Curt Laffin Oral History Transcript

Curt was raised in Massachusetts, served in the U.S. Navy, went to college at the University of Maine on the G.I. bill, and worked seasonally at Acadia National Park.  His first permanent position was with the Fish and Wildlife Service in Vero Beach, FL.  He worked in the Division of River Basins Studies as a biologist reviewing dredge and fill permits under the authority of the Rivers and Harbors Act.  After losing a court case, the Army Corps of Engineers had to consider the impacts of dredging on fish and wildlife when they were issuing permits.  Assistant Secretary of the Interior Nat Reed authorized the hiring of 120 biologists across the country to conduct these reviews, and Curt was one of the biologists hired off a Civil Service list to do this work.  After working in Vero Beach for a few years, Curt transferred to Charleston, SC, opening the first Ecological Services (ES) office in that state. Returning to his New England roots, Curt worked for the Office of Biological Services, overseeing an ecological characterization of the Maine coast.  After that was completed, he was selected by Assistant Refuge Director Suzanne Mayer to oversee the Technical Services program for Refuges and Wildlife in the northeast Regional Office (legacy Region 5).   In this position, Curt conducted annual surveys and provided technical support to refuges in the northeast.  His interest in planning led him to pulling together the first planning team for refuges in Region 5, and for the rest of his career, Curt oversaw the development of  refuge station management plans.  Curt is one of only three people to work in three regional offices all within one region, as Region 5 moved its headquarters from downtown Boston to Newton Corner and then finally to Hadley, MA, where it is still located.