May 8, 2025 - WASHINGTON - The partners behind the wildfire prevention legend Smokey Bear and his public service advertisement campaign—the longest running in United States history—are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Smokey Bear Award. The Smokey Bear Awards are reserved for individuals, teams, and organizations that provide outstanding service with significant and sustained program impact in the wildfire prevention arena.
In the world of wildfire prevention, there is no greater honor than receiving a Smokey Bear Award. From the 1950s to today, the Smokey Bear Awards program has been managed by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), the Ad Council, and the USDA Forest Service.
“We are continually impressed by those dedicated to preventing human-caused wildfires,” said U.S. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management Director Sarah Fisher. “They bring not only their passion of helping Smokey Bear, but also a deep knowledge of education that passes the practice of fire prevention on to the next generation of natural resource stewards.”
This year, three individuals and one team have earned prestigious recognition for fire prevention work in their communities.
BRONZE
Krystle Gleason
Krystle Gleason is a Forestry Technician on the Stanislaus National Forest and has been the Incident Commander and Committee Chair of the Camp Smokey exhibit at the California State Fair for over four years. Her leadership has united state and federal agencies and local organizations to teach wildfire prevention information through the interactive exhibit. Krystle constantly searches for ways to expand and improve Camp Smokey, such as with updated signage, home-hardening props, and youth volunteers. California and the Stanislaus National Forest continue to see a downward trend in human-caused wildfires.
South Carolina Forestry Commission
The South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) protects, promotes and enhances the state’s forests. In 2021, SCFC created the “Cancel Wildfires in South Carolina” campaign after seeing a need for more virtual outreach. The team created a short commercial featuring the head coaches of college football teams Clemson and the University of South Carolina who helped get residents excited about wildfire prevention. The commercial reached around 1 million people and extended its impact through an easily accessible website. Over the course of three years, the number of wildfires in South Carolina dropped by nearly 60%.
SILVER
Sandra Carpenter
Sandra Carpenter is a Fire Prevention Technician on the Stanislaus National Forest. Her career with the Forest Service spans more than 30 years in which Sandra has patrolled for fires, provided technical expertise to timber and service contractors, assisted with prescribed burning, and created educational materials. Sandra has worked with National Cinema Movies (NCM) to create and distribute wildfire prevention commercials in movie theaters throughout the West and even created black-and-white silent films about Smokey Bear and wildfire prevention.
GOLD
Rex Thompson
Rex Thompson is a Fire Prevention Technician on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests and a key contributor to Wildfire Prevention Spatial Assessment and Planning Strategies (WPSAPS) and National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) courses, which help train wildfire prevention and investigation practitioners around the world. He has adapted courses for asynchronous virtual learning environments and developed multilingual educational materials, both of which allow a wider range of audiences to learn more about and understand fire prevention. He regularly interacts with 1,000 to 5,000 people on a yearly basis, teaching children, adults, and everyone in-between the importance of fire prevention and small, tangible steps we can all take to protect our forests and grasslands.
In addition to these four awards, five individuals are recognized with a certificate for their local achievements and potential to earn a Smokey Bear Award in the future.
CERTIFICATE
Todd Chlanda
Todd Chlanda is a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist with the Florida Forest Service and a recipient of a 2023 Bronze Smokey Bear Award. He has worked with local Braille organizations, Florida libraries, and the U.S. Forest Service to develop a Braille edition of The True Story of Smokey Bear.
Jennifer Erickson
Jennifer Erickson is a Prevention Officer on the Klamath National Forest and overcame challenges in her remote area to share wildfire prevention messages with hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail through the use of flyers, pack animals, and more.
Laura Hayes
Laura Hayes is a Wildland-Urban Interface Specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who organized an ATV ride for Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday. She engaged dozens of partners over the 80th birthday year including fire departments, libraries, schools, youth camps, and more.
Janice Naylor
Janice Naylor is a GIS Specialist in U.S. Forest Service Region 2 who developed a wildfire prevention tracking and data analysis tool. Her tool helps wildfire prevention professionals determine where the greatest risks and common occurrences of human ignitions happen to improve their outreach.
Nan Stinson
Nan Stinson is a Prevention Education Specialist on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and focused on introducing Smokey Bear’s wildfire prevention message to all kids ages 3 to 14 in Sublette County, Wyoming. She has dedicated many hours to after school and evening events to inspire the next generation of wildfire prevention professionals and land stewards.
“These individuals have made remarkable contributions to wildfire prevention and recognizing the significance of those contributions is imperative,” said NASF president Patty Cormier. “The level of dedication and innovation their efforts reflect is critical in elevating the work of state forestry agencies and our partners in combatting the wildfire crisis.”
“These recipients embody Smokey’s ‘Only You’ spirit, prioritizing education to help protect our nation’s beautiful wildlands,” said Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer, Ad Council. “We congratulate them on their accomplishment and for all of their work in helping to prevent accidental, human-caused wildfires.”
The 2025 Smokey Bear Awards will be presented at NASF’s Annual Meeting in Waimea, Hawai’i on September 17, 2025. You can get to know past winners with a visit to SmokeyBear.com. The nominations period for the 2026 Smokey Bear Awards is now open and will close in December 2025.
About the National Association of State Foresters
Since its start in 1920, the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) has served as a leading authority on forest management in the United States. NASF’s members are the primary delivery system for forest management activities nationwide. They conserve, enhance, and protect state and private forests, which encompass nearly two-thirds of the nation’s forests, and are responsible for wildfire protection on more than 1.5 billion acres. Learn more at www.stateforesters.org.
About the USDA Forest Service
The Forest Service is the agency responsible for overseeing the use of Smokey Bear in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands for the American Public. Its mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and view campaign creative on YouTube.
Source: National Association of State Foresters
