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National Park Service Waived Policy To Allow Budweiser's Centennial Partnership

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Budweiser celebrated its ties to the national parks with a newly designed bottle featuring the Statute of Liberty/Budweiser

 

National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis waived agency policies against partnering with alcoholic beverage companies so the National Park Foundation could sign a multi-million-dollar agreement with Anheuser-Busch, a deal that provides Budweiser with valuable branding placements during the Park Service's centennial campaign.

In return, the Park Service hopes to gain a valuable partner in its search for a younger audience for national parks, co-branding with the beermaker at concerts in the parks, and "integration with AB's Responsible Drinking Campaign."

Word that the director had signed the waiver (attached below) back in January, revealed Monday night after the Traveler raised questions about the $2.5 million Budweiser contract, apparently hadn't traveled far beyond the Park Service's Washington, D.C., headquarters. The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees was not aware of it, nor was Dennis Galvin, a former Park Service deputy director who stays active in Park Service circles.

Alcohol long has been found in the National Park System, as visitors enjoy beer, wine, and cocktails during their vacations. Indeed, a microbrewery actually operates on the grounds of Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, and many microbreweries across the country label some of their beers after national park settings. But as an agency, the Park Service for about a quarter-century has had a prohibition against aligning itself with alcoholic beverage companies. 

Under language contained within Director's Order 21, which pertains to fundraising and donations to the agency, "it is NPS policy to decline direct donations from a company which holds or is seeking a concessions contract or which would identify the NPS with alcohol or tobacco products." Additionally, the order states that, 'œCorporate campaigns which identify the NPS with alcohol or tobacco products will not be authorized.'

Mr. Galvin told the Traveler that the "prohibition actually dates back to 1988 post-Yellowstone fire when we had an offer from a wine company to donate some sum for every bottle of wine sold to support Yellowstone rehabilitation. We rejected the offer on the basis that we didn't want NPS supporting alcohol consumption and also decided that was true of tobacco as well."

However, the Park Service's assistant director for Partnerships and Civil Engagement last Christmas Eve requested a waiver to that dictate so that Anheuser-Busch could "provide support for the Find Your Park public awareness campaign."

"This public awareness campaign is a critical tool for reaching the Centennial goal: to connect with and create the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates," the request said.

The document also noted that current NPS policy does "allow the acceptance of donations from producers of alcohol producers, and the NPF has on its board the president and chief executive officer of Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P., the nation's largest distributor of AB products."

At the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, Maureen Finnerty said late last week that her group was waiting to see if Director Jarvis intended to rewrite DO21 to allow for partnerships with alcoholic beverage companies.

'œMy understanding is they have relaxed their policy on alcohol. I don'™t hear it on tobaco, but I hear it on alcohol, and I think it'™s to accommodate this Budweiser situation," she said Friday before word of the wavier had spread. 'œUntil I have a little more detail I don'™t know what to think." 

When Budweiser last week announced a new bottle design that features an artistic rendering of the Statue of Liberty, which rises above Statue of Liberty National Monument in the Hudson River at the head of New York Harbor, company officials made clear they were hoping to lure more beer drinkers into the parks.

"We want to encourage a new generation of beer drinkers to get out there and see what America is made of," said Budweiser Vice President Brian Perkins in a press release. "And where better than in America's national parks? It's fitting for Budweiser'”a big, bold brand'”to team up with a pioneering partner like NPF. We are looking to draw attention to these parks with our eye-catching packaging '¦ as well as a pretty epic surprise concert this summer."

The move to tap philanthropic funding for the Park Service via alcoholic beverages has been under way for at least two years. In 2013 the National Park Foundation entered into an agreement with Alder Fells Winery of California to market bottles of wine bearing commemorative labels. Under that agreement, the Foundation was to receive $2 for every bottle of the "National Parks Wines Collection" sold.

Still, the Budweiser campaign seems at odds with the Park Service's Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative, which aims, in part, to 'œbring about lasting change in Americans'™ lifestyle choices and their relationship with nature and the outdoors.' The initiative is described as being aligned with the Surgeon General's National Prevention Strategy, which identifies Prevention of Drug and Excessive Alcohol Use as one of its seven strategies. One of the recommendations under that particular strategy is to "(C)reate environments that empower young people not to drink or use other drugs."

Park Service Chief of Public Affairs April Slayton pointed out in an email to the Traveler that part of the agreement with Anheuser-Busch focuses on responsible drinking.

"The Anheuser-Busch InBev waiver to DO-#21 calls for the integration of the AB InBev Responsible Drinking Program. When Budweiser hosts events in national parks as part of their agreement, if beer is made available, Budweiser will activate its responsible drinking program," she wrote.

Ms. Slayton also noted the beermaker's philanthropic ties, writing that, "Anheuser-Busch InBev has a strong presence in the philanthropic community, partnering with large American non-profits, including the American Red Cross, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Teach for America, and Living Lands & Waters."

In seeking the waiver, the Partnerships and Civic Engagement staff noted that the agreement with Alder Fels, which expired at the end of last year, led to sales of more than 39,000 bottles of wine and generated about $73,000 for the Foundation.

"With this waiver and its specific application, there was no adverse reaction from the public," Ms. Slayton pointed out. "The waiver permitting the Budweiser partnership carefully builds on that past successful partnership."

 

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Comments

This is a new low in the history of the National Park Service. Shame on you Director Jarvis. You have done enough damage to an agency we all love. Resign now and be gone before you do any more damage. 

 


Although I think this is terrible, I'd hesitate to place all the blame entirely upon Jon Jarvis.  Long experience has shown that there are almost always other powerful political pressures lurking in the shadows.

One paragraph in the article above is particularly telling : "The document also noted that current NPS policy does "allow the acceptance of donations from producers of alcohol producers, and the NPF [National Park Foundation] has on its board the president and chief executive officer of Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P., the nation's largest distributor of AB products."

Were there other pressures applied as well?  Any from Congressional sources at behest of campaign contributors?  Any from higher up in DOI?  The foul smell of money is overwhelming here.

Perhaps we need Paul Harvey to tell us the Rest of the Story.

 


Terrible idea.

Rick


"We want to encourage a new generation of beer drinkers to get out there and see what America is made of," said Budweiser Vice President Brian Perkins in a press release. "And where better than in America's national parks?" 

Here's just one reason that is America's worst idea:

Areas of Florida popular with the Spring Break crowd are regretting luring a "new generation of beer drinkers" to their area. Here's just one example: "The tourism council in Bay County, Florida voted Tuesday to spend more money on spring break security after a month of violence in Panama City Beach -- mostly fueled by alcohol."

 

 


Ugh!  What's next on this slippery slope?  Perhaps a 'partnership' with Harley-Davidson, 'The Official Motorcycle of the NPS Centennial':

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKFmc0oZXFI

 

Here's my favorite example of a tasteful beer ad using a National Park as backdrop:

 

http://hodala.cx/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/facebook+ainier.jpg

 

I agree with Jim that expanding the Spring Break mentality into the parks with "epic" concerts will NOT make them (or Budweiser) more relevant:

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-budweiser-became-the-king-of-beers-an...


I could not agree with you more Jim. I do not think we need to encourage the use of beer in our parks to attract a new generation of park visitors. Visitors come to our parks to enjoy the scenery and history. Let the drinkers go to Panama City Beach in Florida. I just wonder how this really bad idea got through the Director's staff. Isn't there anyone on his staff who can give him good advice? 

I would like to amend my original comment on this matter. When the Director wakes up to reality and resigns I hope that he takes everyone on his staff that signed on for this idea to go with him into retirement. 


How exactly is the deal with Alder Fels different from the deal with AB? Why wasn't a waiver needed for that? Is this a problem because the product is beer rather than wine?


I am rereading Polly Welts Kaufman, National Parks and the Woman's Voice: A History. Could it be that Polly is right? There are just too many little boys in the National Park Service that never have grown up? She doesn't quite say it that way, of course, but this is one instance where I have to agree with my friends from the feminist side of the aisle. Pressured by Congress or not, no director of the National Park Service allows this to happen; he (or she) rather prevails on the countervailing power structure to get the problem resolved.

Ah, but that would mean talking to conservative members of Congress, for which the Park Service is now ill-prepared. The liberals? Hey, we are already into pot. Who cares about your beer? Here in Seattle, my neighborhood is becoming surrounded with marijuana outlets. I hear there are six on Lake City Way alone.

In Seattle, at least, Budweiser is so "old news." Am I outraged? You bet I am. But I am still a historian, after all. After a society rises past its level of mediocrity, its begins its inevitable fall. So this is to be the Park Service Centennial? In that case, I suggest we just burp now and get it over with.


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