Rick Johnston Oral History Transcript

Rick Johnston grew up along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in Peoria, Illinois. He came from a family of outdoor enthusiasts who enjoyed camping. He initially went to Southern Illinois University for two years and then graduated in 1973 from the University of Illinois, majoring in outdoor management. He spent time engaging in a US Forest Service internship in the Cascade Mountains and worked during the following summer for the US Forest Service. He participated in a graduate program studying management and social science in the Forestry Division, specializing in outdoor recreation on federal lands. After graduating with an MS degree, he received his private pilot’s license while working for the Bureau of Land Management.

In January of 1979, Rick started working at the Kenai National Moose Range, later renamed Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, where he worked as an Outdoor Recreation Planner and eventually as a Park Ranger/Pilot. He attended FLETC in 1980 in Georgia, was certified as a government pilot in 1987, and incorporated law enforcement and flying into his duties on the refuge.

In this oral history, he tells several fascinating stories of his time working at the refuge: one involving an upside-down aircraft transporting several lynxes, and another visiting with President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn.

He retired in 2012 from the Service. He continues to live on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. 

The recorded interview was transcribed and reviewed by the interviewer and interviewee, and some edits were made for improved context and clarity.