4 thoughts on “Happy Belated Birthday, Smokey!”

  1. I’m writing an editorial for The Forestry Source entitled, “Smokey Bear at 75: Still in His Prime.” FYI:

    * Visit the National Association of Forest Service Retirees’ collection of historical Smokey public service announcements with the voices of big stars of movies and music such as Roy Rogers, Bing Crosby, Barbara Stanwyck, Dinah Shore, and Walter Brennan (tinyurl.com/yy6uxpm5).

    * “Smokey Bear: From Idea to Icon,” by James G. Lewis, editor of Forest History Today, the Forest History Society’s magazine, at tinyurl.com/y3bs5ooq.

    Reply
  2. Here’s a friendly reminder that Smokey Bear and the U.S. Forest Service used to tell the American people that 30 million acres would be burned annually in wildfires annually.

    Now, the USFS calls 10 million acres burned “record breaking” in part because most all pre-1960 wildfire stats were purged from various government websites during the Mark Rey/Bush 2 years.

    Finally, never forget this….

    P.S. Or this…

    Reply
  3. Sadly, judging by Facebook comments, Americans on both political extremes see conspiracy theories in the Forest Service. There aren’t very many who believe in site-specific science or middle-of-the-road solutions. We’re stuck with a dumb American public, and the lawmakers who represent them. Both extremes love their ridiculous slogans and favorite insults. Both sides don’t want to moderate their extremists. We’re just stuck, until a younger generation rejects these slanted icons of authority and accepts the ugly truths that are happening today.

    Reply

Leave a Comment