The Advertising Council, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), announced today the launch of a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring Smokey Bear designed to provide critical information to Americans about their role in wildfire prevention. The new PSAs will be unveiled this morning at an event being held at San Francisco City Hall. Since his introduction on August 9, 1944, Smokey Bear has been a recognized symbol of protection of America's forests from fire. His message about forest fire prevention has helped to significantly reduce the number of acres burned annually by wildfires. Despite the campaign's success, wildfire prevention remains one of the most critical issues affecting our country. During the past 10 years, an average of 6.5 million acres of land in the U.S. was burned each year by wildfires. To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/33445/