We’re on our way to Washington, D.C., this week for The Nature Conservancy’s annual Advocacy Day. Although we work with our members of Congress throughout the year to encourage support for strong, science-based federal environmental policy, Advocacy Day this Wednesday is our yearly opportunity to visit alongside hundreds of other staff members and trustees from around the world.
This year, the Washington chapter is bringing our biggest contingent ever to Advocacy Day, reflecting our trustees’ steadfast commitment to our mission and their dedication to the well-being of people and nature. We plan to meet with seven of our members of Congress to talk about some of our key federal priorities:
- Investing in nature by supporting strong conservation funding and policies. Small investments bring big returns when they help America sustain healthy lands and waters that support thriving, resilient communities and dynamic ecosystems.
- Permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is currently set to expire in September. As our country’s landmark conservation program, LWCF protects lands and waters from tiny urban “pocket parks” to large, irreplaceable and iconic landscapes.
- Strong Conservation and Forestry titles in this year’s Farm Bill, the most important legislation for conserving private lands in the United States. A strong Farm Bill helps farmers and ranchers conserve their land and their way of life while protecting clean water and enriching soils. It also helps land managers protect wildlife habitat and provide recreation and flood-control benefits.
- Support for a clean-energy economy to address climate change. Climate change is one of the world’s most urgent challenges and presents an immediate risk to our communities, economies and our natural treasures. We urge a swift transition to low-carbon energy sources to secure the benefits to our economy as well as the future of our planet. We look forward to sharing the exciting campaign under way in Washington with our representatives in Congress and our colleagues worldwide.
We’re thrilled to take our voices and our energy to Washington, D.C., this week. Follow along with our team on Twitter as we share with and learn from other Nature Conservancy chapters, members of Congress and other special guests on Capitol Hill.
