COLLECTION FINDING AID



GEORGE HUMPHREYS FILES, 1975-77

Associate Director for Environment
Domestic Council




SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Materials concerning the development of Ford administration environmental policies in such areas as pollution, ocean policy, effects of energy policy on the environment, wildlife, parks and recreation, and control of coyote attacks on sheep.

QUANTITY
11.6 linear feet (ca. 23,200 pages)

DONOR
Gerald R. Ford (accession number 77-28)

ACCESS
Open. Some items are temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).

COPYRIGHT
Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.

Prepared by Christine Ferretti, ca. 1980
[s:\bin\findaid\humphreyes, george - files.doc]


INTRODUCTION

George Humphreys joined the Domestic Council as associate director for environment in August 1975 and served in that post until the end of the Ford administration. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Humphreys held posts as Assistant Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and President and Director of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation before his appointment to the Domestic Council.

The position of Associate Director for Environment was created in a reorganization of the Domestic Council in May 1975. Before the reorganization, overall responsibility for environmental affairs was held by Michael Raoul-Duval, Associate Director for Natural Resources. Assistant Directors Norman E. Ross and Glenn R. Schleede worked with Duval. Their areas of concern included environment, energy, transportation, and agriculture and covered such issues as strip mining, automobile emissions, Corps of Engineers projects, oceans policy, the Alaska pipeline, water resources, and air quality. Many of the active issues had a close association with energy problems. In the course of the reorganization, Duval became associate director for energy and transportation with his environmental responsibilities assigned to Douglas Costle who served very briefly as Associate Director for Environment in May and June. Glenn Schleede's duties were made more specific with regard to energy (particularly nuclear energy) and scientific issues. Norman Ross, who had handled many of the environmental issues under Duval, resigned from the Domestic Council in June. When he left, Ross turned his files over to Tod Hullin, Associate Director for Housing and Community Affairs, but there is no evidence that Hullin pursued any environmental issues. In fact for a brief period in July and August, no one seems to have been actively involved in environmental affairs.

Humphreys worked principally with the Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Council on Environmental Quality, Commerce Department, and Agriculture Department to acquire information for formulation of policy, interdepartmental task forces, legislation, messages to Congress, and programs of interest to the public, states, and local governments. He drafted statements and questions and answers for the President, prepared decision and information memoranda for the President and other Domestic Council staff, and responded to letters and inquiries from the public. Humphreys continued to monitor many of the environmental issues that were of concern to Duval and Ross.

His papers reflect a particular concern with pollution and include files on beverage containers, radioactive waste management, the clean air act, sewage and waste water treatment plants, PBB's, PCB's, and toxic substances. Ocean policy was also an issue of concern as evidenced by files on the Law of the Sea Conference, the tuna/porpoise situation, the 200 mile limit fishing boundary, outer continental shelf leasing policy, and a large file on ocean policy. Humphreys also dealt with problems concerning the effect of energy policy on the environment, i.e. the Alaska pipeline, strip mining, and the Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire.

In addition to these problems which were also of concern of Duval and Ross, Humphreys seems to have devoted considerable time to issues concerning wildlife, parks and recreation, and land use. There is extensive material on the issue of predator control, including proposals to amend or cancel President Nixon's executive order banning the use of poisons against coyotes, and on Alaskan wolves, polar bears, fur seals, and the Wild Horses Organized Assistance. Numerous files on such topics as wilderness proposals, national parks proposals, national parks mining, land use, coal leasing program, and grazing fees illustrate some of the issues. Other files are on existing or proposed parks such as Redwood National Park, Hells Canyon Recreation Area, and the Indiana Dunes.

The files include background information, reports, studies, issue and option papers, suggested regulations and legislation, executive orders, environmental impact statements, drafts of presidential speeches, questions and answers on environmental issues, and correspondence from interested private concerns as well as departments and agencies within the government. Some of the materials date to the Nixon Administration.

Related Materials (1980)
Related materials may be found in the Domestic Council files of Michael Raoul-Duval, Norman E. Ross, and Glenn R. Schleede.


SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Commerce Department Subject File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 1-2, 0.8 linear feet)
Correspondence, speeches, reports, memoranda, briefing papers, and decision papers on topics of concern to the Commerce Department. These include, in particular, matters relating to ocean policy and climate control. Tuna/Porpoise fishing, the 200 mile fishing limit, law of the sea conference, climate change hearing, and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration are among the topics. Related material on oceans policy is located in the General Subject File. Related material on climate control is located in the Domestic Council Subject File.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Council on Environmental Quality Subject File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 3-5, 0.8 linear feet)
Drafts of sections of the annual reports for 1975 and 1976, legislative reports, and miscellaneous correspondence.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Domestic Council Subject File, 1975-1977.  (Boxes 5-7, 0.8 linear feet)
Correspondence, reports, memoranda, briefing papers, and decision papers concerning Domestic Council committees and programs. The material includes some Domestic Council administrative matters but there are also files on various policy committees such as the climate change subcommittee, the environmental resource committee, the mineral and material policy subcommittee, and the recreation subcommittee. There is also extensive material on a domestic policy review. Related material on climate change is located in the Commerce Department Subject File and on mining and recreation in the Interior Department Subject File.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Environmental Protection Agency Subject File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 7-11, 2.0 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, briefing papers, information papers, proposals and legal documents on issues of concern to the Environmental Protection Agency. The majority of topics relate to air and water pollution and include large files on the Clean Air Act Amendments and beverage containers as well as files on water treatment plants, chemical pollutants such as PBB's and PCB's, and strip mining.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Interior Department Subject File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 11-17, 2.2 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, briefing papers, proposals, and background information on Interior Department issues. The major topics are the uses made of public lands, especially mining and grazing, and the establishment of parks and recreation areas.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Predator Control Subject File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 17-19, 1.0 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, executive orders, briefing papers on proposals to amend or cancel President Nixon's executive order banning the use of poison to kill coyotes and other predators on public lands.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

General Subject File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 19-25, 2.4 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, briefing papers, proposals, and background information on various energy, environment and wildlife issues. Among the larger files are those on the Army Corps of Engineers, blackbirds and starlings, the Mineral Leasing Act of 1973, oceans policy, the Seabrook Power Plant, and toxic substances.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Presidential Events File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 25-26, 0.4 linear feet)
Presidential initiative papers, correspondence for scheduling, speech suggestions, and prepared questions and answers on state, local, and national issues.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

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Chronological File, 1975-77.  (Boxes 27-28, 0.5 linear feet)
Copies of correspondence to and from members of agencies and departments, private organizations, the public, state and local governments; weekly reports; questions and answers for the President; and news clippings relevant to environment and natural resources.

Arranged chronologically.

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Printed Materials File, 1971-1976. (Boxes 28-29, 0.7 linear feet)
Books, annual reports, newsletters, drafts of reports, photographs, hearings, briefing books and papers, and publications on research, statistical information and laws relating to environment and natural resources. Topics include predator control, weather modification, air and water pollution, mining and minerals, land use and ocean policy. Some books and publications, including an almost complete run of "Environmental Reporter - Current Developments" may 1, 1971 through January 7, 1977, have been removed to the book collection. A list is included at the end of the folder title list.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series


CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - Commerce Department Subject File

  • Climate Change Hearings (1)-(4)
  • Coastal Zone Management Amendments Act of 1975
  • Hunting and Fishing Day
  • Law of the Sea Conference
  • Monitor, Inc.
  • National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Polar Bears
  • Speeches by Vincent P. Barabba (1)-(2)

Box 2 - Commerce Department Subject File

  • Tuna/Porpoise Fishing Report
  • Tuna/Porpoise Situation (1)-(4)
  • 200 Mile Limit Fishing Boundaries (1)-(2)

Box 3 - Council on Environmental Quality Subject File

  • Annual Report of the Council on Environmental Quality
    - 1975 (1)-(7)

Box 4 - Council on Environmental Quality Subject File

  • Annual Report of the Council on Environmental Quality
    - 1975 (8)-(10)
    - 1976
  • Citizens Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality (1)-(2)
  • Energy Research and Development Report (1)-(2)
  • Environmental Impact Statements
  • Miscellaneous

Box 5 - Council on Environmental Quality Subject File

  • Weekly Legislative Reports (1)-(2)

Box 5 (Continued) - Domestic Council Subject File

  • Climate Change Subcommittee (1)-(4)
  • Correspondence Profile

Box 6 - Domestic Council Subject File

  • Domestic Policy Review (1)-(4)
  • Environmental Resource Committee
  • Federal Role in Weather Modification
  • Mineral and Material Policy Subcommittee
  • Miscellaneous
  • Public Forum, Denver, Colorado, 10/21/75

Box 7 - Domestic Council Subject File

  • Public Forum, Tampa, Florida, 10/29/75 (1)-(2)
  • Recreation Subcommittee

Box 7 (Continued) - Environmental Protection Agency Subject File

  • American Automobile Association "Gas Watchers"
  • Argo Merchant Oil Spill
  • Beverage Containers - EPA Regulations and Standards on Non-Returnable Bottles (1)-(3)
  • Budget FY1977

Box 8 - Environmental Protection Agency Subject File

  • Chemical Regulation in the Environment
  • CHESS Studies
  • Chicago Conference on Radioactive Waste Management
  • Clean Air Act Amendments (1)-(3)
  • Clean Air Act and Relevant Materials (1)-(3)

Box 9 - Environmental Protection Agency Subject File

  • Clean Air Act and Relevant Materials (4)-(5)
  • Clean Air Strategy (1)-(4)
  • Coke Oven Emissions, 10/14/76
  • Commission on Carcinogens
  • Construction Grants

Box 10 - Environmental Protection Agency Subject File

  • Corning Glass (Auto Emissions)
  • Encephalitis
  • Miscellaneous
  • Nassau County, New York
  • National Environmental Policy Act
  • National Pest Control Association
  • New York City Treatment Plants
  • North River Treatment Plant, New York
  • Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB)
  • Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
  • Regulatory Reform Program (1)-(2)
  • Sewage and Waste Water Treatment Plants

Box 11 - Environmental Protection Agency Subject File

  • Strip Mining (1)-(2)
  • Success Stories, 9/8/76
  • Transportation Control Study of the Chicago Business District

Box 11 (Continued) - Interior Department Subject File

  • Briefing Papers
  • Budget FY1977 (1)-(2)

Box 12 - Interior Department Subject File

  • Chamberlain Basin, Idaho (1)-(2)
  • Chattahochee River, Georgia
  • Chattahochee River Briefing Book
  • Coal Leasing Program (1)-(2)
  • Congaree Swamp National Preserve, South Carolina
  • Cross Florida Barge Canal (Empty)
  • Dolores River, Colorado
  • Garrison Diversion Project, North Dakota
  • Grazing Fees
  • Guam

Box 13 - Interior Department Subject File

  • Hole-In-The-Donut, Florida (1)-(2)
  • Ike's Peak, California
  • Indian Fishing Rights, Pacific Northwest
  • Land and Water Conservation Fund Signing (1)-(2)
  • Legacy of Parks
  • Maine Indians (Passamaquoddy)

Box 14 - Interior Department Subject File

  • Matagorda Island, Texas
  • Micronesia, Four Year College Study
  • Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration
  • Mining and Minerals, 1976 Annual Report (1)-(3)
  • Miscellaneous (1)-(2)
  • Napeague Acquisition, New York Parks and Recreation
  • Natchez Trace Parkway, Land Heritage Program
  • National Park Mining, S.2371

Box 15 - Interior Department Subject File

  • National Parks Proposal #1 (1)-(2)
  • National Parks Proposal #2 (1)-(2)
  • National Parks Visit
  • National Wildlife Federation Proposals - Environmental Goal for the Next Four Years

Box 16 - Interior Department Subject File

  • Natural Gas Transportation System (1)-(3)
  • New River, North Carolina
  • New River Signing Ceremony, 9/11/76
  • Press Releases
  • Recreation Lands - Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
  • Redwood National Parks, California

Box 17 - Interior Department Subject File

  • Steel Shot
  • Teton Dam, Idaho Disaster
  • Timber Bill, S.3091
  • Westlands, California
  • Wild Horse Organized Assistance (WHOA)
  • Wilderness Proposals

Box 17 (Continued) - Predator Control Subject File

  • American Sheep Industry
  • Decision Paper on Proposed Amendment to E.O.11643 (1)-(3)
  • Executive Order 11643

Box 18 - Predator Control Subject File

  • Fact Sheet, 7/16/75
  • Letters
  • Meeting, 6/23/75
  • Miscellaneous, 1971-75

Box 19 - Predator Control Subject File

  • Miscellaneous, 1975-77
  • Report by the Advisory Committee on Predator Control, 1971
  • Working Papers

Box 19 (Continued) - General Subject File

  • Agriculture - Forest Service
  • Agriculture - New Archeological Sites (Empty)
  • Aircraft Replacement Program (Empty)
  • Alaska - Gulf of
  • Alaska - Native Claims
  • Alaska - Wolves
  • Alpine Lakes
  • American Mining Congress

Box 20 - General Subject File

  • Army - Budget Review
  • Army - Close Up Program
  • Army Corps of Engineers - 404 Regulations (1)-(2)
  • Blackbirds and Starlings (1)-(2)
  • Concorde
  • Death Valley National Monument - Mines and Mining Areas

Box 21 - General Subject File

  • Eagles Nest Wilderness Bill
  • Earth Week
  • Energy and Natural Resources Organizational Recommendations
  • Energy Development Assistance Act
  • Energy Research and Development Administration
  • Energy - Miscellaneous
  • Environment - Miscellaneous
  • Environmental Agenda Task Force Report (1)-(2)
  • Fire Ants
  • Fur Seals
  • Hells Canyon Recreation Area, Idaho and Oregon
  • Indiana Dunes

Box 22 - General Subject File

  • Land Use
  • Locks and Dam #26
  • Long Island Beach Pollution
  • Los Angeles City Issues
  • Mahoning Valley, Ohio
  • Meetings - Miscellaneous
  • Mineral Leasing Act of 1973 (1)-(2)
  • Miscellaneous Memoranda (1)

Box 23 - General Subject File

  • Miscellaneous Memoranda (2)
  • New Directions
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Oceans Policy (1)-(2)
  • Office of Management and Budget, 11/26/75
  • Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Policy
  • Ozone Layers
  • Phosphate Mining, Florida
  • Pipeline, Trans-Alaska, 7/6/76
  • Public Opinion Surveys

Box 24 - General Subject File

  • Radiation Guidelines
  • Regional Transportation District
  • Resource Recovery
  • Resumes
  • Safe Drinking Water Act
  • Science and Technology
  • Seabrook Letters
  • Seabrook Power Plant, New Hampshire
  • Seventy Issues
  • Southern Governors Conference - Resolution on Resource Management
  • Toxic Substances (1)-(2)

Box 25 - General Subject File

  • Toxic Substances (3)-(4)
  • Vice President
  • Watch List
  • Water Pollution Control Act
  • Water Resources Council
  • Water Resources Planning Act of 1965

Box 25 (Continued) - Presidential Events File

  • Presidential Initiatives
  • Presidential Statements (Empty)
  • President's Schedule Proposals
  • Questions and Answers for the President: Alabama - Missouri (1)-(3)

Box 26 - Presidential Events File

  • Questions and Answers for the President: Nebraska - Wyoming and General
  • Speeches for the President
  • State of the Union (1)-(2)

Box 27 - Chronological File

  • Aug. 1975 - Aug. 1976

Box 28 - Chronological File

  • Sept. 1976 - Jan. 1977

Box 28 (Continued) - Printed Materials File

  • Air/Water Pollution Report
  • Climate Control
  • Conservation
  • Council on Environmental Equality - "102 Monitor" (1)-(3)

Box 29 - Printed Materials File

  • Environmental and Energy Conservation
  • Environmental Health
  • Environmental Reporter Decisions
    - 7 ERC, Decisions #1 - #20 (1)-(2)
    - 8 ERC, Decisions #30 - #33
  • Mining and Minerals Policy Act 1975 Annual Report