-November 1997
Series R162.3, Premail Files, January 1998 – December 2002
Premail Files are those records that the Board of Forestry sent out to its members
before each board meeting. This series includes announcements and articles relating to
topics that were to be discussed at the month’s board meeting. Topics covered include
logging, the problems created by marijuana cultivation in the Northern California
counties, and fire prevention. The processing archivist performed the same basic
preservation techniques on these documents as she had with every other in the collection.
Series R161.8, District Technical Advisory Committee Files, 1991-1992
The District Technical Advisory Committee (DTAC) is a committee composed of
scientists and agency representatives that oversaw the literature review of articles relating
to the forest management effects on salmon. The committee was divided up into regional
sub-committees and the series is organized accordingly. The Processing Archivist
considered placing the file within series R161.4, Committee Files, but decided to make
these records their own series since the records creator kept the files as a separate series.
23
Series R161.9, Mass Mailings, July – December 1997
Series R162.4, Mass Mailings, January 1998 – December 2006
Mass mailings are documents sent out to licensed foresters, professional
organizations and concerned citizens by the Board of Forestry. These mass mailings
include meeting announcements, articles, and policy updates. The records are already
arranged chronologically. The processing archivist did have to copy the majority of the
articles because they were either the original newspaper clipping or a copy taped to a
sheet of paper. Newsprint and tape and especially the combination are highly acidic and
damaging to the records so it is standard practice for these to be photocopied to preserve
the information for the researcher.
Series R161.10, Publication Notice Files, September 1997 – February 2002
This final series of records contains only notices of publication. The Board of
Forestry was required to place the notices in local papers to notify the public of hearings,
policy changes, and provide an opportunity for public comment. The records were
arranged chronologically. Each publication notice on the original newsprint was glued or
taped to the submission form. This presented a challenge because the notices were
awkwardly sized and difficult to copy. Every notice was copied and re-sized before it
could be transferred to an archival folder.
24
Description
Description is arguably the most important aspect of processing a collection.
During description, “the archivist takes what he or she has learned about a collection
during the arrangement stage and translates it into a collection road map for the archival
staff and researchers.”37 Good description helps archivists and researchers easily locate
the resources they are looking for.
Techniques for describing records vary throughout the world because there is no
universal standard for describing archival records. In the United States, the leading
professional archival organization, the Society of American Archivists (SAA), officially
adopted Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) in March 2005 as its standard
for describing records.38 Archivists can use DACS to describe archival materials at any
level of detail, from the collection level down to the item level. “In addition, DACS
provides specific guidance in describing creators of archival material, constructing
archival authority records, and recording forms of names. DACS may also be used in
conjunction with other standards to treat aspects of description unique to specific media
types.”39 The California State Archives adheres to DACS and strives to maintain a clear
and easily accessible descriptive standard.
At the State Archives, archivists general use a finding aid to describe records. A
finding aid is a descriptive guide that gives researchers and archivists a brief description
37
Hunter, 131.
The Society of American Archivists, Describing Archives: A Content Standard (Chicago: The
Society of American Archivists, 2007): xi –xv.
39
“Describing Archives: A Content Standard,” Society of American Archivists,
http://www.archivists.org/governance/standards/dacs.asp, [accessed March 10, 2011].
38
25
about the collection. “The primary purpose of all finding aids is to supply information
about archival and manuscript records in order to make them available.”40 A typical
finding aid has several different sections including an introduction, a biographical sketch
or agency history, a scope and content note, series descriptions, container listings, and an
index or item listing.41 The finding aid for the Board of Forestry has a descriptive
summary, administrative information, agency history, a scope and content note, and a
series description.42 The scope and content note is “a narrative statement summarizing the
characteristics of the described materials, the functions and activities that produced them,
and the types of information contained therein.”43 The scope and content note and the
series description highlight the most important records and the records with the highest
research value in the collection. The scope and content note gives a broad description of
the whole collection, while the series descriptions offer more detailed summaries of the
records at a series level. This gives the reference archivist and the researcher an idea of
what the collection includes. Another important function of the series description is that
it explains what each series includes and lists the boxes and folders where the series can
be found. The series description in the Board of Forestry finding aid is especially
important because it includes a description of four series that were previously processed.
The description of the previously processed series – Minutes, W.S. Rosecrans Papers,
Organization and Policy Files, and Miscellaneous Files – employ previous identification
William J. Van Shreevan, “Information Please: Finding Aids in State and Local Depositories,”
The American Archivist, Vol.3, No. 5, July 1942, 169.
41
Hunter, 136.
42
See appendix.
43
“Glossary: Scope and Content,” Society of American Archivists,
http://www2.archivists.org/glossary/terms/s/scope-and-contents-note [accessed February 20, 2011].
40
26
system used at the State Archives. These series use an “F” numbers for these records
along with the number of file folders and date range information.44
There is a basic template for the finding aids for the California State Archives and
the Board of Forestry finding aid follows that format. The agency history research
conducted prior to processing is fine tuned to form the agency history and the processing
archivist draws on notes taken during processing to write both the scope and content note
and the series descriptions. The finding aid lists the location of the records,
administrative information, an agency history and series descriptions highlighting the
notable documents or artifacts within the collection. After the processing archivist
completes the finding aid, it is sent to the processing coordinator for revisions. Once
these revisions are in place it is sent to another archivist for further editing. The finished
product is a clear and concise research aid accessible at the State Archives and through
the Archives online Minerva and the Online Archive of California.
Research Availability
The Board of Forestry records are now easily available to researchers. The file
folders are labeled with the correct record group identification numbers according to the
board’s name. Box labels are affixed to each box listing its contents. The finding aid and
catalog cards for the Board of Forestry and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
have been placed in the research room. Information about the collection is also provided
“F” numbers were the predecessor to “R” numbers at the California State Archives. Older
collections have “F” numbers and archivists can use this number to locate records in one of several internal
databases.
44
27
remotely by the inclusion of the finding aid on the Online Archive of California (OAC)
as well as in the State Archives searchable internal catalog, Minerva.
28
Chapter 3
ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIA
The environment became somewhat of a hot topic over the past few decades.
More and more people are interested in preserving the country’s natural resources, “going
green,” and reducing their carbon footprints. California is no exception to this
environmentally-conscious shift in society. The state is the leader in many different
environmental initiatives including legislation to reduce carbon emissions within
California.45 This environmental awareness trend, as with most other societal trends, has
also made its way into historical scholarship. It has been a slow process, but historians
now recognize the environment as a unique contributor to the collective narrative of the
United States.
At its heart, environmental history is the study of man’s interaction with the
environment. Environmental history is relatively new compared to others disciplines
within the field of history. Historians are really just beginning to study how man has
shaped the environment and how this interaction changed history. There is a burgeoning
historiography but it is largely topical, focusing on subjects such as mining, water, or
early conservationists. Environmental history, especially that of California, lacks a full
“Assembly Bill 32: Global Warming Solutions Act,” California Air Resources Board,
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm. In 2006, the Legislature passed and Governor
Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which set the 2020 greenhouse
gas emissions reduction goal into law. It directed the California Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) to
begin developing discrete early actions to reduce greenhouse gases while also preparing a scoping plan to
identify how best to reach the 2020 limit. The reduction measures to meet the 2020 target are to be adopted
by the start of 2011.
45
29
historiography. The records of the Board of Forestry can assist environmental historians
in closing some of the gaps in California’s environmental historiography.
From its inception the Board of Forestry advocated for sustainable forestry
techniques and later for safe and effective fire prevention throughout the state.
California’s Board of Forestry would never have come into existence if it was not
for California’s own natural landscape. California has one of the most diverse and
abundant natural environments of any of the fifty states and with that diverse
environment comes an equally diverse environmental history. The densely populated
areas sharply contrast with the agricultural landscape of the Central Valley, the desolation
of the deserts, and the timber clad coast and the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
Yet all have been transformed by human presence, first by native Californians and
more dramatically by nineteenth – and twentieth-century settlers. Only remnants
of the once-vast coastal and mountain redwood and Ponderosa forests remain.
Riparian forests of the Central Valley have almost vanished. Flocks of geese and
ducks that once blackened inland skies, and gulls and cormorants amassed along
craggy coastal outcrops, are few compared to their presettlement populations, as
are grizzly bears, mountain lions, tule elk and sea otters.46
The interaction between humans and the environment shaped California’s history,
perhaps more than any other state. California’s coastline, mountains, deserts, and rich
agricultural lands gave early Californians the opportunity to utilize the natural resources
to their benefit. One of these valuable natural resources early Californian’s took
advantage of was the dense forests and available timber. Just thirty-five years after
California became a state the Board of Forestry was established to regulate and manage
forest policy in the state. The environment played a pivotal role in California’s
46
Carolyn Merchant, ed. Green versus Gold: Sources in California’s Environmental History,
(Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1998): xv.
30
development and conservation or at least regulation of a portion of that environment was
an important value for the early government officials. California’s incredibly rich and
diverse natural environment deserves a place in the main narrative of California history,
if not American history as a whole.
Environmental history in California starts with a basic understanding of the
foundation of western history, Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis. In his 1893
essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” Turner argued that the
straightforward, moving line of the frontier helped shape American democracy. He
asserted that as Americans moved further west they abandoned their European
characteristics and a truly unique American identity and culture emerged. Turner’s
frontier thesis created an atmosphere of debate amongst historians but also exposed a new
generation of historians to the emerging field of western history. The frontier thesis is
essential to understanding the development of historiography of the west and this
historiography ultimately leads to the western most state in the contiguous United States
– California. California is the epitome of the western United States. Its dynamic and at
times controversial history provides a wealth of information for western historians. But
California is also a wealth of information and a fascinating study for environmental
historians.
Environmental history begins with an appreciation and passion for the
environment itself. Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking work Silent Spring is the perfect
example of that attitude. Published in 1962, Silent Spring was the first major work to
discuss the dangers of pesticides. Carson’s blunt discussion of the dangerous chemicals
31
used haphazardly throughout the country sparked a national debate on the use of
pesticides and the responsibility of science. “Carson’s writing initiated a transfer in the
relationship between humans and the natural world and stirred an awakening of public
environmental consciousness.”47 Carson urged the public to recognize what they were
putting into their environment and highlighted the dangers of unregulated chemicals. Her
unprecedented candor and passion for the environment inspired a generation of historians
to focus on the historical impact of man’s interaction with the environment.
Historian Roderick Nash published his own groundbreaking piece of
environmental history just five short years after Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Nash’s
Wilderness and the American Mind is as essential to the environmental historian as
Turner’s frontier thesis is to western historians. Nash “has few predecessors in American
intellectual history – the works of Hans Huth and Arthur Ekirch come to mind – but none
to equal its scope, depth, subtlety and accuracy.”48 In Wilderness Nash “emphasizes that
as urban areas developed, appreciation of wilderness developed in parallel. Attitude on
wilderness graduated from fear, to appreciation and romantic interest, to being a
recreational challenge for enduring the hardships and perils of wilderness.”49 Nash gives
an intellectual account of the evolution of American thought and behavior toward the
wilderness since the first settlement. He explains his definition of wilderness,
Vast, largely unmodified regions would be very close to absolute wilderness: the
North American continent prior to settlement serves as an example. It was
47
Rachel Carson, Introduction by Linda Lear, Silent Spring, New York: Houghton Mifflin Books,
1962, First Mariner Books Edition 2002.
48
Robin Brooks, Review, Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb. 1969): 80.
49
Fred G. Evenden, Review, The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 32, No.4, (Oct. 1968):
991.
32
immense in area, and its Indians were regarded as a form of wild or whose
savageness was consistent with the character of wild country. The New World
was also wilderness at the time of discovery because Europeans considered it
such. They recognized that the control and order their civilization imposed on the
natural world was absent and that man was an alien presence.50
Nash gives the reader an understanding of the progression of American’s thoughts and
behavior toward the wilderness. This is a key component to grasping possible attitudes to
the environment throughout California history.
The combination of Carson and Nash spurred a flurry of interest in the
environment. By this time the Board of Forestry had power in more than just name only
and was working towards sustainable forestry in California. One work that highlighted
the Board of Forestry’s contribution to California and the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) during the New Deal was Perry H. Merrill’s 1981 work Roosevelt’s Forest Army:
A History of the Civilian Conservation Corps 1933-1942. Merrill presents a
straightforward and statistic-laden picture of the CCC. Merrill calls the CCC “an
amalgamation of agencies. Recruitment was done by the Department of Labor.
Transportation, camp construction and management was done by the Army while the
Departments of Agriculture and Interior selected the camp sites, planned, designed and
supervised the work projects in cooperation with the State Departments of Forests and
Parks.”51 Merrill describes the creation of the CCC and the different aspects within the
organization such as work habits, religious tolerance and nature care, protection and
development. He furthers his study with a discussion of the CCC in each state. In
50
Roderick Nash, Wilderness and the American Mind (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1967),
7. Roderick Nash was teaching at University of California, Santa Barbara when he wrote this important
work.
51
Perry H. Merrill, Roosevelt’s Forest Army: A History of the Civilian Conservation Corps 19331942, (Vermont: Perry H. Merrill, 1981): vii.
33
Merrill’s description of the CCC camps in California he writes, “as a result of severe
forest fires, a master plan was developed cooperatively in the 1930 by the regional
forester, the California Forest Experiment Station and the State Division of Forestry to
protect California’s forest from fire and devise a plans for forest fire protection.”52
Merrill’s early mention of the Board of Forestry’s contributions presents an opportunity
for historians to continue the scholarship and discuss the merits of the Board of Forestry
and its contribution to environmental history as a whole but unfortunately, the
opportunity passed unnoticed.
Although this work is not focused on the west coast, William Cronon’s Changes
in the Land: Indians, Colonists and the Ecology of New England presents an innovation
and important new way to consider the environment and human interaction. Cronon
examines the effects of the European colonization of New England on both the
environment and Native American society. Through his interdisciplinary approach,
Cronon managed to change the way historians view New England. He persuasively
argues that the environment changes with or without human intervention and had
changed before colonization. Humans are just part of the changing environment and that
environment will continue to change even as man’s approach to the environment
changes.
Cronon continues his unprecedented approach to interpreting the environment
with his next work Nature’s Metropolis. Cronon uses Chicago as an example of man’s
manipulation of the environment to succeed. Naturally, Chicago should not exist as a
52
Merrill, 113.
34
city but through man’s intervention the city was able to pull on different resources from
the surrounding areas to build a thriving and influential city. Cronon shows the reader
just how the boundary between human and nonhuman, natural and unnatural, is
profoundly problematic.53 Both Cronon’s groundbreaking contributions to the
environmental historiography invited scholars to re-imagine the way they look at the
environment.
A changing attitude toward the environment, perhaps influenced by Cronon, is
evident in Daniel D. Chiras’s work Beyond the Fray: Reshaping America’s
Environmental Response. Here Chiras debunks conservation myths and works to educate
the reader in a more sustainable lifestyle. Roderick Nash writes in the foreword “what
Dr. Chiras advocates here is nothing less than a major change in the fundamental values
and basic philosophy of the life form most responsible for both endangering and
protecting the only home it knows. The problem in a nutshell is that humans possess
abundant power but insufficient restraint to control its use.”54 Like Cronon, Chiras argues
that the environment is constantly changing. However, he advocates for a more
conscious effort to preserve and sustain the environment we have left.
A major event in the environmental history of the United States and California is
the creation of the national parks. Richard West Sellars details the history of the National
Parks in his book, Preserving Nature in the National Parks: A History. Sellars explains
“Enjoying immense popularity, the national park system grew to include areas in the East
53
Walter Nugent, Review, The Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Feb 1992): 77.
Daniel D. Chiras, Beyond the Fray: Reshaping America’s Environmental Response, foreword
by Roderick Nash, (Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 1990): ix.
54
35
and Midwest while continuing to expand in the West, where it had begun and where the
majority of the older and more famous parks are located. Preserving remnants of the wild
landscapes of the frontier, the parks were from the beginning of a part of frontier history
and romantic western lore.”55 National Parks in California including Yosemite, Sequoia,
and Kings Canyon, were some of the first preserved areas in the country. This topical
study of one aspect of environmental history, however, is missing an important player,
the California Board of Forestry. The Board managed forest lands in the state but how
did the creation of national parks hinder or expand its jurisdiction? The fight for
preservation and the history of the creation of the national parks, especially those in
California, is an important part of the environmental history of the state but the Board of
Forestry is an integral component to much of that history.
Green versus Gold: Sources in California’s Environmental History edited by
Carolyn Merchant is one of the most complete source guides to California environmental
history. Merchant conveniently organized her sources by topic and even briefly
mentioned the Board of Forestry and its importance. Each of the thirteen sections uses
primary source documents and essays to give the reader a sense of the available
scholarship on the topic. The documents she includes range from an excerpt from “A
Traveler Reports on Gold Country” to the “California Environmental Quality Act, 1973.”
Merchant’s small but notable mention of the Board of Forestry is in the section entitled
“The Rise of Environmental Science,” the document “A Conservationist Explains How
55
Richard West Sellars, Preserving Nature in the National Parks: A History, (New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1997): 1.
36
State Forestry Matured, 1985,” acknowledges that “California was one of the first states
to recognize a need for state policies on forests and forestry. The state Board of Forestry,
established in 1885, accomplished much for those times in the way of investigations,
surveys, nursery operations, and publications.”56 This book is a valuable starting point in
researching environmental history. Merchant tries to give each topic equal time but she
is only able to scratch the surface of the vast resources available on the environmental
history of California.
Environmental historians also need to understand Gifford Pinchot and his
influence to understand environmental history. Char Miller’s Gifford Pinchot and the
Making of Modern Environmentalism “is easily the best biography we have ever had of
this major figure in American environmental politics. It does not attempt to make
Pinchot into a significant intellectual, which he was not, but he does effectively show
how the old forester reflected changes going on in the nation’s perception of its land and
resources and how those changes were connected to social politics.”57 Miller provides an
in-depth look into the sometimes controversial figure of Gifford Pinchot, who advocated
for conservation of the country’s national resources.
Mining California: An Ecological History by Andrew C. Isenberg is the most
recent and complete work dealing exclusively with the ecological impact of
environmentally dependent industries on California. Isenberg explores “some of the
T.F. Arvola, “A Conservationist Explains How State Forestry Matured, 1985,” in Green Versus
Gold: Sources in California’s Environmental History, ed. Carolyn Merchant (Washington D.C.: Island
Press, 1998): 399.
57
Donald Worster, Untitled Review of Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern
Environmentalism, Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Winter, 2002): 492.
56
37
industries and other economic activities that were indigenous to California: hydraulic
placer mining in the Sierra foothills, logging in the redwood forests, city-building in the
Sacramento Valley, and large-scale ranching in the extreme southern and northeastern
corners of the state.”58 Isenberg also includes a discussion, albeit brief, on the Board of
Forestry. He explains that “long before the founding of Yellowstone and Yosemite
national parks, Californians imagined the wilderness as an antidote to urban, industrial
society….By the middle of the 1880’s, the California State Board of Forestry had
undertaken both to urge the timber industry to conserve forest resources, and to preserve
scenic groves.”59 He goes on to list some of the board’s early accomplishments.
One of the Board’s first acts following its creating in 1885 was to call on the
California naturalist John Muir to petition Congress to create a national park in
the Sierra to protect the Sequoias….The agency also addressed itself to forest
conservation. In 1886, it implored timber companies to avoid logging in the
Sierra, where the forests reduced runoff into rivers, prevented floods, and
mitigated ‘violent winds and extremes of temperature humidity.’…In 1887, the
board proposed the system later adopted by the United States Forest Service in the
national forests: ‘all of the Timberland in the State should be withdrawn from sale
or entry and the lumber interest provided for by the European system of the sale
of the timber alone, leaving the title to the land in the Gov. with the responsibility
of establishing a new growth as fast as the timber is cut.’60
He admits the limited focus of his work but does point out that western history as a whole
has largely passed by any mention of the natural environment. “Isenberg brilliantly
demonstrates the economic ‘domino effect’ of the Gold Rush, which spurred associated
58
Andrew C. Isenberg, Mining California: An Ecological History, (New York: Hill and Wang,
2005): 15.
59
Isenberg, 173.
Isenberg, 173-174. Isenberg used minutes from the California State Board of Forestry,
December 1, 1885; May 22, 1886, July 1, 1887; July 18, 1887; July 19, 1887; July 20, 1887; July 21, 1887.
The records he used are part of the Board of Forestry records at the California State Archives. These
records were previously processed, however but they are described in the finding aid found in Appendix A.
60
38
activities like logging and urban settlement.”61 The exploitation of California’s natural
resources and the resulting industrialization demonstrated America’s own move toward
industrialization and modernization.
California’s unique and vast landscape drew naturalists, scientists and avid
conservationists alike. Monographs illustrating the influence of these early
environmentalists are important secondary sources when trying to understand the
environmental history of California. Early naturalists are the subject of Richard G.
Beidleman’s California’s Frontier Naturalists. In this book the author “provides a lively
account of a century of California explorations, beginning with La Pérouse in 1789 and
concluding with an 1890–1891 expedition to Death Valley promoted by C. Hart
Merriam.”62 His rich biographical information and obscure detail make this an important
reference work. It helps the reader develop an understanding of the people who first
explored and then advocated for California’s environment to take the forefront of public
policy.
A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir by Donald Worster is a book that
“environmental historians, in particular, ought to keep on their shelves.”63 Worster’s
biography gives the reader an in depth portrait of Muir, focusing on “an imposing tangle
of factors: the physical nature he encountered, the passions he felt, the people he met, and
61
Jessica B. Teisch, Review, Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Nov 2006): 677.
Thomas Frederick Howard, “Review of Moore, King of the 40th Parallel: Discovery in the
American West and Beidleman, California's Frontier Naturalists,” Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 76, No.3
(August 2007): 476.
63
Thomas R. Dunlap, Untitled Review of A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir, Pacific
Historical Review, Vol. 78, No. 4 (November 2009):643.
62
39
the ideas he encountered along the way.”64 He describes Muir’s dream of “joining the
ranks of those scientists in this great new era of landscape investigation,”65 and his
colossal influence in the Yosemite Valley. “It hews to equally classic academic lines,
resting on archival sources ranging from the town clerk’s minutes books in Dunbar,
Scotland, to Muir’s papers, but it rescues Muir from the conservation hagiography that
showed only the awestruck apostle of mountain glories.”66 Worster’s well rounded
portrayal of John Muir is an essential piece of the puzzle of California’s environmental
history.
The historiography of California’s environment is comparatively new and
admittedly incomplete. There are several gaps of information and the records of the
Board of Forestry can help provide some of that missing information. The board has been
a major player in environmental politics in California but readers are hard pressed to find
any mention of it in the scholarship.
Most of the environmental historiography about California omits any mention of
the Board of Forestry. The Board of Forestry is one of the oldest governing
environmental bodies in not only California but also the United States. Its history
parallels the development of the state parks and the move towards modern
environmentalism. The records in the collection even illustrate how certain
environmental groups, logging associations or the general public was at odds with the
board at different times.
64
Donald Worster, A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir, (New York: Oxford University
Press, 2008): 11.
65
Worster, 191.
66
Dunlap, 642.
40
Historians can use the Board of Forestry records as a key resource to
understanding forest policy, fire protection, the logging industry, and other similar topics.
The meeting agendas outline the topics discussed at each monthly board meeting. A
researcher should start here to determine whether or not the forestry topic he or she is
researching might be discussed further in a board meeting monthly binder file. In the
board meeting monthly binders files there are newspaper articles, meeting notes, and
policy changes that researchers can use to support their assertions about the influence of
the Board of Forestry.
Andrew C. Isenberg’s book Mining California: An Ecological History is a perfect
example of the use of primary sources from the Board of Forestry records housed at the
California State Archives. He brings the reader on a journey through the ecological
history of the mining industry in California and uses sources like the meeting minutes
from the early Board of Forestry meetings to support his claims. The primary sources in
the Board of Forestry records give researchers the information and credibility they need
to argue their theses about the development of the Board of Forestry and forest policy in
the California.
The environmental history of California is not just the history of the landscape or
natural or geologic changes in the environment. It is a study of these changes but also
how civilization interacts with the environment. Some questions environmental historians
studying California can ask are how did the unique environment of California contribute
to the development of industry and commerce? What affect did the environment have on
the population of California or the development of cities within the state? How did the
41
Board of Forestry contribute to the early forest preservation movement in California?
And did the Board of Forestry help or hurt the mission of the environmentalists?
The records of the Board of Forestry at the California State Archives will assist
historians in answering these questions and others. As historians become more interested
in environmental history questions such as these will move to the forefront of historical
research. Environmental history will become more popular within the field of history.
The scarcity of natural resources, renewable energy, alternative fuels and green
technologies are on the minds of Americans and do not show any signs of going away
any time soon.
42
Chapter 4
CONCLUSION
When a processing archivist is first assigned a collection, the project can seem
overwhelming. The documents maybe unorganized and the arrangement can be unclear.
The tasks outlined on the processing checklist seem never-ending. It is important to
focus and move methodically through the tasks in the appropriate order. Following the
steps, consulting the processing manual and checking with archivists as the process
unfolds can make the daunting task seem less intimidating.
Processing is one of the most important duties of an archivist. It is routine and
can be very mundane but without processing a collection could remain hidden away from
the public for years. A clearly organized and efficiently described collection is one of the
most useful tools for researchers. In his manual Describing and Maintaining Practical
Archives, Gregory S. Hunter argues that “the archival mission has three elements: to
identify records and papers of enduring value, the preserve them, to make them available
to patrons….Description is the bridge between preserving records and making them
available; it is the opportunity for the archivist to record what is known about the
collection and its arrangement in a way that will facilitate access by researchers.”67
Processing provides the accessibility and clarity of information that is a necessity for any
archives.
67
Hunter, 5-6.
43
Processed records like those of the Board of Forestry are vital to understanding
the environmental history of California. State agency records are an underutilized source
at the California State Archives that can provide historians with a picture of the policy
and decision making side of environmental policy within the state. Historians should use
the Board of Forestry records as they would any other primary source. The documents in
the meeting files, committee files or rulemaking files can be used as supporting evidence
for historian’s claims. The meeting minutes or rules are easily quoted to explain a policy
enacted by the board. The photographs and publications in the collection illustrate
California forest policy in action. The entire collection is rich with unpublished
information just waiting to be utilized.
Archival work is challenging yet rewarding. Archivists face the daunting task of
determining which records are worthy of archival preservation. Archivists must also
confront the challenge of an almost infinite amount of records and a very finite amount of
space and the most pressing issue of the moment, the preservation and access to digital
records. The public might not realize the amount of work that goes into preserving
documents for generations to come.
There are hundreds of thousands of primary source documents and artifacts
housed in archives across the country available to the public for unique and important
research. The records from the Board of Forestry are just one small example of what is
available at the California State Archives. Archivists work to make sure records like
these are preserved and easily accessible so researchers can use primary source
44
documents to their full potential and hopefully one day place the Board of Forestry into
the narrative of the environmental history of California
45
APPENDICES
46
APPENDIX A
Sample Processing Checklist
47
Processing Checklist
Date
Completed
1. [ ] Pull accessioning worksheets/transfer sheets from master set
2. [ ] Research history and functions of records creator
3. [ ] Pull records from stacks – notify all staff about project & location
& stamp accession sheets in the research room binders
4. [ ] Conduct preliminary review of records and identify units of
records (sub-groups, series)
5. [ ] Create a processing plan (Processing Plan worksheet is available on
the shared file) and hold processing plan meeting with program coordinator
6. [ ] Arrange records into appropriate units
7. [ ] Complete draft separation sheets
8. [ ] Complete conservation work orders
9. [ ] Complete folder labels then box labels
10. [ ] Complete typed, final separation sheets
11. [ ] Complete draft of finding aid - discuss with program coordinator
12. [ ] Complete finding aid & email to program coordinator
13. [ ] Complete catalog cards and add to card catalog
14. [ ] Transfer records to D shelf locations
(add the D shelf location to the LP list on D floor)
15. [ ] Email the processing coordinator the new D-floor locations
16. [ ] Notify all staff about new location
48
17. [ ] Return original accessioning sheets to program coordinator &
remove stamped accession sheets from research room binders
18. [ ] Complete Sostomcat records
19. [ ] Encode inventory for OAC
49
APPENDIX B
Sample Processing Plan Worksheet
50
Processing Plan Worksheet
Record Group/Collection Name:
Predecessor Names:
Accession Numbers:
Total Volume:
Organization:
Types of Materials:
Primary Subjects:
Physical Condition
Restrictions:
.
Record Units:
Dates:
51
APPENDIX C
Sample Separation Sheet
52
California State Archives
Separation Sheet
ID No.
Dates of Records:
Agency/Source:
Record Title:
Old Location:
New Location:
Record Description
Comments
Date Separated:
CSA-19 (1/2002)
Separated by:
53
APPENDIX D
Sample Catalog Cards
54
BOARD OF FORESTRY
LOCATION
D04464 –
D04482
DESCRIPTION
Meeting Files, Chronological
Correspondence, Rulemaking Files,
Committee Files, Meeting Agendas,
Board Meeting Monthly Binders,
Premail Files, District Technical
Advisory Files, Mass Mailings,
Publication Notice Files
DATE
1919-2002
See master finding aid for more
description.
BOARD OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION
LOCATION
D04472 –
D04482
DESCRIPTION
Meeting Agendas, Board Meeting
Monthly Binders, Premail Files, Mass
Mailings
See master finding aid for more
description.
DATE
1998-2004
55
APPENDIX E
Sample Finding Aid
56
Inventory of the Records of the Board of
Forestry
1919 - 2004
Including the records of the
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, 1999-2004
California State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
Contact Information:
California State Archives
1020 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
FAX: (916) 653-7363
E-mail: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
Processed by:
Meghan Kane
And Archives Staff
Inventory prepared by:
Meghan Kane
Date Completed:
January 2011
 2011 California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
57
Descriptive Summary
Title
Inventory of the Records of the Board of Forestry
Collection Numbers
R161
R162
F3849
Creator
State Board of Forestry
State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
Extent
53 ½ cubic feet
Repository
California State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
58
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
For permission to reproduce or publish, please consult California State Archives staff.
Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State
Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, as the owner of the physical
items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise
from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives’
collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Board of Forestry Records, [Record Group Number].[series
number], [Box number], folder [number], California State Archives, Office of the
Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Restrictions
None.
59
Agency History
A State Board of Forestry was first created in 1885 (chapter 11) consisting of three
persons appointed to four-year terms by the Governor. The Board was authorized to
collect and disseminate statistics in regard to forestry and tree culture, to make
investigations, enforce and carry out national and state forestry laws, and other
responsibilities. The first Board was legislated out of existence in 1893 (chapter 187) and
its property turned over to the Agricultural Department of the University of California.
Maintenance of established forestry experimental stations was also transferred to the
University’s Agricultural Department.
A new State Board of Forestry was created in 1905 (chapter 264) consisting of the
Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and State Forester, to supervise all
matters of state forest policy and management. The office of the State Forester, created
by the same act, was to serve as Executive Officer of the board. In 1919 the membership
of the board was changed to five persons, the State Forester and four others with specific
qualifications in the areas of timber, livestock, grain and hay industries, and one at large
(chapter 544).
With the creation of a Department of Natural Resources, the State Board of Forestry
became the policy making body for the division (Statutes 1927, Chapter 128). Each
member represented one of the following industries: pine-producing, redwood producing,
forest land ownership, range livestock, agriculture and water, and one member from the
general public at large (Statutes 1945, Chapter 316). The State Board nominated the
State Forester, who was appointed by the director as Chief of the Division of Forestry.
On January 1, 1998 the Board of Forestry became the Board of Forestry and
Fire Protection through an amendment to the Public Resources Code. Chapter 2.5,
Article 2, Statute 730 states “on and after January 1, 1998, wherever any reference is
made in any law to the State Board of Forestry in the department, the reference shall be
deemed to be a reference to, and to mean, the State Board of Forestry and Fire
Protection.”
The board remained responsible for developing the general forest policy for the state,
aiding in the development of the guiding policies of the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection and for representing the state’s interest in federal forestland in California.
In its current manifestation, all members of the board are appointed by the Governor
based on their professional and educational qualifications and general interest in
problems relating to watershed management, forest management, fish and wildlife, range
improvement, forest economics, and/or land use policy. The Board's mission is to lead
California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in
60
environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and
rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.
61
Scope and Content
The records of the Board of Forestry cover the majority of the twentieth century, with the
bulk of the material concentrated in the period from the late 1970s through the 1990s.
The Board of Forestry records illustrate the changes in the forestry industry over time,
timber policy, fire prevention, pest and disease prevention and logging areas.
The first and largest series, Meeting Files, begins in 1919. These files contain some of
the earliest Board of Forestry meeting agendas, board information, policies and rosters.
The Meeting Files relate to the monthly board meetings from August 1919 to November
1989. The most complete files are those in the 1970s and 1980s. Most of the meeting
files from 1973 onward contain a discussion of the Forest Practice Act. This act, passed
in 1973, gave the Board of Forestry the authority to regulate logging on privately owned
land in the state and the ability to enforce forest protection policies. The Forest Practice
Act formed the basis for the board’s policy decisions. In the late 1980s, specifically
1987, the Board of Forestry spends several board meetings discussing different tree
diseases and pest infestations.
The Board Meeting Monthly Binders series span from January 1993 to May 2002 and
contain articles, statements, agendas and correspondence relating to the monthly board
meetings. There are several articles about forest fires throughout California and the
growing problem of marijuana cultivation in the north coast of the state.
Throughout the Board of Forestry records there is information specific to Lake Tahoe
including fire prevention, bark beetle infestation, and efforts to preserve the area. There
is also information in several different series specific to logging in Mendocino and
Humboldt counties.
The Board of Forestry became the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection on January 1,
1998 through an amendment to the Public Resources Code. All the records created when
the board was known as the Board of Forestry have an R161 number while the records
created after the January 1, 1998 name change have an R162 number. Some series, like
the premail files series, have two different R numbers.
62
RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF FORESTRY
1. Minutes. 1885-1892, 1931, 1944-1957, 1960. 1 volume and 18 file folders.
F3849:1-18, 1690.
Arranged chronologically.
Minutes (original and transcript) of original Board of Forestry, April 1, 1885-December
10, 1892. Included in the back cover of the volume is a newspaper clipping, press
release, and photograph of the original minute book being turned over to the State
Archives after it was found in a cabin near Mokelumne Hill in 1968.
Minutes of the December 17, 1931 meeting deal with a report of the California Labor
Camp Committee and the progress and activities of the labor camps to date. The minutes
detail camp regulations, list status of camps in operation, and other information of camp
organization and procedures.
Minutes from 1944-1957 are more uniform in content. Minutes include resolutions,
reports, correspondence, and other attachments pertinent to the minutes of a specific
meeting. Filed with the minutes for 1945 is a report of a Special Committee on
Resolutions regarding resolutions passed by former boards from 1920-1943. The
resolutions are included as an index to Board of Forestry minutes, 1920-1943.
Also present are the minutes of the regular meeting and 75th Anniversary
Commemorative Extraordinary Session held on September 30, 1960, at the California
Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. They include a meeting program, letters of
acceptance or decline, minutes, and proceedings.
2. W.S. Rosecrans Papers. 1944-1958, 1963. 53 file folders and 3 volumes.
F3849:19-65, 1693-1701.
Arranged chronologically and alphabetically by subject.
W.S. Rosecrans was first appointed to the Board of Forestry on January 10, 1944, as
Chairman and continued in that office until his resignation in February 1957. The files
include letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, reports, minutes, and other
records relating to Board meetings and agenda items. Subject matter in this series
includes correspondence with and recommendations to Governor Earl Warren on
appointments to the Board made in January 1944; recommending the appointment of
DeWitt Nelson as Deputy State Forester; legislative proposals; invitations to attend
various functions; development of a comprehensive forest practices policy (1944-1945);
proposed reorganization of Division of Forestry (1944); county cooperative fire
agreements and policies; allocation of Clarke-McNary funds; recommendations,
63
appointments, and first meeting (November 9, 1945) of District Forest Practices
Committee as established under the Forest Practices Act (Statutes 1945, chapter 85);
legislation and hearings regarding establishment of Forest Practices Act; proposed forest
acquisition policy (1946); control burning; adoption of rules for forest districts; The
Forest Situation in California, report to the Legislature by the Forestry Study Committee
(Statutes 1943, chapter 1086), May 1945; Fire Prevention Committee minutes (July 18,
1947, November 18, 1947); proposed purchase of Caspar Lumber Company, Boggs
Mountain Track, Lake County, and Jackson State Forest lands for a state forest (19461947); brushland and range management policies; Range Advisory Committee
(November 17, 1949); federal control of private forest lands, Forest Purchase Committee
(February 11, 1949); forest taxation; conservation education; Range Improvement
Advisory Committee meetings; brush burning; Conservation Association of Southern
California; deforestation and soil erosion in Spain; and resignation from the Board.
This series also includes subject files on: Attorney General Opinions regarding Board
requests, actions, legislation and miscellaneous memoranda concerning litigation in
which the Board is a party, 1955-1957 (2FF); Caspar Lumber Company - appraisal
reports and other documents, indexed, on lands to be accepted for State Forest purposes,
1946-1947 (1FF); Forestry Study Committee, California (Statutes 1943, chapter 1086) minutes, statements before hearings, correspondence, proposed legislation, background
information, outline of proposed report regarding survey of forests in California and their
use, preservation, and management, 1944 (2FF); Jackson State Forest - negotiations and
drafts of exchange of Right of Way between Union Lumber Company and State Division
of Forestry, 1953 (2FF); Legislature - statements, reports and background information
presented before joint hearings of Senate Interim Public Lands, Assembly Agriculture
Subcommittee on Forestry and Range, and State Board of Forestry on forestry
management problems, programs, and progress, November 6-8, 1952 (1FF); MidCentury Conference on Resources for the Future (Washington, D.C.) - miscellaneous
correspondence, press releases regarding conference organization, 1953-1954 (1FF),
Task VIII, Timber Resource Review of Productivity of cut over timber lands, program
coordinated by U.S. Forest Service, 1954 (1 volume); and 1956 Fire Plan and Fire
Control Manual (2 volumes).
3. Organization and Policy Files. 1944-1945, 1967. 2 file folders. F3849:17021703.
Arranged chronologically.
Synopsis of resolutions made by the Board from 1920-1943, an explanation of the
Board’s powers, and the findings of the Policy Review Task Force comprised of CDF
employees. The Task Force studied the Board’s policies along with recommendations by
the Task Force.
64
4. Miscellaneous Files. 1887-1889, 1893-1930, 1964-1965. 2 file folders. F3849:66,
1704.
Miscellaneous pamphlets, appointments, articles and correspondence concerning the
Board of Forestry. Included are an 1889 appointment made to the Board by Governor
Robert Waterman and a reprint of an article titled “The California State Board of
Forestry, 1893-1930”, Southern California Quarterly (September 1965), with “A Letter
to the Editor,” by C. Raymond Clar (March 1966).
5. Meeting Files. August 1919-November 1989. 516 file folders. R161.1. Box 1,
folder 1 – Box 29, folder 18.
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
Meeting Files include meeting agendas and announcements, some meeting minutes and
transcripts, articles and information about issues discussed at the monthly meetings.
Topics addressed in these meeting files include logging practices, pest information and
policy decisions, fire prevention techniques, timber harvesting plans and forester
licensing.
6. Chronological Correspondence. January 1976 – December 1989. 98 file folders.
R161.2. Box 25, folder 13 – Box 29, folder 18.
Arranged chronologically by month.
Series includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence of the Board of Forestry. It
includes constituent correspondence, professional correspondence, and letters of support
or opposition to certain Board of Forestry policies. There is correspondence to and from
environmental groups, timber organizations, loggers and registered professional foresters.
The majority of the constituent correspondence is from residents in the northern counties
of the state who were opposed to logging in certain areas.
7. Rulemaking Files. 1975 – 1986. 67 file folders. R161.3. Box 29, folder 19 – Box 31,
folder 10.
Arranged alphabetically by topic.
This series contains information about various rule changes the Board of Forestry made
from 1975 – 1986. Topics included are administrative regulations, fire protection, logging
practices, organization and operation and silvicultural systems. The most complete
information available is about water quality control and Section 208 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, that requires area waste treatment management plans be prepared
65
for area of each state designated by its Governor which have substantial water quality
control problems.
8. Committee Files. 1939, 1958 – 1975. 9 file folders. R161.4. Box 31, folders 11-19.
Arranged alphabetically by name of committee.
Files contain documents relating to the function of several committees within the Board
of Forestry. The committees in this series are the Advisory Committee on Forest
Research, the Alternate Plan Research Task Force, the Editorial Committee, the Forest
Practice Act Emergency Regulations Committee, the Forest Practice and Environmental
Protection Committee, Forester Licensing Committee and the Organization and Policy
Committee.
9. Meeting Agendas. 1984 – 1998. 8 file folders. R161.5. Box 31, folder 20 – Box 32,
folder 3.
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
Files contain meeting agendas for the Board of Forestry’s monthly board meetings. Each
agenda outlines the topics for the monthly board meetings including timber harvesting
plans, pest control, tree diseases and fire prevention. This series is continued under the
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Records as series identification number R162.1.
10. Board Meeting Monthly Binders. January 1993 – November 1997. 157 file
folders. R161.6. Box 32, folder 7 – Box 39, folder 17.
Arranged chronologically by month.
Series includes meeting agendas, newspaper articles, publications, memoranda and
correspondence pertaining to the monthly Board of Forestry meetings. However, there
are no records for the months November 1995 to August 1996. There are very few files
for December of any year. This series is continued under the Board of Forestry and Fire
Protection Records as series identification number R162.2.
11. Premail Files. April 1995 – November 1997. 62 file folders. R161.7. Box 46,
folder 17 – Box 49, folder 13.
Arranged chronologically by month
Premail files consist of articles and announcements sent out prior the Board of Forestry’s
monthly board meetings. The information covers topics such as logging practices, timber
harvesting and fire prevention. There are several articles about fires throughout
66
California. The topics included in the premail were discussed at the following month’s
board meeting. This series is continued under the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
Records as series identification number R162.3.
12. District Technical Advisory Committee Files. 1991 – 1992. 4 file folders. R161.8.
Box 53, folder 1-4.
Arranged alphabetically by name of regional committee.
The District Technical Advisory Committee (DTAC) was composed of scientists and
agency representatives that oversaw the literature review of scientific articles related to
forest management effects on anadromous salmonids (salmon). There are regional
subcommittees of DTAC and the files are organized accordingly. The subcommittees
include the Coast Technical Advisory Committee, the Northern Technical Advisory
Committee, and the Southern Technical Advisory Committee.
13. Mass Mailings. July 1997 – December 1997. 2 file folders. R161.9. Box 53,
folders 5-6.
Arranged chronologically.
The mass mailings include articles, meeting information, agendas, and policy updates
sent out by the Board of Forestry to interested parties prior to Board meetings. These
files also contain articles on the logging and timber harvesting practices in California,
service orders, and meeting announcements. This series is continued under the Board of
Forestry and Fire Protection Records as series identification number R162.4.
14. Publication Notice Files. September 1997 – February 2002. 3 file folders.
R161.10. Box 54, folders 4-6.
Arranged chronologically.
Files contain copies of notices published in local newspapers to notify residents of
proposed changes to the Board of Forestry’s rules and practices. There are also notices
giving the required 45-day notice for policy changes and hearings to be conducted by the
Board of Forestry. These notices were submitted to the Daily Journal Corporation and
published in the (Sacramento) Daily Recorder, the (Los Angeles) Daily Commerce,
Marin County Recorder, Orange County Recorder, Riverside Business Journal, San
Diego Commerce, San Francisco Daily Journal, San Jose Post-Record, Sonoma County
Herald-Recorder, the Los Angeles Daily Journal and the (Oakland) Inter-City Express.
67
RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION
1. Meeting Agendas. January 1998-June 2004. 3 file folders. R162.1. Box 32, folders
4-6.
Arranged chronologically.
Files contain meeting agendas from the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s monthly
board meetings. Each agenda outlines the topics for the monthly board meetings
including timber harvesting plans, pest control, tree diseases and fire prevention. These
records continued the series R161.5 (Meeting Agendas) of the Board of Forestry.
2. Board Meeting Monthly Binders. January 1999 – May 2002. 146 file folders.
R162.2. Box 39, folder 18 – Box 46, folder 16.
Arranged chronologically by month.
This series includes meeting agendas, newspaper articles, publications, memos and
correspondence relating to the monthly Board of Forestry and Fire Protection meetings.
There are several articles detailing forest fires throughout California and the state’s
response. In the file for the June 1999 board meeting monthly binder there is a separation
sheet. This series is a continuation of the Board Meeting Monthly Binders (series R
161.6) within the records of the Board of Forestry.
3. Premail Files. January 1998 – December 2002. 81 file folders. R162.3. Box 49,
folder 14 – Box 52, folder 22.
Arranged chronologically by year.
Premail files consist of articles and announcements sent out before the Board of Forestry
and Fire Protection’s monthly board meetings. The information covers topics such as
logging practices, timber harvesting and fire prevention. There are several articles about
fires throughout California. The topics included in the premail were discussed at the
following month’s board meeting. This series is a continuation of the Premail Files
(series R161.7) within the records of the Board of Forestry.
4. Mass Mailings. January 1998 – December 2006. 19 file folders. R162.4. Box 53,
folder 7 – Box 54, folder 3.
Arranged chronologically.
The mass mailings include articles, meeting information, agendas and policy updates sent
out by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to interested parties. These files also
68
contain articles on the logging and timber harvesting practices in California, service
orders and meeting announcements. These mass mailings were sent out to members of
the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and its constituents.
69
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arvola, T.F. “California State Forests, The Formative Years: 1945 – 1975.” Department
of Forestry, 1983.
Beidleman, Richard G. California’s Frontier Naturalists. Berkeley: University of
California Press, 2006.
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Board Organization.” Board of Forestry and Fire
Protection. http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/about_the_board/board_organization/
[accessed February 22, 2011].
Brooks, Robin. Review. Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb 1969) p. 80-81.
California Air Resources Board. “Assembly Bill 32: Global Warming Solutions Act.”
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm [accessed December 15, 2010].
California Blue Book or State Roster, 1909.
California Blue Book, 1936.
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