Smokey Bear

Have always been a fan of Smokey Bear, even before I went to forestry school. This U.S. Forest Service mascot did an amazing job of reducing the frequency of forest fires and making people aware of all the bad things that happen when the woods catch on fire. Smokey, unfortunately, didn't address the usefulness of control burns for fuel reduction or the indigenous use of fire, but, I guess, there is only so much that a bear can do.

And then there's the Smokey the Bear Sutra by Gary Snyder which depicts Smokey as a reincarnation of Vairocana Buddha.

And if anyone is threatened by advertising, air pollution, television, or the police, they should chant SMOKEY THE BEAR'S WAR SPELL:

DROWN THEIR BUTTS
CRUSH THEIR BUTTS
DROWN THEIR BUTTS
CRUSH THEIR BUTTS

And SMOKEY THE BEAR will surely appear to put the enemy out with his vajra-shovel.

-Gary Snyder
1969 Sierra Club Wilderness Conference
(may be reproduced free forever)