America’s Most Iconic Bear Finds a Home in Maine.
By Hope Light
Local families gathered at an unusual meeting space on a cloudy morning last week in a heartwarming display of community spirit. They came together to celebrate America’s most iconic bear’s 80th birthday and to welcome a 6-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture of Smokey Bear to its new home in the Maine Visitors Center off 1-95 northbound in Hampden. This event, which marked the kickoff of Wildfire Awareness Week, was a testament to the community’s commitment to wildfire prevention and love for America’s favorite bear (sorry, Yogi).
Wildfire Awareness Week is an annual event that takes place in Maine; this year, it was from April 14 to April 20, 2024. Wildfire Awareness Week is celebrated in mid-April each year in Maine because historically, 60% of wildfires in our state occur in April. The wildfire season in Maine usually starts in March in the southern and coastal areas and gradually moves to the central, western, and northern regions. It typically ends in late November. The public has an essential role in preventing wildfires, and 90% of all wildfires in Maine can be prevented. The most common causes of wildfires are escaped debris burning, followed by arson. Lightning-caused fires are the only ones that cannot be prevented. Forest Ranger Specialist Kent Nelson told attendees that, as of April 14th, 41 wildfires had already occurred in Maine this year. Highlighting the importance of practicing safe burn practices, the risk was High in Hampden on the day of the kickoff event despite the recent wet weather, late-season snow accumulations, and subsequent melt.
In her address to the crowd, Nancy McBrady, Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, outlined Maine’s forests’ value. “We are the most heavily forested state in the nation, 89%, and that equals 17.5 million acres of forest land. The forest has and continues to anchor critical forest based industries, and they attract millions of tourists to Maine annually,” she told local families and news crews. Elaborating that “In 2019, the annual economic contribution of Maine’s forest product sector was an estimated 8.1 billion dollars with over 31,000 jobs, and in 2022, over 15 million visitors came to the state of Maine and spent over 8.6 billion dollars while here. As one of the state’s largest industries, tourism supported 151,000 jobs and contributed nearly 5.6 billion dollars to Maine households. So Tourism and forest products are directly tied to our forest land, and they are very important.” She concluded her speech by emphasizing the importance of proper forest management and wildfire prevention to ensure Mainer’s continues to benefit from our valuable natural resources, saying, “The health and proper management of our forest are therefore critical to our economy, our climate, and our environment. Our forests capture over 3 million metric tons of carbon from our atmosphere every year, and the forest soils help enhance water quality. Without a doubt, Maine forests are vital to our way of life now and for the future. That’s why protecting our forests is a critical priority.”
The local library provided Smokey Bear-themed literacy activities for kids and promoted the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge, which runs through November 28, 2024. All across the nation, State and Federal Forestry Agencies are partnering with local libraries to combine wildfire prevention education and promote reading about outdoor adventures. Participating children have the chance to earn prizes by reading books about wildfires, forests, and the environment. You can learn more about Smokey’s reading challenge by visiting his website.
Outside, visitors were welcomed by a larger-than-life Smokey Bear inflatable that towered over the Visitor Information Center. Meanwhile, Smokey’s youngest fans enjoyed a variety of educational activities and games related to forest ecology and wildfire prevention, thanks to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, the Maine State Forest Ranges, and the Androscoggin District Forester.
Although this statue dedication celebrated the iconic cartoon character that has been educating the public about fire safety and the prevention of wildfires, Smokey was once a real bear. The real Smokey Bear, a rescued black bear cub, was born in 1950 in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, where he was found badly burned by a forest fire. He was nursed back to health by veterinarians in Santa Fe, and in June of 1950, the Forest Service transferred Smokey to the Smithsonian with the stipulation that his life be devoted to forest fire prevention and wildlife conservation. He lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., from 1950 until his death in 1976 at 26 years old. Smokey’s body was returned to Capitan, New Mexico, where it is buried in the Smokey Bear Historical Park. The New Mexico Energy, Mineral, and Natural Resources Department now operates a park that houses his body and hosts exhibits focusing on forest health and fire ecology.
The real Smokey Bear is swimming in his pool at the National Zoon sometime in the 1950s.
The Forest Service and the U.S. Advertising Council created Smokey Bear in 1944, the beloved cartoon inspiring the name for the rescued black bear cup 6 years later. Since then, Smokey Bear has become our nation’s longest-running public service campaign. He has received millions of visitors and more than 13,000 letters addressed to him each week. In 1964, the United States Postal Service gave him his own ZIP Code (20252), which is still in use. If you send Smokey a letter, he might just reply his official mailing address is Smokey Bear, Washington, DC 20252 – Smokey also has his own Twitter, where he reminds his fans that “Only you can prevent wildfires,” which makes an important distinction between unintentional human-caused fires and calculated controlled burns.
Connie Berry, Maine State Visitor Information Center – Hampden North and South General Manager, reported that Smokey’s presence had already encouraged repeat visitors, noting that some folks who stopped in on their way North on holiday made a point to return to bid farewell to Smokey on their way back south. She added that so far, Smokey was a very well behaved and welcomed guest at the welcome center. The Smokey Bear statue is the third to find its home in Maine, with his doppelgangers residing at the Kittery welcome center and the Forest Rangers headquarters in Augusta.
