Over the past 10 years, our community has been tremendously successful in advocating for federal policies that advance land conservation. From passage of the permanent conservation tax incentive to enacting the Farm Bill, these successes wouldn't be possible without your advocacy support.

Now that the 116th Congress is seated, our community is presented with the opportunity to make a difference on federal policies impacting land trusts nationwide.

Growing up, baseball was life. I learned the game as a Pirate but perfected it as a Gator. In between, I saw time as a member of the Cubbies, RiverDogs and Zephyrs.

Enacting change can be hard. As creatures of habit, we prefer the familiar to the unknown. Less work to more. But when we are joined by others who share our values, change is possible. And I believe we — as a community — have the power to usher in a new era for private land conservation.