OHV Activists
Join Forces to Remove Misleading Smokey Bear ATV
Ad
Washington, D.C. (8/1/2008) - The
Ad Council, Forest Service, and National Association
of State Foresters announced they are pulling the
Smokey Bear "ATV" Public Service Announcement
(PSA). In a July 28 updated email to the ATV community,
the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service stated
they have
asked all media outlets to discontinue the airing
of the ad. The PSA was pulled after many ATV and
motorized access stakeholders alerted the agencies
that the ad was offensive and was sending the wrong
message to the recreating public. This action was
prompted by requests from many responsible motorized
recreation interests to pull or modify the ad to
make the message more relevant and accurate. "Apparently
what happened was the Ad Council and the Forest
Service did not consult the right people before
making this ad," said Russ Ehnes, the Executive
Director of the National OHV Conservation Council
(NOHVCC). "We never perceived the PSA as an
intentional potshot at motorized trail users, but
rather the result of a misunderstanding during its
production process."
The ad shows Smokey (who magically transforms
into a girl) on a mountain bike approaching a
couple of ATV riders unloading their vehicles,
suggesting they pack up and go home to eliminate
the chance that their machines may start a forest
fire.
"The PSA erroneously makes it appear that
all OHVs should just forget about riding on any
trails in the summer months, when in fact it is
perfectly legal, and safe from a fire safety standpoint,
for OHV riders to continue their recreational
activities during dry periods as long as they
follow the laws requiring spark arrestors on all
machines and staying on the trail," said
Ehnes. "We feel that those are the messages
that should have been conveyed in the PSA in the
first place."
Don Amador from the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC)
"thanks the agencies for listening to our
collective concerns about this ad and for taking
the responsible course of action by canceling
the campaign. It is our hope the Ad Council and
Forest Service consult with their trail recreation
experts and the OHV community before launching
another motorized recreation ad."
www.nohvcc.org
Great Falls, MT 59404
800-348-6487
Discuss
this in ATVriders.com Forum
|
