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WHAT WILL WE WIN THIS YEAR?
Join Us For CONSERVATION LOBBY DAY 2009!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 View Pictures from Lobby Day 2009!
Since the first Conservation Lobby Day in 2005, it has grown from just over 100 citizens to over 500! Each year these citizens from across Wisconsin descend on the Capitol to share their conservation values with their Legislators. As we head into the 5th annual Conservation Lobby Day, there is one thing we can guarantee-when citizens come together to make their conservation values known, legislators listen, and conservation victories soon follow!
The reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the passage of the Strong Great Lakes Compact are two great examples of how citizen lobbying resulted in ground-breaking conservation laws.
The participation of local groups and citizens like YOU is incredibly important to the success of Conservation Lobby Day. Every day throughout the state, countless citizens work tirelessly to protect the local land, water, and wildlife.
Conservation Lobby Day is a unique opportunity to share your conservation stories and experiences with legislators and have a huge impact on conservation policies affecting all of Wisconsin.
In 2009-2010, the conservation community will be fighting to:
For a 1-page brief on each of these issues, click on their title above. To read even more, check out the Conservation Priorities 2009-2010
You can help make sure these priorities get checked off the to-do list of state legislators. Join us for Conservation Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 25th to tell your legislators why you care about the Wisconsin Conservation Priorities. The event is free, and registration begins at 9:00 at the Monona Terrace in Madison (One John Nolen Drive). The program begins at 10:00, and ends at 5:00 pm with a reception and social.
Check back often for further details.
To familiarize yourself with the 2009-2010 Conservation Priorities, we have prepared short briefing papers on each issue; to read even more, check out the Conservation Priorities 2009-2010
GETTING THE WORD OUT
These Conservation Priorities impact us all, which is why we want to make it easy for you to get your friends, clubs, groups, and organizations involved. We have informational materials below that can help you get the word out.
We also have regional organizers that may be able to come speak to your club or group about Conservation Lobby Day 2009.
Central Wisconsin: Jessica Garrels, 608-661-0845, jessica@conservationvoters.org
Northeast Wisconsin: Kim Biedermann, 920-429-9008, kim@conservationvoters.org Southeast Wisconsin: Heather Mullee, 414-224-1696, heather@conservationvoters.org Western Wisconsin: Tom Stolp, 715-835-4248, tom@conservationvoters.org
COST
WLCV is committed to organizing Conservation Lobby Day each year at no cost to you because we want to encourage all conservation-minded citizens to participate. However, if you are able and would like to help offset the costs of Lobby Day, please consider joining WLCV as a member. To donate to Conservation Lobby Day, click here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Preparation
Lobbying and Other Activities
Your Assembly Representative meeting and your separate Senate meeting will occur at some
12:30- 1:15 How to Hold Your Legislators Accountable Presenter: Anne Sayers, Program Director, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters; Room L Are you wondering how you can stay in the Capitol loop even after Conservation Lobby Day? Want to know how you can follow how your legislators are voting on the Conservation Priorities? In this session, conservation lobbyist Anne Sayers will walk you through how you can play a critical role in influencing conservation laws…from the moment a bill is introduced until it lands on the Governor’s desk. 1:30-2:15 Conservation Conversation I With Senator Pat Kreitlow and Representative Peter Barca; Room M In this breakout session, discussion will focus on the opportunity Wisconsin has to grow our economy through good energy policy. Bring your questions and comments for Senator Kreitlow and Representative Barca who are working to get Wisconsin on the road to a clean energy future. 1:30-2:15 Water Rights Law in the US: Implications for Wisconsin Presenter: Steve Born, Emeritus Professor from UW-Madison, former national Board Chair Trout Unlimited; Room L Once again this year, water plays a starring role in the Conservation Priorities. This breakout session provides a unique opportunity to spend time with Steve Born, a local water rights law expert. This is your chance to get an overview of some of the most critical issues in water policy and to discuss opportunities to protect Wisconsin’s water. 2:30-3:15 Conservation Conversation II With Senator Mark Miller and Representative Ann Hraychuck; Room M As Chairs of important natural resource committees, Senator Mark Miller (Senate Environment Committee) and Representative Ann Hraychuck (Assembly Fish and Wildlife Committee) will share their perspectives on this session’s Conservation Priorities. Use this opportunity to gain valuable insight about the legislative process, effective citizen lobbying, or just to learn more about the issues themselves. Bring your questions! 2:30-3:15 Giving Radio Interviews with Style Presenter: Lee Rayburn, Radio host and founder of Roots-Up Radio; Rooom L Whether you are attending Conservation Lobby Day as an individual or as an organizational representative, you can get local media coverage of your experience. In this session, radio host Lee Rayburn will give you guidance on how to spark the interest of local reporters. Plus, you may even get a chance to practice your interview skills. Oprah, look out! 3:30-4:15 Conservation Conversation III With Representative Cory Mason; Room M Wisconsin is facing one of the toughest budgets in recent memory. As members of the Joint Finance Committee, Senator Lassa and Representative Mason will discuss how the current economic climate could impact natural resource and public health programs. Bring your questions and learn how you can be an effective advocate for natural resources in the budget process. 3:30-4:15 Giving Radio Interviews with Style Presenter: Lee Rayburn, Radio host and founder of Roots-Up Radio; Room L Whether you are attending Conservation Lobby Day as an individual or as an organizational representative, you can get local media coverage of your experience. In this session, radio host Lee Rayburn will give you guidance on how to spark the interest of local reporters. Plus, you may even get a chance to practice your interview skills. Oprah, look out!
Conservation Lobby Day Social
DRIVING DIRECTIONS & PARKING INFO For directions to the Monona Terrace from where you are, click here.
Monona Terrace features a 600-space, cashier-operated parking structure, which is accessible via East Wilson St. and the eastbound lanes of John Nolen Dr.
For a map of additional City Parking Ramps in downtown Madison, click here.
Staying Overnight? Click here for a listing of Madison-area hotels.
Lenten Church Services
Conservation Lobby Day falls on Ash Wednesday this year. There are a number of churches in downtown Madison—please click here for a listing of downtown-area churches and phone numbers.
ENDORSING THE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
If your group, club, or organization wishes to show support for the 4 Conservation Priorities, the best way to do that is to formally endorse them. By endorsing the 4 Conservation Priorities, the name and contact information of your group, club, or organization will be listed in the Wisconsin Conservation Priorities 2009-2010 publication, in all correspondence to legislators, in media advisories and releases about the Conservation Priorities, and on a banner at Conservation Lobby Day.
Groups, clubs, and organizations that support and endorse the 4 Priorities will receive regular email updates about progress on the Priorities and have the option of joining periodic conference calls discussing the progress.
Additionally, organizations that endorse the Conservation Priorities are committing to help recruit participants for Conservation Lobby Day, which could include: allowing WLCV Organizers to speak at their meetings, announcing the 4 Conservation Priorities and Lobby Day in their newsletters or via email, recruiting their own members to Lobby Day, writing letters-to-the-editor, or writing opinion editorials.
If you are interested in endorsing the Conservation Priorities, please contact Jennifer Giegerich at (608) 661-0845 or at jennifer@conservationvoters.org. If you have any remaining questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
BACKGROUND ON THE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
For the past several years, the conservation community has come together to set a to-do list of the most important conservation issues in Wisconsin. Each legislative session, there are quite literally hundreds of potential "top" issues. In order to narrow the issues down to a more manageable number, the conservation community spent 6 months holding coalition meetings and talking with hundreds of citizens at 11 Conservation Listening Sessions around the state. In the end, a diverse, robust coalition of Wisconsin conservation organizations came together to select the four Conservation Priorities.
Conservation Lobby Day is our opportunity to present the Priorities to each of Wisconsin's 132 legislators. Since the first Conservation Lobby Day in 2005, it has grown from just over 100 citizens to over 500! When citizens come together to make their conservation values known, legislators listen, and we have seen conservation victories as a result!
SUCCESSES FROM THE 2007-2008 CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
Great Lakes Protection: Even though the rest of the country didn't think Wisconsin could do it, the Governor signed the Great Lakes Compact into law in May 2008, permanently protecting the Great Lakes from water diversions. The Great Lakes Compact was signed by President Bush this fall, thereby sealing the deal between the 8 Great Lakes states. Much of the credit goes to the 700+ citizens that attended Conservation Lobby Day in 2007 & 2008 to stress the importance of the Compact to their legislators, and the 5000+ citizens that contacted their legislators through postcards, emails, and phone calls!
Land Protection: The 2007-2008 State Budget guaranteed that the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund would be reauthorized for another decade and would receive $86 million a year to purchase land. At Conservation Lobby Day in February, over 430 citizens from across Wisconsin met in Madison to ask for a dramatic increase over the current level of $60 million per year. This victory secures land preservation dollars that will help balance the increasing demands of development.
Renewable Energy Loan and Grant Program Creation: The 2007-2008 State Budget created the Renewable Energy Grants and Loans program dedicated to investing in Wisconsin's renewable energy technologies. The budget provides $22 million to fund these grants. This is a component of a larger energy framework discussed at Conservation Lobby Day-citizens encouraged legislators to position Wisconsin as an energy leader through smart energy use and innovative energy generation.
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