Evergreen Magazine Interview, March-April, 1994

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Anderson, Chris 1994. "Forest of Voices," Evergreen Magazine. March-April: 23-25.

Peterson, James 1994a. "Voices in the Forest: An Interview with Bob Zybach [PDF file: 2.67 mb.]," Evergreen Magazine. March-April: 7-22.

Peterson, James 1994b. "In This Issue," Evergreen Magazine. March-April: 3-6.

Peterson, James 1994c. "In Our Opinion: Judge Jackson and theClinton Forest Plan," Evergreen Magazine. March-April: 32.

Stout, Benjamin 1994. "Testimony of Benjamin Stout," Evergreen Magazine. March-April: 29-31.

This interview was conducted by Jim Peterson, editor, chief feature writer, and photographer of Evergreen Magazine, which is now avilable online. The focus of the interview was the Clinton Plan for Northwest Forests, and how the basic assumptions and conclusions of the plan were marred by incomplete and erroneous forest history and catastrophic wildfire research. Uncontrollable catastrophic-scale forest wildfires and other failures are predicted as outcomes if the plan is implemented as outlined. A Peterson introductory piece and concluding editorial, excerpts from a Chris Anderson essay, and published public testimony by Benjamin Stout also focus on Zybach's research in relation to these topics.

NOTE: The excellent centerfold repeat photography piece by Peterson and photographer Mike McMurray, comparing the 1929 and 1935 Osborne panoramas from Lava Butte in central Oregon and Kloshe Nanitch Lookout on the Olympic Peninsula with 1993 panoramas taken by McMurray, is not included with the PDF file. Readers will have to locate the actual magazine to view those photos.

Excerpt:

I share the concerns of Dr. Oliver and other forest scientists who fear catastrophic wildfire. There is a tremendous amount of dead and dying material in our forests today [regarding beetle-kill on the Santiam Pass, Oregon and in Idaho, and fire-kill from the 1987 Silver Complex], a partial result of the long ago made decision to put out wildfires. If these forests are not thinned, you will see wildfires reminiscent of the Tillamook Burn, the 1910 fires, and the Yellowstone fire. I don't think the public is willing to accept the loss of life and the loss of forests associatd with fires this big, and it will not matter to most people that the government's scientists think these fires are "good" because they are "natural" (Peterson 1994a: 22).