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Johnson case
even stronger
Almost eight years ago, Sen.
Jim McClure went to bat for
Peter Johnson, pushing his ap-
pointment to a key federal en-
ergy post.
The result was the Boise na-
tive's appointment as adminis-
trator of the Bonneville Power
Administration.
Now McClure is doing it
again - pushing Johnson this
time for secretary of Energy.
And this time he may have a
clearer, stronger case for John-
son than he did then.
In 1981 the logic behind
Johnson's appointment to run
the BPA had to look a little
shaky.
Johnson was widely respect-
ed and worked easily with a
wide range of people, but he
had not worked in government
before; he had been an execu-
tive in Idaho manufacturing
firms. (His sole involvement
with government had been par-
ticipation on a task force on
state government efficiency
put together by Gov. John Ev-
ans.) He had no in-depth back-
ground on energy issues. And
he was stepping into the mid-
dle of one of the volatile and
dangerous economic cauldrons
the Northwest has ever had.
WPPSS fiasco
This was when the Washing-
ton Public Power Supply Sys-
tem fiasco was rising to full
roar. WPPSS had planned to
build five nuclear power plants
in Washington state, but saw
its plans go awry when their
cost shot out of sight, into the
tens of billions of dollars. The
power marketing operations of
the BPA were deeply entwined
with WPPSS, and Johnson
would have to deal with that.
And he would have to under-
take that impossible mission
while reorganizing the BPA. In
1980 Congress had passed the
Northwest Power Act, which
greatly expanded the role the
BPA must play in energy plan-
ning and coordination in the
Northwest.
All of this would have been
hard work for the most experi-
enced of energy planners. And
the actions Johnson would
take the next few years were
not always popular. Once,
when he ordered a halt to work
on two of the Washington nu-
clear plants, 12,000 people dem-
onstrated in the Tri-Cities area
in Washington, and Johnson
was burned in effigy. For a
while he needed a police escort
when he visited that area.
Later lionized
And yet, when he announced
his resignation in June 1986,
Johnson was widely lionized as
one of the best things to hap-
pen to Northwest energy plan-
ning in recent years.
He had made a string of
tough decisions on WPPSS
that others had been unable or
unwilling to make. The shadow
of WPPSS will lay over the
Northwest for decades but it
would have been much darker
if Johnson had not used his
clout to make the hard choices.
He created a conservation
office in BPA and set up new
programs for power exchanges
with private utilities.
And he kept energy planning
and policy on course during
what may have been its stormi-
est period ever.
Few regional federal offi-
cials face the kinds of pres-
sures or challenges Johnson
did during those years.
Johnson has at least two
credible competitors for Ener-
gy Secretary: retiring Wash-
ington Sen. Dan Evans (a for-
mer chairman of the
Northwest Power Planning
Council) and former Congress-
man Henson Moore of Louisi-
ana. Several current and for-
mer Department of Energy
officials also are said to be in
the running.
But none has been through
an energy pressure cooker
quite the way Johnson has.
That could be Johnson's ad-
vantage when he meets with
the Bush transition crew on .
Monday - and McClure's ad-
vantage as he pushes his friend
for the job.
s r� rP s ,9. A/
i68
Randy Stapilus
Opinion
Johnson rides
Energy force
For a man stuck in the wait-
ing room, for who knows how
long, Peter Johnson sounded
up.
His voice was crisp and full'
of energy on Thursday. He was
back in Boise after traveling
around the country, and espe-
cially to Washington.
There, on Monday, he meth
for 90 minutes with Chase Un
termeyer, chairman of George
Bush's transition team. Craig
Fuller, the transition staff co-
director, sat in during half of
the meeting.
The subject was the prospec-
tive appointment of Johnson, a
Boise native and formerly a,
businessman, as secretary of
Energy. He appears to be Ida-
ho's best shot at a high-level
position in the Bush
administration.
"It went well," Johnson said.
"Since then, virtually nothing
has developed that's new. I.
continue to be honored to be
considered and if it's offered, I
would accept. I see the prob-
lems but I see more opportuni-
ties to be seized."
He said he did not know.
when an announcement would
come.
Still, piecing together fact
and rumor, there's some reason
to believe a Johnson appoint-
ment will happen, and happen
during the week ahead.
First, the Bush appointments
have moved along at a speedy,
clip. Most of the Cabinet -level,
positions, down to secretary of
Agriculture, have been filled.
If the Bush people continue to
work this efficiently through
the stack, the rest of the Cabi-
net jobs should be done by
Christmas.
Second, there is the nature
of the Department of Energy —
and the nature of Johnson's
competitors. Energy has be-
come a fairly anarchic organi-
zation in recent months; you.
can find evidence in Secretary
John Herrington's ever -confus-
ing statements on the plutoni-
um stockpile.
Transition officials, I'v,e
been told, have indicated they
think a hands-on problem -solv-
er with some energy back-
ground would be the right per-
son for the job.
Johnson, who took over the
Bonneville Power Administra-
i tion in 1981 during a rough
patch and left it in sound
shape, fits.
His chief competitor, former,
Congressman Henson Moore of
Louisiana, has no comparable
experience in any field. Other
less -likely contenders, such as'
former Tennessee Gov. LaMar
Alexander, do have solid mana-
gerial experience but little in
the areas an Energy secretary
may face.
Third, Johnson may have the
most institutional backing.
Someone like Moore, from
an oil -producing state, could.
be expected to pick up heavy
corporate energy support. But
Johnson apparently is getting
some quiet backing even from,
that quarter.
And when during the inter-
view Untermeyer asked how
the environmental community
would view him, Johnson
could say truthfully: "I as-
sumed reasonably favorably,
because of the relationship we
had when I was at BPA."
The omens look favorable, so
far.
What's ahead
It Johnson gets the job, what
kind of problems will he be
jumping into?
It's a department that has
missed a lot of opportunities..
Johnson sees it as one thSt-
"deals with such issues as the
greenhouse effect, acid rain,
the ozone layer.
"There are things to do in all
of those that might bring about,
better results, and the possibil=
ity to throw a shoulder to them
is quite exciting."
He said that "too many peo-
ple focus on the problems of
weapons production and waste
management. But those are the
most important issues before
the department right now, and
they must be dealt with in a
responsible fashion."
Randy Stapilus is the politi-
cal editor of The Statesman.
3 _ S5
Johnson calls
being also-ran
disappointing
Idahoan had plans
for environme y issues
By Charles Etlinger yl(3)9
The Idaho Statesman
Peter Johnson says that for
months he has been "all but liv-
ing the experience" of being a top
candidate for Energy secretary.
Now the former Boise business-
man will live with the letdown of
not being picked.
President-elect George Bush
fleshed out his Cabinet on Thurs-
day with the nomination of re-
tired Adm. James D. Watkins to
head the Department of Energy.
"Hearing of the choice of Admi-
ral Watkins is somewhat disap-
pointing, because it means I can-
not jump in and begin the task of
re-establishing the credibility of
the Department of Energy," the
McCall resident said.
"I'm even more unhappy that I
will not be able to pursue the
several opportunities within the
department to address environ-
mental concerns."
Watkins will have to deal with
modernizing and cleaning up the
department's aging nuclear weap-
ons materials complex, a task es-
timated to cost more than $100
See Johnson/7A
Johnson
From 1A
billion dollars. J
Johnson said he didn't know
Watkins but "I'm sure he's quali-
fied to lead the Department of
Energy at this crucial time."
The admiral's name hadn't sur-
faced before in the rumor mill
spinning around the post, as Bush
continued to delay the nomina-
tion after other major Cabinet
jobs had been filled.
The stock of Johnson seemingly
rose and plummeted over the past
month. He was on the final list,
then he was off, and then he was
back on, if news reports were
correct.
"I twice called my children to
tell them it's all over," he said.
The former head of the Bonne-
ville Power Administration
watched as candidates like James
Schlesinger, former Energy and
Defense secretary, came into the
limelight and then apparently
were chopped down.
Johnson's principal backer was
Sen. Jim McClure, R-Idaho, who
said Thursday that "Peter was in
the running all the way."
McClure said that given the de-
partment's problems, particularly
in weapons plants, "I still believe
Peter's skills and expertise made
him the most qualified for the
post." He suggested Watkins seek
out Johnson's advice.
Johnson also had unusually
wide-ranging support from other
influential members of Congress
in the Northwest, industry and
environmentalists.
He described the long wait
McClure had discussed his possi-
ble support as early as Labor Day
-- as something of a paradox:
"Anticipating I might be called,
in which case I'd be on a fast
track for four years ... while con-
tinuing, to pursue private inter-
ests of an altogether different
nature."
These include the arts and writ-
ing, interests which he had post-
poned developing during his ca-
reer in business and government,
but will continue to engage in.
Bush had said in December it
would be helpful if his Energy
secretary had experience in the
nuclear field. Johnson believes he
was qualified in that regard by
his dealings at BPA with the trou-
bled nuclear plants being built by
the Washington Public Power
Supply System.
Previously he headed the Boise -
based TJ International Corp.
Staff- News Nov i'vg(?)
Batt names
McCall man
to his team
"If I had any singular
motive, it is to help the
governor -elect ..deliver to
the people of Idaho the
promises he made."
- Peter Johnson
BY TOM GROTE
The Star -News
Peter T. Johnson of McCall has
been named to the transition team that
will ease the move of Idaho Gov. -
elect Phil Batt into office.
Johnson is one of 13 people named
by Batt, a Republican, to the transi-
tion team following his victory in the
Nov. 8 general election over Demo-
crat Larry EchoHawk.
In an interview this week, Johnson
said he expects to advise Batt on en-
ergy and water issues, both in regard
to staffing of state agencies and prepa-
ration of legislation.
Johnson, 62, has lived full-time hi --
McCall since 1986, moving back to
his long-time family home after serv-
ing six years as administrator of the
Bonneville Power Administration in
Portland, Ore.
Johnson previously served as presi-
dent and then chief executive officer
of what is now known as TJ Interna-
tional, a Boise -based wood -products
company. He left that company in
1979. •
Locally, Johnson was the prime
mover behind state legislation in 1993
to form the Big Payette Lake Water
Quality Council, which is now study-
ing the water quality in Payette Lake.
Johnson chairs the council, which has
been meeting for the past 18 months.
He also has served on national
committees dealing with nuclear
power and other energy issues, and he
sits on the board of directors of Idaho
Power Co. Johnson also is a writer
and a sculptor.
He has known Batt in various ca-
pacities over the years, but became
directly involved in Idaho Republi-
can Party affairs three years ago. At
that time, Johnson became part of
STRIDE, a project to develop a new
vision for the state's Republicans.
"That brought us together in a com-
mon effort, and he (Batt) agreed to
take the chairmanship of the Republi-
can Party," Johnson said. "He played
the pivotal role in bringing the Re-
publican party back into harmony."
While he will offer his own opin-
ions to the governor -elect, Johnson
has no doubt Batt will make up his
own mind on issues and appointments.
"He'll probably lean on the transi-
tion team for advice, but Phil Batt will
reserve the final decisions for him-
self," he said.
"If I had any singular motive, it is
to help the governor -elect set up a
good administration and deliver to
the people of Idaho the promises he
made during the campaign," Johnson
said.
Other members of the transition
team include former Idaho Gov. Rob-
ert E. Smylie, Rep. Michael Crapo,
R-Idaho, former Ore -Ida Foods chair-
man Gerald Herrick, state Rep. Pam
Ahrens, R-Boise, and former Idaho
Senate President Pro Tem Jim Risch.
7j e orsc kfQ m b e ) 7, Yq 9 µ
Batt names
McCall man
to his team
"If I had any singular
motive, it is to help the
governor-elect...deliver to
the people cf Idaho the
promises he made."
- Peter Johnson
BY TOM GROTE
The Star -News
Peter T. Johnson of McCall has
been named to the transition team that
will ease the move of Idaho Gov. -
elect Phil Batt into office.
Johnson is one of 13 people namel
by Batt, a Republican, to the transi-
tion team following his victory in the
Nov. 8 general election over Demo-
crat Larry EchoHawk...:
In an interview this week, Johnson
said he expects to advise Batt on en-
ergy and water issues, both in regard
to staffing of state agencies and prepa-
ration of legislation.
Johnson, 62, has lived full-time in
McCall since 1986, moving back to
his long-time family home after serv-
in? six years as administrator of the
Bonneville Power Administration i
Portland, Ore.
'Johnson previously served as presi-
dent and then chief executive officer
of what is now known as TJ Interna-
tional, a Boise -based wood -products
company. He left that company in
1979.
Locally, Johnson was the prime
mover behind state legislation in 1993
to form the Big Payette Lake Water
Quality Council, which is now study-
ing the water quality in Payette Lake.
Johnson chairs the council, which has
been meeting for the past 18 months.
He also has served on national
committees dealing with nuclear
power and other energy issues, and he
sits on the board of directors of Idaho
Power Co. Johnson also is a writer
and a sculptor.
He has known Batt in various ca-
pacities over the years, but became
directly involved in Idaho Republi-
can Party affairs three years ago. At
that time, Johnson became part of
STRIDE, a project to develop a new
vision for the state's Republicans.
"That brought us together in a com-
mon effort, and he (Batt) agreed to
take the chairmanship of the Republi-
can Party," Johnson said. "He played
the pivotal role in bringing the Re-
publican party back into harmony."
While he will offer his own opin-
ions to the governor -elect, Johnson
has no doubt Batt will make up his
own mind on issues and appointments.
"He'll probably lean on the transi-
tion team for advice, but Phil Batt will
reserve the final decisions for him-
self," he said.
"If I had any singular motive, it is
to help the governor -elect set up a
good administration and deliver to
the people of Idaho the promises he
made during the campaign," Johnson
said.
Other members of the transition
team include former Idaho Gov. Rob-
ert E. Smylie, Rep. Michael Crapo,
R-Idaho, former Ore -Ida Foods chair-
man Gerald Herrick, state Rep. Pam
Ahrens, R-Boise, and former Idaho
Senate President Pro Tem Jim Risch.
ar eiys
Widlife refuge
named after
Peter Johnson
The name of McCall resident Peter
T. Johnson was placed last week on a
new 60,000-acre conservation project
where the Snake and Salmon rivers
meet.
The new Peter T. Johnson Wildlife
Mitigation Unit is located on Craig
Mountain, 25 miles south of Lewiston.
In a ceremony Friday at the
Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center in
Boise, representatives from the
Bonneville Power Administration of-
ficially transferred the property to the
State of Idaho and dedicated a sign
that will welcome visitors.
The Idaho Department of Fish and
Game will manage the ranch as part of
the Craig Mountain Wildlife Man-
agement Area. In combination with
adjacent BLM and The Nature Con-
servancy lands, the Craig Mountain
Area comprises, a unique ecosystem
of aver 00,0,.,.4 acres.
"This Mitigation Unit, an action
to mollify and lessen Dworshak
Reservoir's impacts on wildlife, dem-
onstrates the region's long-term
willingness to protect and enhance
wildlife," said Johnson, who was BPA
administrator from 1981 to 1986.
"I am deeply honored that my
name has been chosen as a symbol of
the countless persons who have
worked tirelessly to conceive of the
idea of wildlife mitigation, translate it
into federal law, locate this unique
parcel of Idaho, negotiate the endless
details, develop a vision and plan, and
effect this historic transaction between
the Nez Perce Indian Nation, BPA
and the Idaho Department of Fish and
Game," Johnson said.
Johnson was instrumental in be-
ginning BPA's fish and wildlife
protection, mitigation and enhance-
ment program, now the world's largest
such effort.
"The acquisition of this mitigation
land ensures that wildlife habitat and
public access for Idaho sportsmen
and women and Nez Perce tribal mem-
bers will exist for future generations,"
said Keith Carlson, chair of the Idaho
Fish and Game Commission.
"The Dworshak facility has killed
several hundred deer and elk since
1971 when the pool was created, and
I am pleased to finally see appropriate
wildlife mitigation implemented,"
said Samuel N. Penney, chair of the
Nez Perce Tribe.
The Nez Perce tribe, along with
BPA and the F&G, signed the
Dworshak Wildlife Mitigation Agree-
ment in 1992 to help replace wildlife
habitat lost at Dworshak Reservoir.
Gates at the Dworshak Dam and Res-
ervoir were closed in 1971, flooding
thousands of acres of low elevation
wildlife habitat.
"This is the ideal arrangement for
getting results to protect wildlife,"
said Randy Hardy, the current BPA
administrator. "It's biologically sound
and fiscally responsible. With a very
cost effective deal for the ratepayers,
the region gains an entire ecosystem
benefiting wildlife."
Hardy also announced the forma-
tion of the Peter T. Johnson/Craig
Mountain internship, which will fund
a college student to research and study
the area each summer.
At least 15 special status wildlife
species live in the Peter T. Johnson
Wildlife area, including three amphib-
ians, one reptile, eight birds and three
mammals. These are among over 200
wildlife species found on the moun-
tain, including elk, black bear, deer,
cougar, bighorn sheep and birds rang-
ing from blue and ruffed grouse to
Hungarian partridge.
Johnson currently is chairman of
the Big Payette Lake Water Quality
Council, a state -sanctioned board
charged with protecting the water
quality of Payette Lake.
He is the former president and chief
executive officer of Trus Joist Corp.,
now TJ International, and a former
director of what is now West One
Bank of Idaho.
In addition to his civic contribu-
tions, he is pursuing a creative career
which includes sculpting, writing,
painting and music.
Star -News News Page_Lead Story Page 1 of 1
Payette Lake water -quality advocate
Peter Johnson dies at age 82
BY TOM GROTB
The Star -News
Peter Johnson, who spearheaded a campaign in the 1990s to protect the water quality of Payette
Lake, died Sunday at his Boise home. Johnson, 82, had tong battled Parkinson's Disease.
He was known statewide and regionally as the former chief of the Bonneville Power
Administration and chairman of Trus Joist Corp. but his work with Payette Lake was his
local legacy.
"Peter could not be intimidated," said Bill Weida, who served with Johnson on the Big
Payette Lake Vtfater Quality Council, which Johnson helped form.
Pete 4,14uuscu
"He was single-minded in his focus and desire to protect the lake for the future use of our
residents and for the good of our economy; Weida said.
Johnson was respectful of ati sides but adept at getting people to take action to protect the ake, said
Leslie Freeman, a former state water -quality specialist who worked with the water council.
"He felt that with education, people would be more inclined to do the right thing in terms of lake
stewardship," Freeman said.
Johnson's dedication to Payette Lake's water quality was spurred around 1990 by a case of giardia
that he contracted from drinking water drawn from the lake, Weida said.
That led to a series of events that culminated in 1593, when at Johnson's urging the Idaho Legislature
formed the Big Payette Lake Water Quality Council. Among the council's missions was to develop a
management plan for the lake, which it did in 1997.
Voluntary Measures
The council focused on voluntary measures to protect the lake, from which the city of McCall draws its
drinking water.
Those measures included advising boaters to avoid gasoline spills while fueling and urging lakeside
home owners to replace fertilized lawns with natural vegetation.
The council also supported efforts to reduce pollution from groundwater running off ivicCali streets into
the lake and to eradicate milfoil, a fast-growing weed that robs oxygen from the water.
Regular testing of the lake also was started by the council to ensure oxygen levels were adequate to
support fish and other aquatic life.
Johnson took pains to be sure various local, state and federal agencies were aware of what the others
were doing in Payette Lake, Freeman said.
The water council was replaced in 2004 by the Big Payette Lake Watershed Advisory Group, and
Johnson served on the new group until his death.
"During the development frenzy in fvic.Call from 2008 to 2008., when the citizens of McCall could have
lost everything, Peter was a giant presence in defense of the lake," Weida said.
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