Advocating in the virtual world

Advocating for conservation policies from the comfort of one’s home can sometimes present challenges. For one, it can be hard to attend a meeting with a high-ranking official while family members — including furry companions — vie for attention. However, Land Trust Alliance members once again demonstrated record-setting engagement, perseverance and flexibility during the 10th annual Land Trust Alliance Advocacy Days, held virtually April 19-22.

Each year, the Alliance hires two government relations interns to help organize and coordinate the popular Advocacy Days event. Interns gain a firsthand look at conservation advocacy and are instrumental in coordinating meetings among land trusts and elected officials. This year, we took on this important, educational and fun role.

While this spring’s event was the second in a row to be held fully virtual, the format provided advantages by removing traditional participation barriers, such as travel costs and time spent away from the office. As a result, a record 250 land conservationists, representing 43 states, participated in over 170 virtual meetings with members of Congress and their staff.

More than 130 were first-time Advocacy Days participants.

“We were thrilled to have so many attendees, especially first-time participants, join us at this year’s event,” says Lori Faeth, the Alliance’s government relations director. “By bringing together our community in such a way, we not only underscored the value of land conservation to members of Congress but also strengthened our voice on Capitol Hill.”

Advocacy Days is an opportunity for the land trust community to educate decision-makers on federal policy priorities. This year, those priorities included reintroducing and passing the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, underscoring the importance of Farm Bill conservation programs and supporting a modernized Civilian Conservation Corps program.

Land trusts also were prepared to address developing political opportunities, including the January executive order “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.” Many members took the opportunity to educate policymakers on the importance of private land conservation and the pivotal role that land trusts can play in achieving the ambitious 30x30 goal. This outreach was especially important given the amount of misinformation circulating about 30x30 and private land conservation.

Over four days, attendees met with Congress members and their staff to advocate for and discuss policies directly impacting land conservation. Attendees heard remarks by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania). In addition, Robert Bonnie, deputy chief of staff for policy and senior climate adviser at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, delivered a timely keynote address focused on natural climate solutions. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet with key agency officials at the U.S. Forest Service, USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation division and the U.S. Department of the Interior as part of a newly created Agency Day.

Here’s what went into planning and executing such a major event.

Step One: Building Relationships
Planning for Advocacy Days begins nearly a year in advance, but the first visible sign is the “save the date” notice in February. To boost attendance, Alliance staff relied on field coordinators, board members, interns and other staff to conduct outreach. This was amplified through word-of-mouth interactions across the close-knit land trust community.

Once participants registered, the most time-consuming task was scheduling meetings for land trust representatives with Congress members and their staff — an assignment that went well beyond coordinating calendars. This required a significant amount of research, including learning about individual land trust needs, interests, service territory, prior interactions and standing relationships with officials.

Step Two: Tools for Advocacy
Once the appointments were scheduled, we made sure that attendees had all the necessary information, tools and resources to ensure successful meetings with elected officials. We created an informational biography for each member of Congress and fact sheets for each policy priority as well as customized supplemental material based on our members’ needs. Advocacy Days participants used an online hub to access this information and share factsheets and other materials with congressional offices.

In addition, two advocacy training sessions were held. An issues briefing for all attendees provided an overview of the policy agenda. A training for first-timers provided tips for interacting with members of Congress and their staff and offered virtual opportunities to role play Hill meetings.

Step Three: The Congressional Meeting
Once land trust members reviewed the materials and attended the trainings, it was time to meet with elected officials. Congressional offices welcomed the chance to talk with constituents, and through virtual visits it was easy to connect. This year, Alliance members participated in more than 170 virtual meetings with congressional offices, including over 40 meetings with elected officials.

After educating their congressional representatives about the issues important to our community, land trust participants recorded the details of their meetings in an Alliance advocacy database. We reviewed the results, and it was clear that Alliance members were effective advocates. Many reported that officials were receptive to their messages. Many Alliance members invited elected officials to visit a property or attend a land trust event — an excellent way to show Congress members how federal programs are working on the ground.

Looking to the Future
Thank you to the hundreds of participants who made this year’s Advocacy Days our most impactful and well-attended event yet. After reading about our success and the importance of this work, hopefully more people will feel inspired to participate next year. In the meantime, for the latest policy news, please visit lta.org/2021-policy-agenda. Building relationships among land trusts, decision-makers and their staff is an ongoing effort. If we don’t continue to advocate for policies that support our community, we won’t be able to achieve our ambitious land conservation goals.

Do You Know Your Representatives?

It is remarkably easy to determine who represents you in Congress! Simply go to www.govtrack.us/congress/members and enter your ZIP code. You can do this for every ZIP code where your land trust holds a conservation easement.