Smoky the Bear needs money. His allowance has been shrinking since 1995, when the Forest Service's recreation budget was cut by more than $100 million. Money for new trail construction was slashed by a third, and the trail maintenance budget disappeared altogether. Simultaneously, timber receipts have dwindled, further reducing available funds. Use of USFS land, on the other hand, has grown significantly. In five short years, visits to national forests increased from 598 million (1991) to 859 million (1996). Serving more users with less money has proven too difficult a task, so the Forest Service has gotten creative. Since Congress won't send the money to Smoky, Smoky has gone where the money is - with the government's blessing.
Created by Congress, the National Forest Foundation is the official nonprofit partner of the Forest Service. Its mission is to "…help care for the Nation's forests, and build a better future for America." According to the NFF web site, "The Forest Service is prohibited by law from soliciting outside funding and the Foundation is expressly permitted to fulfill that function." To do so, it solicits funds from the private sector for challenge-cost share projects and "…attracts corporate sponsors, other foundations and individuals with the incentive of matching funds that are made available from Congress." Thanks to NFF, over 80 challenge-cost share grants have been awarded for a wide variety of projects ranging from "…reconstruction and maintenance of campgrounds to fisheries habitat improvement and interpretive displays," explain NFF materials. Kelly Andersson, an NFF member and contributing editor of Wildland Firefighter magazine, praised the foundation's efforts to "…step in and make a difference." She is particularly enamoured with the Firefighter Fund, which offers financial assistance to injured firefighters and to families of firefighters killed on the job, and the Firefighters' Scholarship program.
The Foundation's outreach programs stretch further than the fire line. Conservation programs have been undertaken to restore waterfowl wetland habitat in Louisiana, butterfly habitat in Michigan, elk habitat in New Mexico and Atlantic salmon habitat in Vermont. In Oregon, Foundation projects include three miles of improvements to the McDonald Canal in the Talent Irrigation District, which supports coho salmon, steelhead trout and resident rainbow trout. Another fish habitat restoration project made its way to the Riverkeeper-Salmon River in the Mt. Hood National Forest. The Oregon Dunes Enhancement project in the Siuslaw National Forest includes the creation of six acres of ponds, and the establishment of an off-highway vehicle (OHV) route to keep OHVs away from wetland habitats.
Andersson is proud of these and many other NFF projects, which cost more than the Forest Service can pay. "Do the math, and you'll recognize the inescapable fact that the money has to come from somewhere," she explained. "The pittance in recently-established trail fees just isn't going to cut it. Congress is not going to plow millions into habitat and conservation like they did the timber programs." She is pleased that the private sector and corporate world are willing to fill the gaps in funding, saying "Corporate money is the answer, and the foundation gets it and puts it to work."
But that money often comes with strings attached. Conservation programs, as environmentally valuable as they are, are not revenue-producing ventures. Corporate shareholders expect a return on investments, and the NFF is obliging. According to its web site, "The Foundation has had meetings with two major corporations to discuss the connection between people who visit the forests and their products and how a partnership can be formed to promote both entities while generating funds for the Foundation programs."
One such partnership was recently halted in its tracks when the Inspector General of the Agriculture Department got wind of it. In a September 8, 1997 press release, Subaru announced that it had forged a two-year partnership with the National Forest Foundation to "…improve conservation efforts and benefit those who recreate in our National Forests." According to an Agriculture Department report issued in mid-February, the Forest Service received 34 Subaru Forester sport utility vehicles to be used in forest areas that were near Subaru's prime marketing areas. Subaru also donated $25,000 to the National Forest Foundation and pledged to donate another $150 for each Forester purchased by a foundation member. In return, the report said, the Forester was declared the official car of the National Forest Foundation, and the Forest Service agreed to promote the company by prominently displaying Subaru's logo on Forest Service vehicles stationed near major tourist areas around the country, including Colorado ski areas. More importantly, Smokey the Bear was slated to appear at ten auto shows. At a Philadelphia auto show, children had their pictures taken with Smokey, then received the photos in a magnetic Subaru frame decorated with bear tracks.
Smokey had attended at least five auto shows by the time the Agriculture Department condemned his moonlighting, which turned out to be a violation of Forest Service policy. The report said "…Smokey Bear is to be used only in the context of wildfire prevention and at events that focus on outdoor fire safety or wildland fire prevention," and concluded, "Auto shows do not focus on outdoor fire safety or wildland fire prevention."
Forest Service spokesperson Denver James said, "After we read the inspector general's report and their assessment, we agreed that it was inappropriate." But Subaru spokesman Richard Marshall saw no conflict, saying, "It wasn't like Smokey Bear was wearing a Subaru uniform and had a Subaru hat on."
Some corporate benefits are less blatant than the Subaru/Smokey connection, but onerous nonetheless. Wally Smith, President and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc., serves as Treasurer of the National Forest Foundation. As part of another public/private partnership, two REI stores in Seattle and Salt Lake City house Outdoor Recreation Information Centers. In fact, the federal Outdoor Recreation Information Center was relocated from Seattle's Jackson Federal Building into REI's flagship store. In a June 8 speech to the American Recreation Coalition (ARC), USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment James Lyons praised the exclusive arrangement, "…which provides REI customers with information about recreation opportunities on their national forests and national parks at convenient locations." He continued, "Of course, while they're there, they can also pick up the equipment they might need for that outdoor adventure." Lyons was, in essence, preaching to the choir: ARC represents recreational interests including RV, ATV, snowmobile, jet-ski and outdoor gear manufacturers; big game hunting societies; private concessionaires who operate campgrounds, ski resorts, stores and marinas on public lands; and theme park owners, including Walt Disney Corporation.
In fact, Derrick Crandall, ARC President, served on the NFF's National Advisory Board until recently. His organization and its members have seen substantial benefit from ARC's relationship with the foundation and the Forest Service. The recreation fee demo program, which charges forest visitors a trailhead fee, was instigated by the ARC as challenge cost-share program with the Forest Service. In supporting the fee demo program, ARC web site materials state, "A fee system that fails to recognize that Americans are willing to pay for good services and facilities starves agencies financially, making them rely upon a political allocation of funding." Unfortunately, providing "good services and facilities" may require developing our national forests.
Savvy marketers realize that habitat and conservation projects are not bankable ventures. A fenced-off wetland provides less enjoyment than an exhilarating snowmobile ride through the wilderness or a fast run down a groomed ski hill. Americans expect more for their money than raw nature, and some NFF projects reflect this trend. California's Lake Tahoe Stream Profile Chamber was recently renovated to provide visitors with a better view of the stream environment. The project involved "…diverting a section of stream through a panel of aquarium-like windows," according to NFF member and enthusiast Kelly Andersson, who points out the fact that "The center attracts between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors annually."
This type of project not only increases access to nature, but also increases success rates, which is an important component of some Foundation projects. According to an NFF description of its Little Truckee River Instream Restoration Project in the Tahoe National Forest, "the project will increase success rates for anglers." Wildlife viewers in Colorado can also expect a heightened success rate in the White River National Forest, thanks to the Maroon Valley Rehabilitation Project, which will "purchase spotting scopes and construct a Watchable Wildlife wayside…". In Kentucky, wildlife watchers on the Daniel Boone National Forest can up their chances with "…an elevated deck and viewing scope to improve observation opportunities of Canada geese and other waterfowl within a wetlands environment." A project in Colorado's Pike-San Isabel National Forest to increase habitat for bighorn sheep and reduce their stress levels could improve big-game hunters' chances of success as well. Judging from NFF descriptions of their conservation projects, many of them seem to have been undertaken as much for their human entertainment value as for their habitat restoration qualities. It is not enough to simply increase dwindling populations: visitors must be visually entertained with the evidence. An analysis of NFF's membership roster helps connect the dots: well-funded groups representing fishing, wildlife viewing and trophy hunting interests have all joined the club.
Many other members benefit from NFF projects that increase human access to the wilderness, including recreational vehicle manufacturers. Construction of ATV trails provide more places for motorized recreational vehicles to go, and campground upgrades provide additional RV amenities, such as electricity, sewer hook-ups and paved, enlarged sites for modern, bigger RVs. In essence, these improvements allow the Forest Service and private concessionaires to sell products and services to national forest visitors. In fact, James Lyons has praised the recreation community for exactly these efforts. In his June 8 speech to the American Recreation Coalition, he exclaimed, "We've got a great product to sell. And, with your help, we can make it even better!" Lyons said, "We're looking toward the private sector to provide more support for national forest recreation - for an expanded partnership with those who realize an economic benefit from recreation on the public lands. In this way, you can help us help you - (as Jerry McGuire said) expand your business opportunities while helping us expand recreation opportunities on the national forests."
Sometimes NFF members receive benefits in the form of Forest Service policy in addition to NFF improvement projects. A recent controversy involving rockbolting in Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness caught the interest of Wally Smith, REI President and NFF Treasurer. Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck ruled that the placement of permanent fixed anchors in designated wilderness areas violated the Wilderness Act, which requires that wilderness areas remain free of man-made improvements. In making his decision, he relied on two earlier USDA General Counsel opinions in 1990 and 1992, which advised the agency that rockbolting in wilderness areas was illegal. In a June 18 letter to the USDA's James Lyons, Smith, whose company sells rock climbing equipment, asked Lyons to overturn Dombeck's decision. He specifically requested "For the Forest Service to clarify…that the Sawtooth decision is a local, and not a national ruling or policy" and "For the Forest Service to address this issue via the formal and proper rule-making process."
Lyons received another letter on August 11, this time from Bill Worf, President of Wilderness Watch. A 33 year veteran of the Forest Service, Worf served on the 1964 task force that wrote the Wilderness Act. He encouraged Lyons to support Dombeck's decision, which he said was in keeping with both the spirit and the letter of the Wilderness Act. He concluded, "…a round of rulemaking will resolve nothing. Permanent anchors will still violate the Wilderness Act, and those who want to use them will still refuse to accept this fact."
An August 14 USDA news release explained the outcome. "Jim Lyons announced today that he is instructing USDA's Forest Service to initiate a negotiated rulemaking to clarify national policy about permanent fixed anchors for rock climbing in National Forest wilderness areas. This announcement means that fixed anchors will be allowed in most wilderness areas during the rulemaking process." The press release further explained that the rockbolting ban in the Sawtooth Wilderness would remain intact, but the activity would be allowed in all other wilderness areas. Ultimately, REI retained the use of rockbolting in all but one wilderness area. When all was said and done, Smith got exactly what he asked for.
It is apparent that Foundation members have not only benefited greatly from public/private partnerships and NFF projects, but that they have been given a voice in determining Forest Service policy. Considering the benefits the recreation community has gotten in return for its NFF membership, one wonders what sort of return rate other members can expect and whether the conservation needs of the forest will carry as much weight as the economic interests of the members.
According to a July 1 report by The Wilderness Society, threats facing the 15 most endangered wildlands in the country "…include oil drilling, clearcutting, motorized use, and roadbuilding, among others." Corporations that support expansion of all these activities are represented on the National Forest Foundation's Board of Directors. Vice Chairman Ralph E. Bailey is the retired Chairman and CEO of Conoco, Inc., a petroleum company, and he is a member of the National Petroleum Council. Presently, he serves as Chairman of American Bailey Corporation, a privately-held investment company. James A. McClure serves on the board as well. In addition to being a retired US Senator and past Forest Service Chief, he is President of McClure, Gerard & Neuenschwander, Inc., a government lobbying firm. His clients include timber, paper and mining companies including Boise Cascade, Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. and Idaho Mining Association. He represented these and other companies when he lobbied to weaken the Endangered Species Act. Another board member - Walter Scott, Jr. - is Chairman, President and CEO of Peter Kiewit Sons', Inc. Kiewit builds roads, dams and other large projects, and invests excess cash in bankable ventures.
Besides Bailey and Scott, the board also includes other members of the investment community, including NFF NFF Vice Chairman Charles E. Long, who is Executive Vice President & Secretary of Citicorp. NFF Chairman W. Grant Gregory is also Chairman of Gregory and Hoenemeyer, Inc., a mergers and acquisitions/principal investment firm. NFF board member Robert Model serves as Vice Chairman of Capital Markets Assurance Corporation. Model is also a cattle rancher who serves on the board of directors of the Boone & Crockett Club, a trophy hunting organization that was founded on the mission of "…conservation of critical wildlife habitat and the principle of hunting in fair chase," according to the Club's web site. While there, internet visitors can access "scorecards" for a variety of big game animals, including elk, Bighorn Sheep, cougar and bear. There is even a scorecard for walrus, which can only be killed by Alaskan natives for subsistence hunting due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, passed in the early 70s.
Dr. James H. "Red" Duke serves on the NFF board's executive committee. The good doctor is a trauma surgeon and host of TV's Body Watch and Texas Health Reports.. He has been featured in several documentaries, including a 1982 British one called Where There is Life. Along with Model, Duke occupies a seat on the Boone & Crockett board, and still finds time for membership in Safari Club International. Another trophy hunting club, SCI and like-minded groups fought successfully to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1994 to allow importation of polar bear trophies by US hunters. The group also fought for an amendment to the California Desert Protection Act so members could continue hunting on a slab of land slated for protection. Another pet project of SCI included the successful attachment of a hunters' rights provision to a 1994 crime bill that banned protesters from interfering with hunts on federal land. Some other board members include George Bell, President and CEO of Excite, Inc. and former President of Times Mirror Magazines' Outdoor Company; Nina Rumbough, Director of Public Relations for Holland & Holland; and of course Wally Smith, President and CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc.
NFF membership represents the interests of many users of the nation's forest, but its leadership is heavily weighted toward the interests of motorized recreation, extraction industries, investment bankers and trophy hunters. There is scant representation for conservationists who would quote the Iroquois Indian law that says, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." Their voices are being drowned out by two-stroke engines and RV generators. As the Forest Service has reached out to private enterprise for a hand in doing its job, American citizens have been transformed from owners of public lands to customers. Seeing dollar signs in the trees, corporations are chomping at the bit to market their newly created forest service "products" to an established customer base. And their shareholders are thinking in terms of quarters rather than generations.