Curtis Boland (Buff)
Appearances
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Back in those days, both sides of the aisle worked together. Although I was appointed by a Republican, I've always been nonpolitical entirely. I could work with the Democrats across the aisle. And it was a whole different way of life then.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Everywhere you look, there's pressure on wildlife. that will be detrimental.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
But despite that urgency, Buff says, You'd never get this act through the Congress. Period. Period. No way. There'd be a greater awareness, perhaps, of what such an act would do. And it's bound to hurt constituents in every state.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Formally, I'm Curtis Boland, but I'm known as Buff. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Well, let's see. Right now, I'm only 95.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
And then drove the ambulance all the way back here to New England and used it skiing and camping. Duck shooting.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
I had a student approach me. To try to convince me we had to do something about saving the great whales.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Whales were really in trouble, and something needed to be done about it.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
I got a call. You better get your butt down very quickly here because— One of the White House people has moved into the secretary's office and is firing him and all his staff.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Thing is, it was a weekend and... I didn't get around to doing that, and on Monday it was printed and became law. So that's the basis of how the eight species of great whales got on the endangered list.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Several of us got together and decided we needed to... amend that act and the more we got into trying to amend it the more we realized what was really needed was a brand new act as buff got to thinking about what the law needed to save wildlife the political and social moment was ripe for this kind of legislation the time has come
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
These problems will not stand still for politics or for partisanship.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
I had to testify a number of times for the act. And I organized, for instance, some of the top scientists in the country to come and testify in favor of the act. What was the sentiment in Congress towards the act?
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Maybe some people may have never read it, which is not uncommon on the Hill. And I guess they didn't really understand the strength of it.
Up First from NPR
The Wide Open
Probably only five or six of us understood the impact of that one section of the act.