Starting Forest Planning magazine was exciting, but after six years of 16-hour days on practically no pay, I was burnt out. Receiving the Neuberger Award was an indication that I was on the right track, but my actual accomplishments had been nearly nil.
The Forest Service had rejected the Oregon State Board of Forestry’s plan, but I had little to do with that. The state legislature had rejected my bill to reform the board and the governor had refused to appoint me to the board. The BLM had responded to my criticisms by building a brick wall around itself. The Forest Service was more open to discussion but hadn’t made any visible changes in response to my reviews of unit plans and timber management plans. On top of this, flunking the exam required to go on to get a Ph.D. in economics was dispiriting.
My friends James and Ellen, grateful for me getting the Forest Service to cancel the timber sale in their watershed because it was in a roadless area, offered to fix up one of their cabins for me to live in and recuperate. By this time, Miss Vickie, the woman I had met on the San Francisco Zephyr, and I were a couple, and she agreed to move down with me. Continue reading
