In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to allow for the creation of the Smokey Bear license plate.

The Smokey Bear campaign began with posters in 1944, during the height of World War II. Smokey Bear has been a key figure in educating generations of Americans about their role in preventing wildfires, protecting nature, and highlighting conservation.  According to the United States Fire Administration, on an annual basis, human-caused fires account for 87% of wildfires across the United States. Human-caused fires persist as a critical issue affecting the United States and Pennsylvania, and my legislation seeks to highlight that issue and the men and women of Pennsylvania who combat wildfires every day.

My legislation will create the Smokey Bear license plate to acknowledge the importance of wildfire prevention in Pennsylvania and recognize the efforts of wildfire prevention that is paramount to the health of our forests. This license plate will provide the ability for citizens of Pennsylvania to show their pride for wildlife preservation by displaying Smokey Bear alongside the message “Only you can prevent wildfires”.

Additionally, a portion of each fee collected from the Smokey Bear license plate will be deposited into the Wild Resource Conservation Fund to aid future efforts in wildfire mitigation.

I hope you will consider co-sponsoring this important legislation to allow for the Smokey Bear license plate.