After being disgraced for financial improprieties and for selling to Subaru Motor Company the use of the Smokey Bear character for promotional purposes, the National Forest Foundation disappeared off the face of the earth. Their web site was taken off the internet and NFF remained in hiding for nearly two years. Well.... they are back!

To get a concept of who they are, here is a short quote from their own "About Us" web page:

NFF was created in 1990 by the United States Congress, pursuant to  Public Law No. 101-593 to serve as the official non-profit partner of the USDA Forest Service.

NFF is charged with: accepting and administering private contributions;

   undertaking activities that further the purposes for which the National Forest System was established; and

   conducting educational, technical, and other activities that support the multiple use, research, and forestry programs administered by the Forest Service.

And here is a link to those resources NFF considers of greatest importance.

Under the heading "Recreation" just two names are provided:

   American Recreation Coalition
   American Hiking Society

Under the heading "Collaborative Forest Stewardship" only the following links are provided:

   USDA FS State and Private Forestry: Cooperative forestry
   Rogue Institute for Ecology and Economy
   Pinchot Institute for Conservation
   Sustainable Communities Network
   Society of American Foresters
   National Association of State Foresters
   American Forest Foundation
   American Forests

And to quote from their web site one last time:

"The NFF is particularly interested in projects that address the rising demand for outdoor recreation in national forests ..."

None of what you've just read does more than hint at the dark side of NFF....

... but in the article titled, "Playing With the Big Boys", investigative reporter  Renee Menus, shined an intense beam upon NFF and exposed a very dark side indeed.

Oh... there is one more thing that is pretty important. On February 2, 1995, Derrick Crandall (President of the American Recreation Coalition) filed a document with the Commonwealth of Virginia. In that document he requested to have his own name removed from NFF's corporate charter where he was, at the time, listed as NFF's President. See for youself.

Scott 

Comments (0) >>

Write comment

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment