Gary Swihart Oral History Transcript

Gary shares his enthusiasm for nature, fishing, and hunting emanating from his family roots in Iowa, and his Fisheries and Wildlife Biology curriculum from Iowa State University (B.S. 1971), where his interests were fostered by Dr. Ross Berkley, who encouraged him to join the ranks of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His mechanical training for working on B-47 jet bombers garnered work experience through the Air Force, which differed significantly from his work for FWS. It exposed him to military bases in Texas, New York, and Maryland, where later on he would assist the military with aquatic resource management efforts. Initially, this work was done by the Fish and Wildlife Service at no cost to the military, until the user pay construct generated funding for the FWS for equipment and addressed time constraints more effectively. Gary was engaged in fishery management in the capacity of overseer for coal strip mining activities in West Virginia. Later his involvement was with oil and gas exploration in the Pennsylvania oil fields, where he conducted water quality research and sampling and testing for acidity levels in streams. Coal strip mining analysis was part of his duties in Elkins, West Virginia, to gather baseline information along with the State of West Virginia biologists, and others, including the Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the Corps of Engineers. His research on hook and line mortality of the Gray Trout in the lower Chesapeake Bay provided insight into the hardiness of this species, which had not been known prior to his work. His support from his wife, Mary Smith Swihart, made the journey with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service possible and worthwhile.