Q2 Work Plan. April June 2018

Transcription

1 Q2 Work Plan April June 2018 Objective: Raise awareness of Clean Water issues and challenges in Montana and nationwide and through public awareness continue to support congressional targets to advocate with Senate leadership in favor of future legislation or funding opportunities that benefit clean water issues. Timing: Throughout Q2, April June culminating for the Montana field team with a Montana Clean Water Week, June 2-10, which coincides with National Boating and Fishing week. Tactics/Deliverables: Because we are focused on public outreach to raise awareness this quarter, our top tactics and associated deliverables are aimed at generating public engagement on clean water issues. We will leverage the awareness and interest we generate to remind our MOC that the public is paying attention to all things clean water. In addition to these specific tactics, our Montana field partners will all be infusing our general messages to members with more clean water language. For example, Montana Trout Unlimited s work to improve state mining law will use clean water as the top talking point. Engage the Montana Brewshed Alliance to hold a series of events (at least 5) across the state during National Boating and Fishing Week (June 2-10) to advocate for strong federal clean water policies. 3 Stories collected about the importance of clean water 4 grasstops calls to MOCs 1 In-District Meeting with at least 2 Grasstops partners 1 OpEd placement OR 2 OpEds submitted 2 LTEs placed OR 4 LTEs submitted 3 Social Media Posts Although it was part of the Q1 work plan, we are sponsoring a tele townhall with Senator Jon Tester during Q2, April 25.

2 Lobbying Strategy It is important to understand policy development to craft an effective and efficient lobbying strategy. 1. Policy Development a. Analysis i. What is the problem and how can it be solved? b. Impact i. Who is impacted? ii. What is the outcome? iii. Unintended consequences c. Recommendations d. Position Determination i. Support ii. Oppose iii. Amend e. Content Creation i. Story Telling about Impact 2. Political Prism a. Feasibility i. Political Landscape 1. Party in Power (Legislative and Executive) and Leadership 2. Has this been done before? Was it controversial? 3. Lame Duck? 3. Develop Lobbying Strategy a. Determine Coalition Support b. Identify Opposition c. Identify Champions i. Legislators to carry bills, encourage colleagues to support or oppose, mpush for hearings d. Message and Material Creation i. Story telling targeted at general public and targeted at individuals who will engage 4. Advocate and Lobby a. Engage Grassroots i. General public/members b. Engage Grasstops i. Connected individuals, donors, etc. c. Engage Media d. Engage Champions 5. Political Process a. Introduced on floor, reported to committees, voted on on floor, conference committee, singed by executive 6. Modify if Necessary

3 Modify if Necessary Political Process Policy Development -Analysis -Impact -Recommendations -Position Determination -Content Creation Advocate and Lobby -Engage Grassroots -Engage Grasstops -Engage Media -Engage Champions Political Prism Develop Lobbying Strategy -Determine Coalition Support -Identify Opposition -Identify Champions -Message and Material Creation

4 Ways Your TU Chapter Can Advocate for Conservation Target audience General Advocacy, from education to grassroots lobbying Direct lobbying Any elected official Your Membership Federal or State Legislators Local: County, City, Village, Town officials DNR resource managers Build relationships Hold a public forum to educate them about an issue Meet them in district or at a listening session to introduce your organization, no ask at this time Meet them at a coffee shop to introduce yourself and your organization Invite DNR staff to events, workdays Inform them about issues Send an about a policy issue or legislation (for information only) Take them fishing or show them streamwork restoration sites to introduce them to the issues on your river Take them fishing or show them streamwork restoration sites to introduce them to the issues on your river Invite the DNR Secretary and staff to your events; consider annual meetings, especially with Fisheries Bureau Invite them to your workdays, banquets Send an about a policy issue or legislation with an opinion/point of view from your organization (no specific call to action, yet) Put them on your newsletter/ lists. Sign up for their list. Put them on your newsletter/ lists. Sign up for their list (if available) Ask the DNR staff/administration to fund programs/staff that support trout streams in your region INCREASING ENGAGEMENT Hold targeted events for them; show them your stream and its issues Send an about a policy issue or legislation with a call to action, Contact your legislator, tell them how you feel about this issue, ask them to vote yes, and here is how to contact them. Send them educational information about your concerns- be their resource for quality information about water issues Attend County Land & Water meetings (or other appropriate committee meetings) to learn, listen, educate and/or make requests Provide letters of support to the Natural Resource Board for polices that support trout streams, or speak out about polices that will harm them Ask them to vote a certain way N/A Testify at a public hearing Call, send a letter/ asking them to vote yes/no Meet at their office in the Capitol Testify at a public hearing Call, send a letter/ asking them to vote yes/no Attend a meeting to ask for funds in the budget, an ordinance, etc. Ask DNR managers for resources to protect trout streams in your region Provide comment or testimony on DNR or Conservation Congress issues

5 Successful Meeting with Your Legislator The three rules for being a successful advocate: Be yourself. Be respectful. Stick to what you know. Tips for a Successful Meeting with Your Legislator Introduce yourself with some context. Mention where you live and/or own property and reference any affiliations you might have- you are a PTA member, president of a hunting club, on the library board, etc. Be clear as to if you are representing an organization/group or you are there as an individual. Some chit chat is great but be mindful of your time. Small talk is how you establish rapport so it s definitely good to pursue but be mindful of the time in order to get all your points across while being respectful of your legislator s time. Thank them. A little background investigation of your legislator s voting record can provide you with an opportunity to thank them for a past vote. If you find a topic or know of an issue (it doesn t have to be a conservation issue) where your legislator voted well, be sure to mention your appreciation. Everyone likes to be recognized for making good decisions! o o o Your state legislature s website is a good place to find information on bills and voting records. You can find the state s webpage via an internet search (i.e. (state name) legislature) The League of Conservation Voters gathers conservation voting records into a conservation scorecard, which can be found via an internet search (i.e. (state name) conservation scorecard) You can find your representatives voting history on the League of Conservation Voter s Vote Tracker page, which can be found via an internet search (i.e. (state name) conservation vote tracker) Be organized. Plan your meeting and stick to your agenda. Decide among your group who will present what. Even in a more casual setting such as a living room or coffee shop it s important to have a plan. Map out the points that you want to be sure are discussed, who is tasked with taking the lead on each, and how you would like the point to be addressed. For example, are you asking them to vote on a specific bill or just looking for them to acknowledge the issue for now? Practicing the meeting can help you prepare. Tell your story. Bringing it home makes the difference. Tell how the issue at hand affects you, your family, your business, your community and why you care. Make it personal and real but be sure not to exaggerate or wander off point. Be clear, concise and resolute. Be respectful. No matter what happens in your meeting, be respectful. That doesn t mean you have to reach agreement but you do want to make build a relationship for the future. No jargon. No acronyms, no fancy science speak. Request a follow-up meeting. Consider asking for a follow-up visit or check-in before the end of your meeting. Especially if your meeting is intended to be introductory and relationship-building, follow-ups can get more to the heart of the issue or provide the opportunity to ask for specific action. Respect the staff/aides. Recognize that aides, not legislators, will often be your official point of contact, and should be treated with the same respect. They are often tasked with learning issue details and can be important allies for constituents. A good relationship with an aide can open doors in the future.

6 Successful Meeting with Your Legislator (Continued) How to Handle Some Common Meeting Situations What if my legislator is focused on something else not what we want to discuss? Politely but firmly take the conversation back to your topic: We will be sure to share that with our members but at today s meeting, we ve gathered here to talk about X. What if my legislator asks me something I don t know? This is the perfect opportunity to offer a second meeting or contact. First, don t lose credibility by guessing at an answer (and possibly getting it wrong). It never hurts to say you don t know the answer, but will certainly find one and get back to them. You ll be remembered and respected for your honesty, and you get a second chance to remind them about the importance of your issue. What if my legislator says they can t do anything without seeing/reading a bill? This answer shouldn t prevent you from getting a sense of where they are. Try a response like, I understand that your official position will depend on reading the bill, but in general, could you support the key positions that we have laid out here? What if my legislator says they can t do anything because they are in the minority party, not on the committee, etc. In order for a bill to become law, they will have to take a position at some point, so try an approach like, I understand that legislators have different roles in the process, but as our legislator do you intend to vote for the bill when it comes to the floor? What if my legislator totally disagrees with us on the issue? I appreciate that we can t always agree on everything. We hope that you will keep our concerns in mind. The next issue we d like to talk to you about is X. What if my legislator is already a really helpful/enthusiastic supporter? Do they still need to hear from me? Absolutely. They need to be able to tell their colleagues they ve heard from constituents in support of the bill and it s an opportunity to have a positive interaction. It is so great that you are supportive of this issue. Besides voting for the bill, would you be willing to lend your public support to getting the bill passed by asking leadership to schedule the vote and working to make sure members of your caucus will also support it?

7 Washington Council of Trout Unlimited: 2018 State Legislative & Policy Priorities TU Mission To conserve, protect and restore coldwater fisheries and their watersheds Motorized Suction Dredge Reform Washington State is the last remaining Western state allowing motorized suction dredging to occur in rivers and streams without environmental permit review. TU recently filed a petition with the Department of Fish & Wildlife seeking rulemaking action to ensure that motorized suction dredge complies with the federal Endangered Species Act and state law. A similar petition was filed with the Department of Ecology as to compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. The Fish & Wildlife Commission denied TU s rulemaking petition, but has significant interest in this issue, which now can also be addressed by the Governor or Legislature. Without either rulemaking or legislative action, it is likely that motorized suction dredge reform will occur only through the prolonged litigation. Olympic Peninsula Fishing Guide Legislation The rivers on the Northwest Olympic Peninsula are Washington s premiere recreational fishing rivers, especially for wild steelhead. But as fishing opportunities in other parts of the state are limited, fishing pressure on the Olympic Peninsula is increasing to levels that are not sustainable for local anglers, guided anglers, or guides. Ensuring that fishing pressure is properly managed is important for both fish species and the local recreational economy. Trout Unlimited has worked with the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association to develop legislation to manage guide pressure and evaluate what level of guided fishing is sustainable on the Northwest Olympic Peninsula. Capital Budget Funding Habitat Conservation & Instream Flow Restoration Resolving both the Hirst water rights/gma and Capital Budget are critical for Washington State, and the Hirst issue provides an opportunity for establish a comprehensive program to improve instream flows to benefit fish. Support for full funding for Department of Ecology s Office of Columbia River Program, Floodplains By Design and Yakima Basin Implementation Plan budget requests. Skagit River Catch & Release Steelhead Fishery and Wild Steelhead Management The Skagit River has the healthiest runs of wild steelhead in Puget Sound. The level of wild fish returns could support new recreational fishing opportunity, if managed through a well-designed catch and release program. Trout Unlimited is working with WDFW and NOAA-Fisheries to ensure that a Skagit River catch and release fishery can be opened in We are also seeking to obtain a long-term commitment from WDFW to manage the Skagit exclusively for wild steelhead.