Here it is: the flagship issue of The Double-Cone Quarterly, a journal dedicated to central California's wonderful Ventana Wilderness Area and the wild and public lands which surround it.

The idea for the DCQ grew out of another feature which you've probably seen at this site - the Ventana Wilderness ForumBoard. The ForumBoard has enjoyed the success it has for three main reasons: it's informative, it's interactive, and it changes regularly. There's always something new. The DCQ is being formed around these same key premises, only utilizing a larger and more flexible format which allows graphics and feature-length articles to be shared without the vexing restrictions of the cgi interface inherent to the ForumBoard. Granted it isn't as immediate, free-flowing and forum-oriented, but the ForumBoard will remain to fill that need. The key similarity between the two - and this is important - is that they both will be dependant upon visitor input for their content. The current issue, as you'll see, is a little light in this regard, but the idea for this journal was hatched only a couple of weeks ago and the fact that the plan is to bring it out on the equinoxes and solstices didn't leave us much time to solicit material. So cut us some slack.

All that said, we hope you enjoy what we've pulled together here in the first issue of the Double-Cone Quarterly. But if you find it lacking, then by all means put your mind, pencil and camera toward the subject of your choice before the next issue rolls around and show us properly how it's done. At the very least a letter to the editor either heaping kudos or taking us to task is in order, so let's hear it.

The Double-Cone Quarterly is published four times a year, on the equinoxes and solstices, and can be obtained free of charge by anyone with an internet connection who steers their browser to http://ventanawild.org/news/news.html.