quote:

My reply to the Ad Council, Forest Service (including copies to local and regional folks) and the National Association of State Foresters (including a copy to Utah's State Forester). Thanks to the rest for your wording which I shamelessly stole!

Fred


To Whom it may concern:

I recently viewed the new Smokey Bear public service announcements found on www.stateforesters.org and sponsored jointly by the Ad Council, the USDA Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters. While the PSAs were clever and well produced, I found the segment dealing with all-terrain vehicles and fire prevention to be offensive and lacking a factual basis.

The PSA implies that the act of starting any ATV will produce sparks sufficient to start a wildfire. That is simply untrue. A properly maintained ATV, with the required spark arrestor in place, does not present the fire hazard discussed in the PSA. To the best of my knowledge, there is no documented instance of an ATV, with the proper equipment (spark arrestor) installed, having started a wildfire by simply being started on public lands. Implying otherwise is irresponsible and dishonest, and is a misrepresentation of the facts.

In the absence of documented evidence that starting an ATV on a cleared, unvegetated parking area (as depicted in the ad) will start a wildfire, I would request that the ad be immediately pulled from circulation. In its present configuration, this ad is most certainly not a "Public Service Announcement" but is a blatant, malicious attack on motorized recreation and the millions of responsible American families who safely and responsibly ride ATVs, and appears to be more directed at advancing an "anti-motorized" political agenda than at educating the public. The Ad Council, the USDA Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters should be embarrassed by this ad.

Fred

quote:

The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to media outlets nationwide this week. Per the Ad Council's model, the PSAs are airing and running in advertising time that is donated by the media. Since 1980, the Wildfire Prevention campaign has received more than $1 billion in donated advertising time and space. The campaign is the longest-running PSA campaign in U.S. history.

quote:

"In its present configuration, this ad is most certainly not a "Public Service Announcement" but is a blatant, malicious attack on motorized recreation and the millions of responsible American families who safely and responsibly ride ATVs, and appears to be more directed at advancing an "anti-motorized" political agenda than at educating the public. "