Bookmark this page or copy and paste URL to Email message

Don Lyngholm Papers

NAU.MS.229
NAU.PH.95.55

Biographical Note

Donavon Lyngholm, 1927-1993, was a range scientist and active environmentalist. Born January 27, 1927 in Sidney, Nebraska he attended college at Colorado State University and graduated from the Fort Collins school in 1950 with a degree in range science. After a stint in the United States Army, he went to work for the federal government as a range scientist. He began his work with the Forest Service and later transferred to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. His last assignment was to the Joint Use Land office in Flagstaff where he lived and worked until his retirement in 1982. After his retirement Don continued to work as a private range science consultant, Sierra Club trip leader and volunteer researcher for environmental issues. Don Lyngholm passed away May 12, 1993.

In addition to his work as a range scientist Don was strongly supportive of wilderness preservation. In the early 1970s he helped found the Four Corners Wilderness Workshop. He helped edit and publish the groups' newsletter. Don was also active in the Sierra Club. As a trip leader for the Sierra Club he led trips to the Navajo reservation as well as wilderness areas throughout the four corners region.

In the early 1980s Don represented the Sierra Club on the Arizona Wilderness Coalition. This group was comprised of representatives from environmental and grass root groups and was instrumental in the passage of the 1984 Arizona Wilderness Bill. Don's concern and love for the environment are reflected in his collection.

Scope and Content Note

The Donavon Lyngholm papers consists of reports, newsletter, articles and scientific data concerning issues of wilderness preservation and range management in the southwestern United States. The section on wilderness information includes area specific reports and comments from federal agencies (the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service and the Forest Service) and environmental groups (the Sierra Club, the Four Corners Wilderness Workshop and the Arizona Wilderness Coalition). The range management material includes reports prepared for the Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Commission and several northern Arizona ranches.

Series one and two contain records relating to the evaluation process for the establishment of wilderness areas that took place in the southwestern United States from 1970-1992. Important here is the documentation of the process for the passage of the 1984 Arizona Wilderness Bill.

Series one has been divided into four subseries: subseries 1 contains material concerning general and philosophical wilderness issues; subseries 2-4 contain material about specific wilderness units. Subseries 2-4 are divided into agencies -- Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service -- within each agency the material has been arranged alphabetically by state and then by wilderness site. For example Arizona - Kaibab National Forest - Wilderness. These records are area specific. Within these files can be found agency reports, environmental group reports, public comments and correspondence. Many of the agency reports are wilderness inventories that occurred in the early 1970s. Some of this material was available only by request and provides difficult to find information.

The second series contains material from environmental organizations. These files have been arranged alphabetically by group. Important here are the records generated by local environmental groups. One group that stands out is the Four Corners Wilderness Workshop. Headquartered in Farmington, New Mexico the membership consisted of people from the four corner states. The group began publishing a newsletter in 1970 and continued for 16 years. They were instrumental in pushing for the creation of the Bisti Wilderness area, as well as being active in the RARE I and II wilderness surveys.

The Arizona Wilderness Coalition files are also significant. Established in the early 1980s the group was comprised of representatives from many Arizona environmental organizations. There goal was to help create wilderness legislation for the state. They were instrumental in the passage of the Arizona Wilderness Bill of 1984. Lyngholm was an active member of the coalition.

The other large section of material was from Lyngholm's association with the Sierra Club. Lyngholm was a Sierra Club trip leader for hiking trips throughout the southwest. He lead trips to Dark Canyon, the Paria, Gila Wilderness, Canyon de Chelly, and the Lukachukai mountains. Many of these files contain information about these trips -- participants, itineraries and diaries. The series also contains one box of Sierra Club material related to general wilderness issues in the southwest. Finally, series two contains incomplete runs of newsletters from grass roots groups, such as Save the Gila Wilderness and Friends of Walnut Canyon.

Finally, correspondence from senators and congressman such as Dennis Deconcini, Gary Hart, Barry Goldwater, Morris Udall, Bob Stump and John McCain can be found scattered throughout the first two series.

Series three contains material generated by Lyngholm's consulting work with the Navajo and Hopi Indian Joint Use Commission. In addition to written reports concerning range conditions he also collected articles and other information concerning this divisive Indian country issue. The series also contains raw scientific data that he gathered in the field.

Series four consists of materials related to Lyngholm's work as a range scientist. Included here are reports about different range management systems, articles and data collected. Also material exists related to his consulting work.

Series five, consists of one box of personal letters and documents. Many of the letters are from people that accompanied Lyngholm on his Sierra Club trips.

The photograph collection consists of thousand of pictures taken by Don Lyngholm on his adventures through northern Arizona.

organziation

Restrictions

Restrictions

None.

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Related Material

Access Points

Administrative Information

Credit Line

Don Lyngholm Papers, NAU.MS.229, Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Dept.

Don Lyngholm Papers, NAU.PH.95.55, Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Dept.

Container List