Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) Program Policy on Smokey Bear Use
The Forest Service, National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council make up the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program committee. The CFFP monitors all formats of use of Smokey Bear, be that his name, image, slogan, likeness or costume. Commercial use of Smokey’s image is managed by the US Forest Service through The Metis Group, a contractor who specializes in licensing Government-owned, socially conscious properties. We constantly monitor inappropriate and unlawful uses and we are fully aware of the current influx of illegal commercial products that are being offered on social media. Please be assured that we are following our procedures to have them cease and desist. We appreciate everyone’s concern and support of the wildfire prevention program.
Many of you know that the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) Program has worked since 1942 to educate Americans about wildfire prevention. In 1944 Smokey Bear was created to be the national symbol of that effort. Soon after Smokey’s creation it became evident that his name and slogan would need to be protected if the wildfire prevention campaign was going to be successful. Hence, Smokey’s name and slogan are protected by Congressional Law: The Smokey Bear Act, P.L. 82-359, as amended by P.L. 93-318 regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture (36 CFR 271), and 18 USC ch.33-711. Smokey’s name, image and slogan, whether in entirety or in part, should only be used in conjunction with a wildfire prevention message.Use for any other reason is an inappropriateuse of the image, name or slogan.
Smokey’s image can be licensed for products that are in keeping with the wildfire prevention campaign and as such is subject to laws regarding use, similar to any other licensed images. By words or illustrations, Smokey Bear should not endorse a commercial product, service, political position or anything other than a wildfire prevention message. Any commercial use (i.e. products sold, money raised, etc.) that is not licensed through the Forest Service is an illegal use. All licensing-related inquiries should be directed to The Metis Group LLC at .
For more information on the wildfire prevention campaign and Smokey Bear, check out You’ll find Smokey Bear Use Guidelinesat the bottom of the homepage. In addition, after many months of hard work, we now have a flier on Smokey Bear Frequently Asked Questions that you can download and share. These protocol sheets will soon be printed on professional cardstock and made available for reference in Smokey Bear costume boxes, at your desk, front offices and visitor centers. They will also be available free of chargethrough our symbols cache by emailing your request to .