Gail Achterman was born in Portland, Oregon on August 1, 1949 to Walter and Patricia Achterman. She attended and graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree with honors in economics. She went on to attend the University of Michigan to receive a law degree as well as a master’s degree in natural resource policy and management. She began working in Washington D.C. for the Office of Solicitor for the U.S. Department of Interior.
In 1978 she returned to Oregon and joined the Stoel Rivers, LLP law firm, specializing in natural resource and environmental law. She held a position there until 1987, when she assumed a position as the natural resources assistant to the governor of Oregon. In 2003, she began working at Oregon State University as the director of the Institute of Natural Resources (INR). She held this position with INR until 2011. Between 2007 and 2011, Achterman was also the chairperson of the Oregon Transportation Commission. In this position, she helped spread awareness about transportation laws, as well teaching others about the effects that motorized vehicles have on the environment. After retiring from Oregon State, she began her Willamette Strategies legacy project. The focus of this project is to promote awareness of our relationship with the Willamette Valley. Gail Achterman passed away on January 28, 2012.
The materials were donated to Special Collections and Archives in 2016 by Christopher Achterman.
A flashdrive that was received with the collection included 73 files (in 18 folders) that totaled 3.22 Gbytes. Only 3 of those files (3.22 Gbytes) have been described as part of the collection.
Collection is open for research.
Gail Achterman Papers (MSS Achterman), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The Special Collections and Archives Research Center holds many collections documenting research and public policy pertaining to natural resources in Oregon and the region. Some photographs of Gail Achterman can be found in The
The Gail Achterman Papers are arranged into 5 series: 1. Master's Thesis, 1975; 2. Speeches, 2003-2011; 3. Environmental Action Materials, 1995-2012; 4. Journals, Notebooks and Planners, 2003-2011; and 5. Project Notes, 1987-2012.
The Gail Achterman Papers are composed mainly of documents related to Achterman’s extensive outreach throughout Oregon. The collection includes notes from meetings, speeches, reports, and notebooks of her time as director of the Oregon State University Institute of Natural Resources (INR). This collection also houses her master’s thesis, notebooks on the Willamette project, as well as some of her personal rowing journals.
A sizable portion of this collection is made up of the notebooks Achterman kept while she was director of the Institute of Natural Resources. These notebooks include potential project ideas that she considered, research proposals, and notes for presentations and speeches and from meetings with various individuals. These notebooks span from September of 2003 to July of 2011.
Notably, this collection also contains her masters of science thesis on the judicial control over land classification policy as well as information on the courses that she helped develop or change during her time as INR director. It also houses the files on the proposal for the Natural Area of Hayden Island , which has been named the Gail Achterman Natural Area.
The speeches include a digital video recording of a 2011 presentation by Achterman on the long-term impacts of a higher population on the Willamette Valley. The born-digital recording is available for viewing in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center Reading Room.
Series 1 consists of Achterman’s Master of Science Thesis that she completed in 1975 at the University of Michigan, which focuses on the Judicial Control of Administrative Discretion in the Development of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Classification Policy.
Series 2 consists of speeches that Achterman gave throughout her years as the director of the Institute of Natural Resources.
Series 3 consists of environmental action materials, which includes projects plans and reports, as well as materials from when she helped to build the Natural Resources Policy and Law Course Curriculum at Oregon State.
Series 4 consists of the notebooks that Achterman kept while holding the position as director of the Institute of Natural Resources (INR), as well as notebooks from the Oregon Transportation Commission, and a handful of personal journals and planners.
Series 5 consists of notebooks that Achterman kept during various projects, including notes on the Willamette river project and Research Office notes.