June 13, 2022
ACTION ALERTS
FINAL PUSH FOR SUPPORT FOR DCNR AND GROWING GREENER III
 
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council issued an Action Alert last March 17, 2022 to encourage each of our Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters to urge the General Assembly to support the proposal to allocate $500 million to DCNR provided to Pennsylvania from the America Recovery Act. These funds are used by DCNR to underwrite a host of projects undertaken by our conservation partners throughout the Commonwealth. We need your to support once again to reach out your state senators and state representatives to support Growing Greener III legislation (SB525 and HB 2020). You can read the statements made by the representatives from many members of the Growing Greener Coalition from an event earlier this month: http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2022/06/lawmakers-from-both-parties-advocates.html
 
We need a final push from Audubon in these coming days to do everything we can to secure the funding for this vital program. The Pennsylvania Audubon Network has an important role in the effort to push for Growing Greener because of our statewide grassroots presence through our chapters in partnership with Leigh the Pennsylvania Audubon Council and Audubon MidAtlantic. Here is the “full court press” that that is underway:
 
  • Jim Brown, Director of Policy for Audubon MidAtlantic, issued an Action Alert last month that generated 800+ responses from individual Audubon members. Jim plans to reissue the Action Alert in advance of the final vote on Growing Greener III.
  • The Pennsylvania Audubon Council issued a letter of support for Growing Greener on June 13th. The letter was sent as a “blast” email to every individual member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. A copy of the letter can be found here: CLICK TO VIEW LETTER
  • Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters are encouraged to send a letter to each of state senators and state representatives whose districts are in whole or part of your chapter territory. A sample letter from the Wyncote Audubon Society can be found HERE (when you click it downloads the document to your computer) in “Word” format. Chapters can adapt of modify the letter as needed and placed on your chapter letterhead – note that the first paragraph of the sample letter is the chapter specific section of the letter that needs be adjusted. The remainder of the letter is generic and does not require an adjustment.
  • We need each chapter to generate telephone or email contact from individual members of your board, your conservation/advocacy committee, and any of your general members. They need to urge the state representatives and senators, who serve any portions of your chapter territories, to move on these Growing Greener measures so they can be put in the budget.
  • We need every chapter in every corner of the state to help. However, we are advised that a strong push is generally need for those members of the General Assembly in the northeast, northwest, and central parts of the state.
  • We need your action to be taken this week as the budget process heads toward completion!
 
 Important Links for Information:
  • Find Your Legislator- PA General Assembly:
 
 
 
  • State Senate District Maps
 
REMINDER!!!!
Pennsylvania Audubon Council
Policy and Position Statements for Our Priority Conservation Issues
7:00 PM, Monday, June 20, 2022
 
A special Council meeting is scheduled for 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM on Monday, June 20, 2022. This meeting is intended as the first conversation among our chapter leaders and Council representatives on how we would like to frame our “policies and positions” for each of the priorities of greatest conservation concern we collectively identified this past autumn. Please extend an invitation to the chairs of your conservation and advocacy committees to participate in this special meeting. This will be a facilitated conversation to elicit participants’ views on how each of our chapters can best support Council advocacy activities. The information learned would serve to guide how the Council can take the next steps necessary to engage and facilitate involvement.
 
This is the first of several zoom discussions in a sequence to be scheduled and lead to a fall Council meeting where we may formally adopt policy and position statements as a Council based on the process that fully engages the chapters. The goal will be to have an “advocacy playbook and plan” in place as we look to the next legislative sessions in Harrisburg and D.C. in January 2023. 
 
Please preregister for this Pennsylvania Audubon Council Meeting!
REMINDER!
Cast Your Chapter’s Ballot!
 
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council is conducting the election of Officers. All terms are for one year that starts July 1, 2022 and ends June 30, 2023. The Council Nominating Committee includes Ali Bowling, President of Appalachian Audubon Society; John Carter, President of Juniata Valley Audubon Society; and Sean Minnick, Treasurer of Tiadaughton Audubon. The current Pennsylvania Audubon Council Officers were elected in 2021 and are eligible to serve for another term if elected. The Nominating Committee received no additional names for nomination. The Nominating Committee recommends the following slate of Officers for election: President: Leigh Altadonna currently serves as the Council President and is President of Wyncote Audubon Society; Vice-President: Paul Burroughs currently serves as Vice-President of the Council and is Vice-President of Presque Isle Audubon; Secretary: Heidi Shiver currently serves as the Council Secretary, is President of Bird Town Pennsylvania and past president of the Bucks County Audubon Society; Treasurer: Jim Bonner is the current Council Treasurer and is the Executor Director of Audubon Society of Western PA
 
In addition to the slate of Officers, we are electing three representatives to the Council to serve with the four officers on the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Executive Board. All three nominees are incumbents and eligible to serve for another one-year term if elected. The Nominees for the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Executive Board are: Laura Jackson, Vice President of Juniata Valley Audubon Society; Susan Murawski, President of Presque Isle Audubon Society; and Peter Saenger, President of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.
 
In accordance with our bylaws, each Pennsylvania Audubon Chapter is eligible to cast one official ballot on behalf of their chapter. The Chapter’s vote will be for the entire slate as a whole and not for individual positions. Each Pennsylvania Audubon chapter is invited to cast a ballot for the slate of officers that have been presented by the Nominating Committee.
 
If you need any information about the nominees or the election procedures, please contact the Pennsylvania Audubon Council at paauduboncouncil@gmail.com.
Please submit your chapter ballot by Wednesday June 22, 2022