Building a Movement to Protect Wilderness
Since its formation in 1979, Washington Wilderness Coalition (WWC) has
focused on a simple truth: public lands are a public issue. For nearly thirty years WWC has educated, empowered, and mobilized
communities throughout Washington, building a powerful grassroots
network that works hard to protect our public wildlands. WWC
successfully mobilized this network to raise the public support
necessary to pass the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act.
Today we continue to use these strategies to successfully defend
Washington’s remaining wild forests and rivers. These strategies form
the cornerstone of our outreach efforts and provide the foundation for
our work. Whether it’s enacting and defending the historic Roadless
Rule, building momentum for Wilderness across the state, or working to
protect the Wild Sky as Wilderness, WWC helps create the critical
public demand to permanently protect Washington’s natural heritage for
future generations.
Mobilizing Our Members & Supporters
WWC’s front line is our large group of passionate members
and supporters. We keep them informed about our work and key policy
issues effecting Washington’s wild lands and waters through our monthly
e-newsletter – Washington Wilderness Report – and quarterly paper
newsletter, Washington Wilderness Defender. When we need to generate
quick action on an issue we turn to our membership and activists first.
Empowering The Public
In any given year there are likely to be dozens of individual threats
or conservation opportunities affecting Washington’s wild lands. These
issues can arise from Congress or federal agencies, may be poorly publicized,
and often are given little notice. WWC uses its outreach team to quickly
alert the public and highlight the need for public comments on pending
decisions affecting our wild areas.
Educating Decision Makers
In addition to the public or grassroots outreach, WWC also ensures that
the key decision makers and opinion leaders have a solid understanding
of policy issues affecting our wild lands. WWC coordinates field tours
with members of Congress into areas like the Proposed Wild Sky
Wilderness, mobilizes local mayors and state legislators in support of
protecting roadless forests, and briefs decision makers on key policy
issues.
Our Outreach Team
Passionate and energetic, WWC’s Outreach Team fills a critical role in
our conservation efforts. They bring timely information about important
wild forest issues to our members and neighborhoods throughout
Washington State – and they show people how to take effective action
on these issues. Our Outreach team includes:
Conservation Director WWC maintains quality
relationships with members of the Washington Congressional delegation,
local elected officials, and other key opinion leaders through our
Conservation Director.
Door-to-Door Canvass Our outreach staff literally hits
the streets taking our conservation message door-to-door, neighborhood by
neighborhood. While the canvass primarily operates in the Seattle metropolitan
area, when needed they also hit the road (or ferry) to the Olympic Peninsula,
eastern Washington or wherever they are most needed.
Telephone Outreach Our outreach staffers also call our
members and supporters with timely updates on our conservation work and
opportunities for them to make a difference with a quick call or e-mail.
Seasonal Organizers – When the need arises, WWC
supplements its in-house outreach staff with additional organizers that work public
events and festivals (usually in the summer) to generate public comments on
key, time sensitive policy issues.
Success Stories
Gained Critical Support for Wild Sky Wilderness
When
Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn had jurisdiction over part of
the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal, we sent our canvass crew into the
major towns throughout her district. The canvass personally educated
over five thousand of her constituents and helped generate thousands of
letters and postcards to Rep. Dunn on Wilderness designation for the
Wild Sky Country!
It clearly had an effect. Dunn announced her support
of Wild Sky wilderness in 2002, and referred to the over 400 letters
she received from WWC's canvassing efforts as being influential in her
decision! Today, the Wild Sky Wilderness stands as testament to WWC's efforts in reaching out to citizens and gaining critical support for wilderness protection within Washington. Read the Seattle Times article Dunn to co-sponsor Wild Sky
bill.
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