Our view

Our national forests and national parks are places of refuge and wonder, not untapped advertising space.

What do you think?

We welcome viewpoints from our readers on this and other issues.

Dabs of sunlight sprinkle through the aspen leaves on Toyota Mountain, and winds whisper down through the grasses along Reebok Trail toward Coors Silver Bullet Creek.

If something seems out of place in the fictional sentence above, it is. Advertising has no place in our national forests or national parks.

And yet the Forest Service and Park Service are opening the door to it, by seeking corporate advertising and sponsorship as a means to generate revenue.

The Forest Service's proposed rule change, and a similar Park Service proposal, is in stark contrast to long-standing rules prohibiting advertising on public lands.

The proposed changes would restrict advertising to "interior spaces" of privately owned properties such as marinas or ski resorts. Yet the Forest Service, in a directive that already takes effect, has stretched the definition of "interior spaces" to include safety bars on chairlifts.

Skiers and snowboarders on Aspen Mountain's Ajax Express now can review a trail map attached to the lift's safety bar, along with ads for Cadillac, the Ritz-Carlton, American Express and others.

Another provision in the proposal would allow outdoor advertising on "banners, posters flyers or temporary facilities" so long as they're only part of short-term special events.

Anyone who's spent any time in a resort community knows well that a weekend rarely goes by without a "short-term special event."

The proposed rule change can be viewed online at http://tinyurl.com/aab4z, and the Forest Service is accepting comments on it. Comments must be received in writing by March 27. They can be sent to USDA, Forest Service, Attention: Carolyn Holbrook, Recreation and Heritage Resources Staff (2340), 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1125, Washington, DC 20250-1125; by fax to Carolyn Holbrook, (202) 205-1145; or by e-mail to rhr2300@fs.fed.us.

Our national forests and national parks are supposed to be places of refuge - for us, for wildlife, for our souls. We go to such places to connect with ourselves and with nature, not to connect with advertisers.

If corporations want to contribute to the improvement and upkeep of these precious resources, they should do so, but for the same reasons millions of American volunteers and visitors have for generations: because it's the right thing to do.