Thank you!

Lobbying and advocacy are serious business: always remember to bring a selfie-stick

By Chris Wood

Dear TU members:

Ask. Ask. Ask. We do a lot of asking around here.

• "Send us $35 dollars and become a member!”
• "Support Embrace a Stream, and get a cool hat!”
• “Become a life member and get an even cooler fly-rod.”
• “Take action today to protect the Clean Water Act!”
• “Read this blog to see what the bums want to do to Bristol Bay.”
• “Send this message to your member of Congress, and ask them to support conservation.”
• “You never sent in that membership renewal. We will sweeten the pot with some flies!”

We are motivated by words of theologian Thomas Merton who once wrote, “The greatest human failing is settling for too little.” Seriously, the reason that we ask is because you answer. Repeatedly.

Today, I am not going to ask for anything other than to allow me to say "thank you" to all of you who sent a check, made a phone call, signed an action-alert or otherwise helped to pass the Natural Resources Management Act through the Senate and the House of Representatives.

vols at the Capitol.jpg

Thanks to your incredible advocacy, this historic package of more than 100 conservation bills will go to the President’s desk for his signature. Once the President signs the bill, more than one million acres will be added to the Wilderness Preservation System, the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be permanently authorized, and special places such as the upper Methow Valley and the upper Umpqua will be protected. You can learn more about the bill here.

Many years ago, I asked Marcia Woolman, one of our great volunteer leaders from Virginia, what was the most important thing to know about working with volunteers. She replied, “Just say thank you, Chris. Just say thank you.”

Thank you.

Chris Wood is the president and CEO of Trout Unlimited.