Archive Record
Metadata
Title |
An Interview with Floyd "Butch" Marita |
Catalog Number |
2021.074.155 |
Object Name |
Recording, Video |
Scope & Content |
An Interview with Floyd J. "Butch" Marita >>Oral history interview with Floyd J. "Butch Marita, June 15, 2024, Ashland, WI INTERVIEW SUMMARY Floyd J. "Butch" Marita was born in 1933 near Highbridge, Wisconsin, where he grew up on a small dairy and logging farm that instilled in him a lifelong love of conservation. After serving in the Army during the Korean conflict, he pursued forestry at Michigan Tech, graduating in 1959. That same year, he married Glenda, a teacher whose steady support accompanied him throughout his career. His first assignment with the Forest Service was in Oregon, where timber production dominated management, but he soon returned to the Midwest after his father’s death to help his widowed mother while working on the Hiawatha National Forest. He and Glenda adopted two children during these years, balancing family life with the responsibilities of farm work and professional advancement. Marita’s career progressed through leadership of several Job Corps centers, timber staff positions, and ultimately the role of Forest Supervisor—first on Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, where he dealt with ski-area expansion and early forest planning, and then on Montana’s Kootenai National Forest, where he pushed for stronger wildlife and fisheries staffing in a culture heavily focused on logging. Later, as Budget Coordinator in Washington, DC, he witnessed firsthand how Congress dictated priorities, often elevating timber over recreation and wildlife, a pattern that shaped his philosophy about the limits of bureaucratic authority. His final and most influential role was as Regional Forester for Region 9, overseeing fourteen national forests across twenty states for more than a decade. He emphasized listening, leadership development, and transparency, famously touring every ranger district in a motor home with his deputies to connect with staff. He mentored many future leaders, including current Chief Randy Moore, and championed a balance between timber, recreation, and conservation at a time of growing environmental activism. Reflecting in retirement, he stressed that the Forest Service’s greatest strength lies in its people, but lamented the shrinking decision-making space for leaders in the face of bureaucracy and politics. He remained proud of a career that, despite challenges, gave him the opportunity to influence both natural resource policy and the lives of those who served under him. COPY & PASTE LINK BELOW INTO BROWSER TO WATCH INTERVIEW https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pCwkVD8vrAzCr1xOSp2rYos8V6VskvqQ/view?usp=sharing |
Year Range from |
2024 |
Year Range to |
2024 |
People |
Marita, Floyd J. "Butch" |
Subjects |
Hiawatha NF Green Mountain NF Kootenai NF Region 9 RO WO |
Search Terms |
Forest Management Forest Planning Oral History Public Participation Planning Forest Planning Forest Planning Congress |
Catalog date |
2025-08-25 |
Collection |
Oral History |