Teaching the Way of the Land

A mechanical talking Smokey Bear greets children, and computer touch screens are set among wood floors and hand-painted rugs inside the U.S. Forest Service’s new information lodge that opened Tuesday.

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman and Forest Service chief Dale Bosworth welcomed the public to the center within the agency’s national headquarters.

They ushered in a dozen children after speaking of the influence the center might have on future generations, then waited to see their guests’ reactions to the firefighting gear and old photographs that depict the land as it used to be.

“We really don’t know what the outer limits of that influence will be,” Bosworth said. “It’s a ripple effect. . . . What we leave on the land is more important than what we take from the land.”

Veneman and Bosworth joined the children surrounding Smokey, who uttered every minute or so: “Oh, ho ho, well, hello there. Only you can prevent forest fires.” Nearby was a video display including a raft, spotted owl, jagged peaks and bear. Veneman said the center is meant to emphasize that “the more you know about your land, the more you can help us protect it.”