Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History

Interview with Roger Bollinger, March 23, 2017

Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries
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00:00:06 - Being hired at TVA / Educational background

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Partial Transcript: --Uh--the following is an oral history interview conducted as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority Retirees Association Oral History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger discusses the hiring process with TVA, and explains how he got his position in the Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife. Bollinger also details his educational background.

Keywords: Accepted; Applications; Asheville Office; Bachelor's degrees; Background; Books; Dinners; Directors; Discharge; Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Employment; Evaluate; Few jobs; Focus; Forestry; Forestry programs; Helpful; Hiring; Jacksonville University; Job market; Job offers; Jobs; Letters; Library; Managers; Master's degrees; Mississippi National Forest; Moving; Oriented; Phosphate; Possibility; Requirements; Salary; School of Forest Resources and Conservation; Serious; Small towns; Southeast Tour; Summer camps; TVA lands; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); U.S. Navy; University; Vacations; Visits; Wife

Subjects: Agriculture; Arkansas; Asheville (N.C.); Biltmore (Asheville, N.C.); Education; Forest management; Forests; Good; Interested; Jacksonville (Fla.); Jacksonville University; National Forest System (U.S.); Norris (Tenn.); Public lands; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; University of Florida

GPS: Arkansas
Map Coordinates: 34.8938, -92.4426
GPS: Jacksonville (Fla.)
Map Coordinates: 30.336944, -81.661389
GPS: Jacksonville University
Map Coordinates: 30.3532, -81.6045
GPS: University of Florida
Map Coordinates: 29.64833, -82.34944
GPS: Biltmore (Asheville, N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.53965, -82.55095
GPS: Norris (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.199444, -84.069167
GPS: Asheville (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.595833, -82.552778
00:09:10 - TVA and forestry

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Partial Transcript: Now, what business did TVA have in forestry?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger explains why the TVA was involved in forestry, including the history of the TVA in forest management.

Keywords: All-encompassing; Capable; Congress; Counties; Depleted; Donation; Eagle Bend; Farmlands; Fertilizer production; Forestation; Forestry; Help; Implementation; Improving forests; Land owners; Problems; Property; Southeastern United States; State divisions of forestry; TVA Act of 1933; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Watershed

Subjects: Agriculture; Clinton (Tenn.); Cooperation; Dams; Erosion; Flood control; Forest management; Forests; Great Depression; Mountains; Navigation; Nurseries; Power; Promotion; Responsibility; Seedlings; State governments; States; Tennessee; Tennessee River; Tennessee Valley Authority; Tree planting; Trees; Valleys; Water levels

GPS: Clinton (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.104772, -84.128487
00:14:16 - First job in forestry

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Partial Transcript: --Uh--what were some of those things that TVA did to help out, I guess, what? The state of North Carolina?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger describes the programs and responsibilities that his first job in forestry in Asheville, North Carolina entailed.

Keywords: Acreage; Dam protection; Dams; Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Fertilizer studies; Fontana Dam (Tenn.); Forest management plan; Forestry and watershed protection; Headquarters; Inventory; Land plots; Lands; Locations; Municipal watersheds; Plans; Reforest; Seven States in Seven Years program; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Subjects: Andrews (N.C.); Asheville (N.C.); Demonstrations; Drainage; Forest management; Forests; Management; Norris (Tenn.); North Carolina; Private forests; Reservoirs; Seedlings; State governments; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Tree planting

GPS: Fontana Dam (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 35.452222, -83.804722
GPS: Andrews (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.2, -83.826389
GPS: Norris (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.199444, -84.069167
GPS: Asheville (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.595833, -82.552778
00:18:37 - TVA and forest fire prevention

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Partial Transcript: Before I came to work with TVA was they got involved with the states and trying to upgrade the states' capabilities for fighting for--for--wildfires, forest fires.

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger illustrates the history of the TVA in fire prevention throughout the Tennessee Valley.

Keywords: Activities; Burning; Capabilities; Firefighting; Generators; Grass cover; Ground clearing; Hillsides; Projects; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Subjects: Cattle; Crops; Employees; Farms; Fire prevention; Forest fires; Forest management; Forests; Logging; Movies; Private forests; Projectors; Sawmills; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Timber

00:21:37 - Work in the Asheville office

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Partial Transcript: So--but by the time I came to work with TVA, then they was--uh--we were moving onto some other facets...

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger begins to talk of a program designed to increase the number of seedlings planted in the Tennessee Valley, which he assisted in implementing while working in the forestry office in Asheville.

Keywords: Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Focus; Genetics program; Information; Managers; Pine trees; Plant Trees, Grow Jobs program; Private landowners; Proposals; Selling seedlings; State division of forestry; State employees; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Subjects: Asheville (N.C.); Demonstrations; Forest management; Forests; Money; Nurseries; Offices; Raleigh (N.C.); Sales personnel; Seedlings; State governments; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Tree planting; Trees

GPS: Asheville (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.595833, -82.552778
GPS: Raleigh (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.766667, -78.633333
00:25:55 - TVA and state government cooperation / Tree sales program

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Partial Transcript: Now--were--and now TVA and the state worked--uh--well together?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger considers how cooperative state governments were with the TVA in terms of forestry. Bollinger also outlines an initiative with state governments to create a sales team to sell seedlings to private landowners in order to increase the number of trees on private lands.

Keywords: Appreciation; Bosses; Commission-based; Continue; Differences of opinion; Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Field office; Funding; Good season; Help; Hired; Interesting; Local employees; Managers; No feedback; Outcome; Outsold; Oversight; Planting season; Profanity; Reports; Results; Secrets; Selling seedlings; Smooth working relationship; State divisions of forestry; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Terminated; Uncomfortable; Unknown

Subjects: Asheville (N.C.); Cooperation; Forest management; Forests; Landowners; Meeting; Money; Monitoring; Norris (Tenn.); Office politics; Offices; Revenue; Sales; Sales personnel; Seedlings; State governments; Successful; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Tree planting; Trees

GPS: Norris (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.199444, -84.069167
GPS: Asheville (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.595833, -82.552778
00:32:59 - Career overview

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Partial Transcript: Okay--uh--before we--uh--before I continue into the next phase of your career, could you give an overview of--just a sketch of your whole career at TVA?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger provides an overview of his TVA career.

Keywords: Budget Officer; Castigated; Clear cutting; Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Division of Personnel; Group selection; Mine reclamation; Municipal forests; Non-field work; Pledge; Private landowners; Projects; Selling; Single-tree selection; Single-use function; Southeast; Sustainability; Tennessee Valley; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Thinning trees; Tree growth; Useful; Watershed

Subjects: Asheville (N.C.); Big Stone Gap (Va.); Career; Clinch River (Va. and Tenn.); Coal mines and mining; Forest management; Forests; Income; Industries; Lumber; Norris (Tenn.); Offices; Programs; Protection; Recreation; Sawmills; Strip mining; Structure; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Timber; Training; Transfer; Trees; Wildlife; Wood

GPS: Asheville (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.595833, -82.552778
GPS: Big Stone Gap (Va.)
Map Coordinates: 36.881667, -82.747222
GPS: Clinch River (Va. and Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 35.863333, -84.531667
GPS: Norris (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.199444, -84.069167
00:38:43 - Work in Norris, Tennessee

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Partial Transcript: So when you--uh--left Asheville, what you--uh--left Stone--Big Stone Gap, and you came to Norris, you were still involved in a lot of the variety of forestry types of projects, but you were also kind of a manager?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger's work in Norris, Tennessee in mine reclamation is explored.

Keywords: Bulldozers; Coal buyers; Coal mine operators; Coal plants; Concerned; Conservationists; Costs; Countryside; Demand; Directives; Environmentally safe; Field staff; Function; Headquarters; Influence; Information; Mine reclamation; Mountain tops; No laws; Problems; Protestors; Sources; Spoils; State laws; Strange; Streams; Surface area; TVA Board; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Tracking; Unenforced; World War II

Subjects: Big Stone Gap (Va.); Bulldozers; Change; Coal; Coal mines and mining; Electricity; Energy; Erosion; Forest management; Forests; Kentucky; Mountains; Norris (Tenn.); Power; State governments; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Transfer; Travel; World War, 1939-1945

GPS: Norris (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.199444, -84.069167
GPS: Big Stone Gap (Va.)
Map Coordinates: 36.881667, -82.747222
00:44:00 - Coal companies and mine reclamation

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Partial Transcript: Did you find--uh--that the coal companies were--uh--viewed you as a welcome visitor or--uh--or not or...

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger articulates the level of compliance and cooperation of coal mining companies that signed a contract with TVA on mine reclamation obligations.

Keywords: Above-ground coal mines; Action; Action plan; Agreement; Appalling; Aubrey 'Red' Wagner; Buying coal; Coal companies; Coal industry; Coal sources; Colleagues; Concerned; Contracts; Control; Cutting-edge; Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Effects; Efforts; Enforcement; Financial records; Howard Baker; Inaccessible; Indirect; Inspections; Interesting; Involved; Legal process; Mine reclamation; Minimal; Passed; Power funds; Presidents; Profits; Rain; Required; Sediments; Senators; Specification; State laws; Streams; TVA Chairman; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Underground coal mines; Unstable

Subjects: Aquatic animals; Asheville (N.C.); Coal; Coal mines and mining; Compliance; Cost; Federal government; Income; Kentucky; Management; Money; Norris (Tenn.); Offices; Revegetation; Revenue; Runoff; Shipping; Staff; Standards; State governments; Strip mining; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Virginia; Water control; West Virginia

GPS: Norris (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 36.199444, -84.069167
GPS: Asheville (N.C.)
Map Coordinates: 35.595833, -82.552778
GPS: Virginia
Map Coordinates: 37.5215, -78.8537
GPS: Kentucky
Map Coordinates: 37.5347, -85.3021
GPS: West Virginia
Map Coordinates: 38.6409, -80.6227
00:53:19 - TVA mine reclamation program

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Partial Transcript: I--uh--was moved over into the reclamation program area in the Division of Forestry.

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger discusses how the TVA began requiring that mines it bought coal from had to use some of the earned revenue for mine reclamation.

Keywords: Activities; Boundaries; Buying coal; Congressional Appropriations; Decisions; Division of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Funds; Incentives; Mine reclamation; Mining activities; Ongoing; Power Service Area; Power production; Power sales; Problems; Reclamation unit; Solutions; TVA Board; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Subjects: Big Stone Gap (Va.); Budget; Coal mines and mining; Compliance; Contracts; Electricity; Money; Problem solving; Standards; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority

GPS: Big Stone Gap (Va.)
Map Coordinates: 36.881667, -82.747222
00:57:13 - Changes to reclamation funding

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Partial Transcript: After the board made that decision then, explain to me--tell me about that part of your career and the changes that you were able to be a part of in the--uh--reclamation world?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger considers some of the changes to TVA's mine reclamation program following the switch from congressional appropriations funding to power revenue funding.

Keywords: Buying coal; Coal operators; Failure; Inspections; Interests; Mine reclamation; Overtake; Power funding; Power program; Process; Purchase; Reclamation activities; TVA Attorneys; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Warning

Subjects: Coal mines and mining; Contracts; Electricity; Revenue; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Work

00:59:30 - Reclamation plans for mines

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Partial Transcript: But, what are the--were the typical elements of a reclamation plan for a--a mining operation?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger details what a typical contract entailed for a coal company that agreed to TVA's mine reclamation program. Compliance and objections of coal companies are also described.

Keywords: Areas; Arguments; Buying coal; Coal beds; Coal industry; Concerns; Contour; Contract requirements; Danger; Decimated mountain; Decisions; Digging; Drilling; Early operations; Enforcement; Evaluate; Geologic time; Help; Homes; Improved; Inconsiderate; Landscapes; Limits; Material; Mine reclamation; Mining operations; Mishandling; Mountains; National coal mine reclamation standard; Objections; Open-pit mining; Plans; Procedures; Ramifications; Regions; Reports; Rings; Seam of coal; Spoil; State laws; TVA Board; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Uniform

Subjects: Budget; Coal; Coal mines and mining; Competition; Compliance; Erosion; Federal government; Money; Mountains; Mountaintop removal mining; Pressure; Revegetation; Safety; State governments; Strip mining; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Valleys

01:07:51 - TVA coal sources / Issues with mine reclamation enforcement

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Partial Transcript: What different--uh--states did TVA--uh--coal come from?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger lists the states that the TVA bought coal from. Bollinger illustrates some of the biggest issues with mine reclamation compliance.

Keywords: Acid; Care; Coal plants; Coal seams; Compacted; Contour; Copper mining; Costs; Cover; Denude; Difficult; Established; Grass; Handling coal; Infertile soil; Low pH; Material; Mine reclamation; Not easy; Problems; Public pressure; Regrading; Soil pH; Sources; Spoil; Swell factor; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Topsoil

Subjects: Acidification; Alabama; Coal; Coal mines and mining; Compliance; Copper; Electricity; Illinois; Ohio; Revegetation; Roots; Standards; Sulfur; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Trees; Vegetation; Virginia; Water quality; West Virginia

GPS: Tennessee
Map Coordinates: 36.162222, -86.774444
GPS: Alabama
Map Coordinates: 32.7794, -86.8287
GPS: Virginia
Map Coordinates: 37.5215, -78.8537
GPS: West Virginia
Map Coordinates: 38.6409, -80.6227
GPS: Ohio
Map Coordinates: 40.2862, -82.7937
GPS: Illinois
Map Coordinates: 40.0417, -89.1965
01:12:26 - Notable reclamation projects

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Partial Transcript: Any--uh--particular reclamation projects--uh--stick out in your mind as being--uh--let's say, tremendous successes or unique in one way or another?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger recalls the most interesting mine reclamation projects.

Keywords: Activity; Arrangements; Coal industry; Coal operators; Company lawyers; Contracted out; Cover; Efficiency; Future operations; Ground; Mine reclamation; Mulch; Planting; Postponing; Process; Professionals; Reclaimed land; Seeds; Setting standards; Spoil; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Subjects: Coal; Coal mines and mining; Compliance; Cooperation; Electricity; Hay; Lawyers; Money; Revegetation; Staff; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Training; Vegetation

GPS: Tennessee
Map Coordinates: 36.162222, -86.774444
01:17:10 - History of abandoned mines

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Partial Transcript: Now, did you get involved in any reclamation of abandoned mines?

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger provides an overview of the history of different types of mining of minerals in various states throughout the Tennessee Valley.

Keywords: Acidic; Brown iron ore; Burning; Buying coal; Capabilities; Copper ore; Forestry schools; Low; Mine reclamation; Pit mining; Range; Requirements; Residue; Soil; Soil class; State laws; Surface mining; Tennessee Valley; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Unregulated

Subjects: Abandoned mines; Alabama; Atmosphere; Clay; Coal mines and mining; Contracts; Copper; Copper Hill (Tenn.); Earth; Example; Feldspar; Fire; Growth; Limonite; Manganese; Minerals; North Carolina; Situation; Smoke; Standards; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Trees; Vegetation; West Virginia; Wood

GPS: Copper Hill (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 34.992108, -84.374254
GPS: Alabama
Map Coordinates: 32.7794, -86.8287
GPS: West Virginia
Map Coordinates: 38.6409, -80.6227
GPS: North Carolina
Map Coordinates: 35.5557, -79.3877
01:22:10 - Influence of TVA reclamation program on state laws / Abandoned mines procedure

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Partial Transcript: So by that time though, I think we were well into having contract for standards that they had to meet and so on and that's the pushed Alabama towards getting their own laws and so on.

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger articulates how the TVA mine reclamation program influenced state governments to implement state laws mandating mine reclamation. Bollinger also details the procedure for reclamation of abandoned mines.

Keywords: Commitment; Congress; Congressional appropriations; Direction; Incapable; Mine reclamation; National economy; Pre-law mining areas; Programs; Proposals; Requirements; Shutdown; Soil; State divisions of mine reclamation; State laws; Support; Temporary; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Subjects: Abandoned mines; Alabama; Budget; Coal mines and mining; Contracts; Federal government; Job creation; Kentucky; Knoxville (Tenn.); Lime; Meetings; Mountains; State governments; States; Successful; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Vegetation; Virginia

GPS: Kentucky
Map Coordinates: 37.5347, -85.3021
GPS: Alabama
Map Coordinates: 32.7794, -86.8287
GPS: Virginia
Map Coordinates: 37.5215, -78.8537
GPS: Knoxville (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 35.9617, -83.9232
01:27:15 - Effects of mine reclamation

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Partial Transcript: If you're driving up 75 out of Knoxville and you're looking up on the mountains, you can't see it now.

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger considers the effects of mine reclamation upon the landscape and life in the Tennessee Valley.

Keywords: Checkpoints; Cliffs; Coal companies; Deserts; Dirt; Divided highway; Inherited; Mine reclamation; Museum overlook; Museums; Reservoirs; River clearance; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Unreclaimed

Subjects: Atlanta (Ga.); Chattanooga (Tenn.); Coal mines and mining; Copper Hill (Tenn.); Dams; Drainage; Electricity; Elk River (Tenn. and Ala.); Georgia; Green; International Space Station; Interstate 75; Knoxville (Tenn.); Money; Mountains; Power; Power plants; Restaurants; Runoff; Sediment; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Time; Tourism; Tourists; Water quality

GPS: Knoxville (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 35.9617, -83.9232
GPS: Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 35.045556, -85.267222
GPS: Atlanta (Ga.)
Map Coordinates: 33.755, -84.39
GPS: Georgia
Map Coordinates: 32.6415, -83.4426
GPS: Copper Hill (Tenn.)
Map Coordinates: 34.992108, -84.374254
GPS: Elk River (Tenn. and Ala.)
Map Coordinates: 34.761389, -87.265556
01:32:09 - Final thoughts

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Partial Transcript: Well--uh--we're coming close to the end of the interview I think.

Segment Synopsis: Bollinger shares his final thoughts on his TVA career.

Keywords: Congress; Greener; Hired; Impact; Improvements; Long-term; Power company; Satisfied; Supervisors; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Thankful

Subjects: Career; Change; People; Tennessee; Tennessee Valley Authority; Vegetation; Work