University of Idaho

Preserving Public Land: Federal Public Land Transfers

Communication Campaign Plan

Bryan Cummings
March 29, 2015

Rationale
The legislative movement to transfer federal public land to the states was initiated
without constituent input. Oil and gas special interests funding federal senators James
Inhofe and Lisa Murkowski, each of whom sponsored separate federal public land
transfer legislation, is the likely culprit behind this movement. Its platform is a guise:
instead of owning and managing 47% of the 11 coterminous western states (Gorte et al.,
2012), transferring federal public land to state control will decrease the size, influence,
and spending of the federal government. The burden of additional land management on
the states, which are not equipped with sufficient budget, infrastructure, or human
resources, will inevitably lead to the sale of public land to the highest bidder. Effects will
be wide ranging. The closing of public land will stagnate growth in small western
townships, which depend on the draw of ample public land to generate tourism dollars.
Small non-metropolitan communities that rely on tourism revenue will find themselves
cut off from their primary source of income. Loss of tourism revenue to small towns
wont be the only effect. The availability and health of public lands directly affects job
growth in the west. Ample outdoor recreation opportunities and natural landscapes have
served as a tool to lure higher wage service industries such as technology and health care,
both of which lead job growth in the region (Brownsword, 2006). People are eager to live
and work where the quality of life is high. The natural beauty and outdoor opportunities
found on public land are representative of the quality of life available to those who
choose to live in the West.
Without pushback from those who value and recreate on public land, the open landscape
of the West will be fragmented and closed to the public. This issue is very time sensitive.
With active legislation at the state and federal level, it is imperative that constituents
make their voices heard. This campaign aims to raise awareness and generate constituent
communication to government officials by targeting groups that utilize public lands most
frequently.

Goals
One goal of this project is to increase awareness among those environmental and outdoor
enthusiasts whose way of life is being threatened. The campaign aims to connect the
target audience to information resources to raise issue awareness. A second goal of this
project is to transition awareness in action by providing the audience the necessary tools
to contact their representatives at both the state and federal levels. The issue is a time
sensitive one. The campaign needs to effectively convey a sense of urgency to the target
audience to voice their opinion to their senate and congressional representatives. Humans
have a very limited attention span to devote to problems that arent perceived as
immediate, so it is important to effectively communicate that action must be taken now.

Audience
Environmental, conservation and outdoor special interest groups are the most important
to engage. For the most part, these groups consist of an equal distribution of mid-to-late
age males and females. Members are generally well established in the working class,
which provides them the ability to pay membership dues and make donations, purchase
equipment, and travel to reach their public land of preference. There is a grey area in
delineating membership in these groups, as many environmental interest groups are also
interested in species conservation and virtually all environmental and conservation
groups could be tagged with the outdoor label. Nevertheless, membership in these groups
is important for two primary reasons. Firstly, group members are the first ones who will
be affected by the inevitable sale and closing of public land. When public land access is
lost, they will travel elsewhere, which will shift the influx of outside revenue that
supports small non-metropolitan communities. These communities may eke by for a few
years, but will eventually collapse without tourism. Secondly, the people who actively
participate in these groups tend to also be very passionate. Spending time in nature is a
high priority to them, and we must assume they will not stay quiet while there is an active
threat to it.

At the political level, environmental interest groups are perhaps the brashest and most
extreme of the three types. There is a well-known revolving door effect between
environmental groups, lobbyists, and the Environmental Protection Agency. These groups
have been able to use this influence to legislate without the help of Congress. Between
2009 and 2012, there were at least 60 lawsuits filed against the Environmental Protection
Agency, which refused to defend itself and opted to settle. These lawsuits brought about
more than 100 new regulations (Carter, 2014).
Outdoor groups are the most variable of the three types of groups. Their lack of formal
group-based political activism assumes they are groups of enthusiasts rather than special
interest activists. Still, this type of group is vital to engage because it is so wide ranging,
and because it includes a vast array of people. Rafters, hikers, skiers, off road vehicle
riders, nature photographers, campers, and climbers are just a small fraction of the
lifestyles encompassed by the outdoor term. Enjoyment of their activity of choice is
based upon available public access as well as environmental quality; they stand to lose
much from the transfer of federal public land.
There is subtle variation between conservation groups, with each group typically working
for the preservation of a specific species or biome. These groups collect membership fees,
which are then used towards conservation projects and political lobbying. Many people
join these groups because they are somewhat removed from having an everyday impact
on environmental or wildlife conservation. Members may be bird watchers, fishers,
hunters, or enthusiasts of a particular river system or forest. The weekend hunter who
holds a 9 to 5 sales job is content that their donation is being utilized in their name to
carry out projects and communicate values to policy makers. Their day-to-day
interactions with nature may be limited, but they strive to uphold the integrity of natural
systems so that when they are able to get outside, they can take pride in their small role in
environmental conservation.

Messages

The messages presented in this campaign are intended to change the way people regard
their public land and their personal use of public land. However, to spur action, the
campaign must impress a sense of urgency upon the target audience. There is a potential
that the proposed legislation may pass, but to have it pass without the knowledge and
consent of the governed would be deplorable. The campaign will therefore attempt to
communicate the following points:

State and federal governments are considering the transfer of federal public
land to state control; meaning state governments may act at their discretion to

manage lands.
States lack the budget, infrastructure, and human resources to effectively
manage vast acres of public land. When it becomes an economic burden to

manage land, options such as leasing and sell-off will be considered.

Ample public lands support small non-metropolitan economies.
People are the most valuable resource to the sustainability of western
landscapes and economies.

These messages may be conveyed in part by the written word, but it is imperative that the
campaign attaches powerful imagery to convey the extent and potential effects of
industrial development on formerly public land. Human learning can be improved with
visual aids. Visual truth is something that the campaign will strive to achieve. As stated
by Newton (2001), visual truth is a difficult concept to define, but a starting point is an
adaptation of Websters definition of verisimilitude: the quality ofrepresentation that
causes one to accept it as true to life or to human experience.
Accompanying these messages, then, should be images that reflect visual truth. Most
recently, there have been several environmental disasters on federal public land. January
17, 2015, for example, saw a ruptured oil pipeline spill 30,000 gallons of crude oil into
the Yellowstone River (Bridger Pipeline's Oil Spill on the Yellowstone River near
Glendive, 2015). It is images like ones from this incident that the campaign will utilize to
convey the visual truth of current events happening just out of eyesight. Visual cues are
considered the most important part of capturing the audiences attention toward textual
information (Buehner and Sommerfeldt, 2013).

Media
Media will play a key role in raising awareness and spreading information about the issue
of federal public land transfers. The audience we are attempting to reach is specific, so
media must be carefully selected based on its ability to reach and engage the target
audience. Using an integrated approach employing several different media types will
allow the campaign to reach the largest possible audience. Traditional media, such as
television, radio, internet, and print media will be used in combination with new forms of
social media communication.
A significant portion of this campaign will be focused on the formation of a website that
will direct users to information resources including material on the current state of active
legislation and facts about the effects of federal public land transfers. The website should
also provide a direct link through which visitors can contact their state and federal
government representatives with their choice of an individual or pre-written statement. To
direct users to this resource, the campaign will seek to engage the target audience through
more traditional mass media channels.
Direct Mail
Special interest groups maintain an open line of direct communication with their
members. Typically this takes the form of email newsletters, or monthly or quarterly print
publications, which serve to inform members of current issues important to group values.
These groups will be contacted about the prospect of distributing information to group
members. This aspect of communication will be vital to the communication campaign.
Television
The campaign will use television media as a platform to raise awareness about the issue.
A public service announcement will be distributed to local news affiliates of ABC, CBS,
FOX, and NBC broadcasting networks throughout California, Arizona, New Mexico,
Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. As PSAs

are typically aired free of charge on local news affiliates, this provides the campaign a
low cost option to expand its target audience by region rather than by interest. The
broadcaster uses their discretion on when and how frequently to air the PSA, so
effectiveness may be somewhat limited by the weekday, time, and frequency of airings.
Social Media
Each method of campaign communication will include a directive to seek out the
campaign on social media. While there are a vast number of social media options
available, the campaign will focus its efforts on Facebook and Twitter. Both types of
social media will generate content pertaining to the current status of federal public land
transfers. They will also ask the target audience to provide input in an attempt to generate
discourse about the issue. A healthy public discourse can generate heightened interest in
the issue, and as participants share the topic with their own networks via social media, the
campaign audience will expand.

Budget
Component
PSA production
PSA script
writer
Advertising
airtime
Cost of PSA
distribution
Website
developer
Website
domain
registration
Website
maintenance
Website
domain
renewal
Outdoor Group
Coordinator
Social Media
Coordinator
Website/ Social
Media Content
Developer
Incidental costs

Cost
$1,500

Unit
Per Unit

Qty
1

Total
Cost
$1,500

$40

10

$400

n/a

Per Hour
Complimentary for
local television
stations

n/a

Electronic distribution

$50

Per Hour

100

$5,000

$1,500

Per Site

$1,500

$100

Per Year

$500

$100

Per Year

$500

$15

Per Hour

500

$7,500

$15

Per Hour

1000

$15,000

$15
$500

Per Hour
Per Unit

500
1

$7,500
$500
$39,90
0

$0
$0

Timeline
Public Service Announcement Timeline
Funding
Approval

Hire
Script
Writer

Script
Developm
ent

PSA
Producti
on

PSA
Distributi
on

Time to
Air

Total

24 Weeks

2 Weeks

1 Week

4 Weeks

2 Weeks

4 Weeks

37
Weeks

Website Development Timeline

Hire
Funding Web
Approv Develop
al
er
24
Weeks
2 Weeks

Registe
r
Websit
Website
e
Developme
Domain nt

Review of
Functionali Website
ty
Launch

1 Week

1 Weeks

8 Weeks

0 Weeks

Total
36
Weeks

Special Interest Group Coordination Timeline

Hire
Outdoor
Funding Group
Approval Coordinator
24
Weeks
4 Weeks

Establish
Contact with
Outdoor
Groups

Develop
Content and
Message for
Members

Distribute
Communicati
on to
Members

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

1 Weeks

Total
37
Weeks

Assessment
To determine the effectiveness of the campaign and associated media and information
resources, a brief survey will be provided to those who access the website. A 1-5 grading
scale will be used, with 1 being the least effective and 5 being most effective in order to
measure awareness and attitudes of those contacted by the campaign.
Public Service Announcement
Professionalism of content
Relevance of content
Quality of content (realism, timeliness)
Reaction to information (share with others, contact representative)
Special Interest Group Communication
Issue effectively conveyed
Quality of content (realism, timeliness)
Reaction to information (share with others, contact representative)
Relevance of issue to group values
Website
Professionalism of site (appearance)
Ease of navigation
Quality of content (realism timeliness)
Relevance of information
Ease of information comprehension
Reaction to information (share with others, contact representative)
Social Media
Professionalism of content
Relevance of content
Quality of content (realism, timeliness)
Quality of discourse (civility, relevance, constructiveness)
Reaction to information (share with others, contact representative)
Total Points

Grade, 1-5

Summary
A wide variety of low cost and pre-existing media channels will help keep campaign
costs low while reaching the largest possible audience with messages opposing federal
public land transfers. Through educating the uninformed public, the campaign aims to
mobilize support for continued federal public land management by urging the audience to
contact their government representatives. Through increased awareness, dialogue, and
communication about the potential pitfalls of federal public land transfers, current
legislative efforts may be recognized for what they really are: detrimental to the
economic and environmental health of the West.

References
"Bridger Pipeline's Oil Spill on the Yellowstone River near Glendive." Montana.gov.
N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Brownsword, Roger. "West Is Best." SCRIPT-ed (2006): 15-33. Headwaters Economics.
Web. 15 Feb. 2015. <http://headwaterseconomics.org/wphw/wpcontent/uploads /West_Is_Best_Full_Report.pdf>.
Buehner, Tara M., and Erich J. Sommerfeldt. "Visual Communication in the Public
Sphere." American Communication Journal 15.3 (2013): n. pag. American
Communication Journal. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Carter, Sara. "How Environmental Special Interest Groups Sue the Government to
Legislate Without Congress." The Blaze. N.p., 26 Dec. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.
Newton, Julianne H. The burden of visual truth: The role of photojournalism in
mediating reality. 2001. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.