Use Your Outside Voice in Olympia this Session

Upcoming Opportunities to Advocate for Nature in Olympia

January 30, 2017 - Project sponsors, partners and supporters of The Nature Conservancy in Washington are invited to speak up for nature during several advocacy days at the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

Thursday, February 9th - Forest and Community Resilience Advocacy Day
Hosted by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with Washington's Department of Natural Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Forest and Community Resiliency Roundtable, this day of advocacy is for anyone whose community depends on the forest (and vice versa), including members of Forest Health Collaboratives, Fire-Adapted and Firewise Communities, loggers, mill operators, recreationalists, and other partners.  A full day of meetings with legislators is scheduled, following which participants are invited to join legislators and fellow advocates for a screening of Wenatchee production company North40's presentation about living in the Era of Megafires
Please RSVP via email to brittany.gallagher@tnc.org by February 2nd to participate in a meeting with your senator or representative (and to get lunch!).  For more information and details about Forest & Community Resilience Advocacy Day, click here.

Monday, February 13th - Parks and Great Outdoors Legislative Day is hosted by the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition and includes a daytime event beginning at the Women's Club of Olympia and an evening reception at the Governor's mansion.  See the event page here for more details and to RSVP.

Wednesday, February 15th - 'Big Tent' Outdoor Recreation Rally Day will include many lovers of Washington's great outdoors under one really big tent at Olympia's capitol campus from 10am-2pm.  The Nature Conservancy will have a table at the event - please stop by before or after you speak with your legislators about your love for nature.  See the event page here for more details.

Wednesday, February 22nd - Floodplains by Design Lobby Day will involve meetings with legislators whose districts are home to Floodplains by Design projects.  All FbD project sponsors and their partners are strongly encouraged to attend.  Please RSVP to brittany.gallagher@tnc.org so we can schedule the appropriate meetings.  This day is also and Washington Association of Land Trusts Lobby Day in Olympia, and lunchtime will offer a chance for FbD project sponsors and land trust members to network. 


Progress on Climate

In other news, Washington state Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-Burien) has introduced a bill to reduce carbon pollution and invest in clean-energy technology, bringing the number of carbon-tax bills in play at the state Legislature to three (HB1646, HB1555, SB5127).

We commend Fitzgibbon for his leadership on this issue. Building our resilience in the face of climate change is one of our top priorities and was also reflected in Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed 2017-2019 capital budget.  We — along with many partners in a broad coalition including justice, labor, faith, business and environmental groups — believe it is time for our state to lead on climate.

We in Washington are feeling the effects of climate change now, and recent post-election polling shows that more than two-thirds of Washington residents want the Legislature to act to address it at the state level.  

Amid all the other debates happening in Olympia during this legislative session, it’s encouraging to see climate change addressed in multiple bills. As your state senators and representatives work to craft the state’s budget for the next two years, they need to hear from you. Contact your legislators by email and let them know why addressing climate change at the state level is important to you.