Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
An Interview with Gerald J. "Jerry" Gottfried |
Catalog Number |
2021.074.062 |
Object Name |
Recording, Video |
Scope & Content |
An Interview with Gerald J. "Gerry" Gottfried >>Oral history interview with Gerald J. "Gerry" Gottfried, March 14, 2023, Gilbert, AZ >>Interview Summary Gerald "Gerry" Gottfried was born in Astoria, New York, in 1942 and was first introduced to the Forest Service by a Reader's Digest article about a fire lookout. He began his career in 1961 at age 19 as a seasonal surveying aid on the Plumas National Forest in California, traveling there via Greyhound bus from New York. After earning an undergraduate degree in biology, he attended Michigan State for a Master's degree, focusing on watershed management and hydrology. This interest led him to a career in research, beginning in 1966 at the Tempe Forest Hydrology Lab in Arizona, where he worked as a research forester. Much of his early work was spent in the field at the Sierra Ancha Experimental Forest, mapping watersheds and conducting timber inventories. Gottfried later obtained his Ph.D. in watershed management from the University of Arizona, supported by the Forest Service. His research often focused on the impact of vegetation on water yield, frequently collaborating with the Salt River Project, though he expressed frustration that subsequent generations of clients overlooked their published work. A later professional assignment involved working on pinyon-juniper issues in Flagstaff, which required him to commute 150 miles weekly from the Phoenix area for nine years, a tough period where he was away from his family. After a 49.5-year career, he was forced to retire when management deemed him and his assistant too expensive. Despite the circumstances of his retirement, Gottfried stated he was proud to have been a member of the Forest Service and generally enjoyed his time in the woods. PASTE LINK BELOW INTO BROWSER TO WATCH INTERVIEW https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cnfZwn86A2BHBI-q-kUk59W5Gfts3toa/view?usp=sharing |
Additional File |
Click here to view transcript. |
Year Range from |
2023 |
Year Range to |
2023 |
People |
Gottfried, Gerald J. "Gerry" Edminster, Carl |
Subjects |
Research Rocky Mountain Research Station |
Search Terms |
Ecosystem Research Fire-Research Oral History Research |
Catalog date |
2023-04-07 |
Collection |
Oral History |