Christopher Bird, Army 4.25.23

Dear FOIA Officer:

You are receiving this correspondence as a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting the following:

Copies of all records, documents, and correspondence responsive to Christopher O. Bird (May 11, 1928-May 2, 1996). Mr. Bird was a New York Times best-selling author who co-wrote "The Secret Life of Plants: A Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Men" with journalist Peter Tompkins in 1973. According to his New York Times obituary, attached, Mr. Bird served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media. A fee waiver is appropriate where disclosure of requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government. Per Mr. Bird's obituary, he was in the Army at some point during the 1960s and/or the 1970s, based on the reference to the Vietnam War. This is important because he may have been on active-duty or in the reserve when his book "The Secret Life of Plants" was published. In the book, Mr. Bird discusses extrasensory perception and other unusual phenomena. Between 1972 and 1995, the Army was one of several branches of the military that participated in research involving extrasensory perception and remote viewing, first in collaboration with the Stanford Research Institute (later SRI International) and then as part of a program organized under the Defense Intelligence Agency known as the Star Gate Project. Mr. Bird's Army records would contribute greatly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the Army in this area, both in regard to the type of work the Army may have contributed to Star Gate (the program was discontinued in 1995) and possible budget appropriations for defense spending.

There is no expectation of a violation of Mr. Bird's privacy, as he passed away in 1996. I have attached a reproduction of Mr. Bird's obituary, published in The New York Times on May 06, 1996.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

In the event that there are fees, I am willing to pay up to $100. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as the statute requires. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.