Forest Service yanks plan to spend millions on public relations campaign to better its image

The U.S. Forest Service has decided not to spend $10 million on a five-year nationwide public relations campaign to brand itself as a public agency that cares about people and nature.

The agency was planning on the campaign at a time when it's struggling to pay for fighting wildfires, maintaining trails and offering timber for sale.

The Forest Service issued a statement Tuesday, saying it had not accepted any contract bids and would look for other ways to enhance the public's access to national forests and understanding about what the agency does.

The agency wouldn't say why it withdrew the contract.

Andy Stahl, director of the watchdog group Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, says he has heard from about 50 Forest Service employees who opposed the campaign.