WALT December eNews | Holiday appreciations...with a side of policy!

WALT eNews December 2019

Hello <<First Name>>!

For many of us here in Washington's land trust community, the holiday's are a particularly special moment. It is a chance to throw on your coat and marvel at the Trumpeter Swans wintering in the Chehalis. Or perhaps pull on your mud boots to catch the tail end of your local coho migration. Or strap on your cross-country skies with the hopes of catching a glimpse of a pine marten out on a little jaunt. I'm still waiting on that one.

These joys are all the more important to savor because, before you know it, the time comes for us all to don something (a bit) more professional and head down to Olympia to advocate for the lands and waters that make those experiences possible.

In that spirit, I hope you will consider a year-end gift to WALT. Your gift helps provide a collective voice on behalf of the hundreds of organizations, partners and volunteers acting locally to enhance and safeguard the Washington we love. Thank you for your passion towards this work, and here's to another wonderful year of collaboration!

With gratitude,

Nick Norton
Executive Director

A view of the dynamic, swirling nearshore complex at Sound View Camp, part of the Nisqually Land Trust's Marine Conservation Initiative. Photo courtesy of the WA Department of Ecology.

TAKE ACTION

Make your voice heard to protect Washington lands and waters

Wait...you still haven't signed up for WALT's Land Trust Advocacy Days on January 30th!? There's less than a month before the start of the 2020 legislative session, so don't wait to RSVP and help support our collective policy priorities for 2020!

The Land Trust Alliance just announced the date for its annual Advocacy Days, March 30-April 1 in Washington DC. This is an incredible opportunity to meet with your congressional delegation and urge their support for legislation like the Charitable Conservation Easement Integrity Act (S. 170).

Thanks to your help, permanent, dedicated funding for Land and Water Conservation Fund (S. 1081) passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Nov. 19th! It is now more important than ever to ask your federal delegation to help get S.1081 to the floor and vote in support of safeguarding our nation's most important source of conservation funding.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is proposing 18 different acquisition projects across 15 counties in preparation for 2020. WDFW is accepting public comment from now until January 3rd, so check out the project profiles and let them know how this will impact your community.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Celebrating the incredible accomplishments of our 29 members across the state

Off-channel, on the Deschutes

The Capitol Land Trust acquired the 33-acre Stewart Oxbow Preserve on the Deschutes River, protecting 1,110 feet of rare off-channel habitat that gives fish a place to rest in slow moving water. This builds off of over 25 years of collaboration with a local family to safeguard over 1.5 miles of this vital riparian corridor.

Photo credit: Capitol Land Trust

A sound with a view

The Nisqually Land Trust recently announced the receipt of over $3 million in funding to support their Marine Conservation Initiative, which would secure over 1.5 miles of lagoons, feeder bluffs, salt marshes, and barrier beaches, including protection of Sound View Camp, a local hub of education and recreation.

Photo credit: Nisqually Land Trust

NEWS & RESOURCES

WALT has released its 2020 Policy Priorities, so check out the fact sheets, talking points and more!

Puget Sound Partnership released their State of the Sound Report, to showcase and assess ongoing recovery efforts.

In pending case, IRS issues challenge to conservation easements that retain commercial forest management.

Clallam County commissioners approve Conservation Futures fund to preserve farmland.

Blue Mountain Land Trust's Blues Crews clock in over 3,000 hours of trail work in 2020.

GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Jan 6: USFS Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program applications due

Jan 6: Registration opens for GiveBIG Washington

Jan 8: Pre-proposals due for NOAA's Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Funding

Donate

JOBS

Trails Director, North Idaho Trails Coalition

Executive Director, Greenbelt Land Trust, Corvallis

Philanthropy and Communications Manager, Inland NW Land Conservancy, Spokane

Riparian Restoration Director, Forterra, Seattle

>> Find more jobs on our Jobs Page

EVENTS

Jan 28-29: Recreation and Conservation Funding Board Meeting. Olympia

Jan. 30: WALT Advocacy Day Olympia, WA

Feb 6: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition 's Legislative Day, Olympia, WA

Mar 30- Apr 1: Land Trust Alliance Advocacy Days, Washington DC

May 7-8: NW Community Forest Forum and Field Tour. Klamath Falls, Oregon

Support Washington's Land Trusts
Your support for the Washington Association of Land Trusts is leveraged 29 times to protect the places we love across the state.

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The Washington Association of Land Trusts (WALT) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. Uniting 29 nonprofit land conservation organizations, WALT is the collective voice of Washington's land trust community.