Julie Archer
Gas Rush
This series consists of original digital audio interview recordings and selected CD listening copies relating to the Carrie and Michael Kline's documenting the wide spectrum of citizen opinion about natural gas extraction (Fracking / hydraulic fracturing) in Northcentral West Virginia mainly during 2014 and 2015. The interviews were drawn upon for use in the 8-minute audio feature Pay Dirt. Originals are housed with the Michael and Carrie Nobel Kline Collection at the Berea College Special Collections and Archives.
To browse this collection and others, please visit the Berea College Special Collections & Archives: https://bereaarchives.libraryhost.com/
Adept Word Management
Julie Archer was born on January 31, 1971, and is a native of West Virginia. She grew up near Parkersburg, in a suburb called Vienna. Her father, Gary Archer, worked in a heating and insulating plant and was involved in union organizing, which influenced Julie's early exposure to activism. Her mother, Karen Carpenter Archer, originally from Iowa, met Gary while working at the Pentagon during the Vietnam War. Julie pursued a degree in biology and developed an interest in environmental issues during college. She briefly worked as a lab technician before becoming actively involved with Citizen Action and the West Virginia Environmental Council. Julie later became the project manager for the West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization. She currently resides in Lincoln County with her husband, whom she met in college. Julie's career has been marked by her commitment to environmental advocacy and the rights of landowners in West Virginia.
Scope and Content Note
The interview with Julie Archer, Director of West Virginia Surface Rights Organization, conducted on September 5, 2013, by Michael and Carrie Kline, covers various aspects of her life and work. Julie discusses her upbringing in West Virginia and the influence of her father's union activities on her early political and activist inclinations. She details her educational background in biology and her growing interest in environmental issues, which led her to work with Citizen Action and, later, the West Virginia Environmental Council. Julie recounts her personal experiences dealing with oil and gas companies, which spurred her involvement with the West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization. The interview also explores the challenges faced by landowners in West Virginia due to increased drilling activities, particularly with the rise of Marcellus shale drilling. Julie describes the efforts to pass a Surface Owners’ Bill of Rights and the ongoing struggles to ensure landowners' rights and compensation. The interview provides insights into the socio-economic and environmental impacts of drilling in West Virginia, highlighting the complexities of balancing energy development with landowner rights and environmental stewardship.
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