Wild Wilderness: Muckraker's Special

U.S. Forest Service Chief Sees Managing Recreation the Way Companies Use "Brand-Names"

On the day he assumed control of the U.S. Forest Service, Michael Dombeck announced his appointment of Francis Pandolfi to what was to be a newly created post, Chief of Staff to the Chief of the Forest Service. A position that has been referred to as "Dombeck's gatekeeper".

Dombeck said: "Mr. Pandolfi comes with a very broad experience beyond his academic training including: Chairman of the Recreation Roundtable...

As the Executive Director of Wild Wilderness, I have had occasion to ask numerous persons within the U.S. Forest Service, "Who is this Pandolfi person?" Surprisingly, the response is always the same; "I have no idea: but he's certainly calling the shots in recreation!"

On July 23, 1997 The Times wrote a very important article entitled: Forest Service Chief Wants Recreation Brand Managers. The following are quotes from within that articled attributed to Mr. Pandolfi.

(the US Forest Service) "...should look at recreation as a business, and a booming business at that."
Pandolfi envisions public/private partnerships as "...a conduit to do business in ways we cannot."
Pandolfi is calling upon private industry "...to help sell recreation on the National Forest."
And Pandolfi "welcomes" input from ski area operators in the selection of USFS District Rangers!

The Times article ended with a very telling conclusion. The following is a direct quote:

"Had he (Pandolfi) been taking questions from a national convention of environmental groups, he probably would have been asked about the role of Forest Service Lands in already fast-growing mountain valleys and about the impacts of recreation to public lands, deemed by some environmental groups to be as great as those of resource extraction."

Who is this Pandolfi, who mysteriously has been positioned as "Dombeck's gatekeeper"? Sure, we know he's an industry "insider" with close ties to the American Recreation Coalition. But what do we really know about his plan for "BRAND - NAME" recreation, run by recreation "BRAND - MANAGERS"? Is this such a successful way of doing business that it should replace existing ways of managing our public-lands? Please read the following passages, and decide for yourself.

TIMES MIRROR MAGAZINES CUTS 125 POSITIONS

By Lorne Manly (full text available)

Times Mirror Magazines has lowered the boom on its employees, announcing the elimination of 125--more than 20%--of the division's positions...

The moves were expected in the wake of the Times Mirror Co.'s hiring of new CEO Mark Willes, who in turn put Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist in charge of the struggling magazine group two months ago...

The carnage formally brings to a halt Times Mirror Magazine's much-vaunted marketing redirection, which was introduced under the leadership of former magazine group CEO Francis Pandolfi.

Times Mirror, faced with relatively mature titles in its male enthusiast area that were losing much of their tobacco and liquor advertising bases, had embraced the vision of a becoming a true consumer marketing company.

Plans called for it to leverage its magazines (now called brands) across whatever medium the consumer and advertiser desired. Marketing programs such as the World Cup of Fishing and Ocean Planet were created by corporate-level groups and enjoyed underwhelming success...

In addition, the Conservation Council, which was used to help brand the magazine group as an environmentally conscious company, was eliminated...

This document was prepared by Wild Wilderness as a "Lead for Exploration". To learn more about ongoing industry-backed congressional efforts to motorize, commercialize, and privatize America's public lands, contact:

Scott Silver, Executive Director,
Wild Wilderness
248 NW Wilmington Avenue, Bend OR 97701
Phone (541) 385-5261 E-mail: ssilver@wildwilderness.org