A Trip to the Nation's Capital

In early April, I had the pleasure of joining more than 100 devoted conservationists from around the country in our nation’s capital for the Land Trust Alliance’s “Advocacy Days.” Over the course of three very full days, we roamed the halls of Congress, meeting with our respective legislators and advocating for pro-conservation federal policies.

Personally, I teamed up with leadership from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, and we visited the offices of every Colorado senator and representative. In these meetings, we reiterated the importance of land conservation in Colorado and beyond, and we garnered support for several specific pieces of legislation. 

Colorado has long been the leader in conservation on the national stage-- we set an inspiring example and much of the country’s conservation community takes note and follows suit. In our discussions with congressional leadership, we emphasized Colorado’s role as an innovator, encouraging the senators, representatives, and their staffs to take a similar leadership role in championing these important issues.
 
Much to my delight, our interactions with lawmakers and their staffs were positive, productive, and encouraging. With both Republicans and Democrats, our presentations were met with full attention and intelligent follow-up questions, as well as a seemingly authentic desire to learn more and assist with our efforts.
 
Relative to many political issues today, the overall idea of conservation is unusually bipartisan. With the exception of a  few, everyone agrees that clean water, healthy wildlife, and open space for agriculture and recreation are our birthrights as Americans.

Yours in Conservation,
 
Ed Roberson
Conservation Director
Palmer Land Trust