How to write a local column about H.R. 4459

The Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act (H.R. 4459) is great news for land trusts nationwide and a welcome respite from partisan divide in Washington. And from our perspective as a land trust in Colorado, this act bolsters the legal foundation of our main conservation tool and reassures our supporters, easement holders and community of the unwavering integrity with which we operate.

We write a monthly column for our local newspaper, the Vail Daily, because this connection with our community is vital to pursuing our mission and connecting with new supporters, advocates, donors, and local organizations. H.R. 4459 was the subject of our column last month because we believe that advocacy is paramount to our success in protecting land. It is important for our community — and your community, too — to understand the issues that prompted the creation of H.R. 4459.

We felt that it was critical to demonstrate our commitment to integrity by publicly denouncing these abusive transactions and endorsing a bipartisan legislative solution. Further, we used the opportunity to concisely explain what a conservation easement is — and what it is not.

We've repurposed the column by sharing it across our social media platforms, using snippets for letters to our congressional representatives, sending it to our board of directors and posting it as a blog on our website.

Starting a conversation with your local newspaper about a monthly column isn't difficult. Conservation is an engaging topic that your community wants to read about. Simply try calling the editor of your local newspaper and asking them to set a meeting. (We found they appreciate getting together over lunch.) At the meeting, ask them how you can help create content they desire. Operating on shoestring budgets, newspapers could be desperate for content, especially during busy times of year where advertising would dominate without quality content you can help provide. We've found it to be a wise use of resources and an effective channel for building support, awareness and legitimacy of our organization and mission.

And if our columns help build momentum for Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, then all the better.

Bergen Tjossem is communications and fundraising coordinator at Eagle Valley Land Trust.