“Only you can prevent wildfires.” We all know the mantra
well because it’s been Smokey Bear’s slogan for the past 73 years.
Whether you’ve seen him holding a fire danger sign at the entrance of a
national forest or praising fire safety on TV, he deserves more
attention than ever in light of a recent uptick in wildfires. Luckily,
his new public service announcements are
lit enough to
spark some interest. Partly to raise awareness about the little-known causes of wildfires
and partly to bring Smokey Bear up to speed, the U.S. Forest Service and
the National Association of State Foresters partnered with the Ad
Council to revamp Smokey’s image. Thanks to new artwork by Brian Edward
Miller, Evan Hecox, Janna Mattia, and Victoria Ying and social profiles
on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snaphat, Smokey Bear is now fully
emerged in the 21st century...
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Now, if they would just turn Smokey loose to properly manage our forests, his real image wouldn't look like this:
2 comments:
The blame for these large forest fires lies directly on the lap of the never cut a tree believers. When the forest was managed for timber, water and wildlife the fires when they started were usually contained in a orderly manner. Of course when we have dry winters then the forest usually burns. 40 years ago the burns occurred in wilderness typed areas where no management was done. Then the never cut a tree types put a stop to the control of bark beetle and millions of acres of timber was decimated by this pest. This red needle result has also contributed to massive wild fires. The brush fires in California is another matter. California has always had a rash of fall and summer fires due in part to their weather patterns. But never have the fires gotten this large and this is due to multiple starts caused IMO by arsonists (you can guess from where). Multiple starts during the windy season overloads fire fighting capabilities immediately. Large urban development also adds to the burden since resources are relegated to defending homes. California can manage their brush fields to lessen the possibility of catastrophic fires. But their NIMBY attitude to wildlands management has put a stop on all efforts.
excellent comments, posted them on my facebook page
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