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October 14, 2011
Dear urban forestry supporters,
Today’s
news:
1.
Action Alert: Farm Bill 2012
2.
Farewell from CaUFC staff Sonya Hammons
1.
Action Alert: Support Urban Forestry in the Farm Bill
California Urban Forests Council
ACTION ALERT
We
in California are fortunate to receive legislative advocacy support from the
Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC), a national organization
focusing on urban and community forestry issues and opportunities.
We are sharing important information with you about the upcoming 2012
Farm Bill and asking for your action contacting your elected officials
beginning next week. We support the efforts and recommendations of
SUFC.
The
2012 Farm Bill is looming before Congress. Every five years, this
expansive piece of legislation authorizes or reauthorizes USDA programs
ranging from nutrition, food stamps, food safety, agricultural supports
and rural conservation and forestry (including urban and community
forestry).
In
2008, the last Farm Bill enacted dramatic changes in rural forest
conservation. In 2012, the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition
(SUFC) will make the case for important improvements in urban and
community forestry.
Over
the next month, we have a unique window of opportunity to come together
as a coalition
– and to advocate for healthy, vibrant urban forests and livable
communities. No coalition as broad as ours has taken up this issue
in the past.
In
this fiscal climate, we can’t afford not to bring forward
recommendations that will protect, strengthen and even expand
opportunities to make communities healthier, and more livable. SUFC developed a platform
addressing these goals which respect budget constraints – but still
demonstrates how building capacity for urban forestry and green
infrastructure initiatives can save money and deliver better outcomes
dollar for dollar. Now we need your help as SUFC members to
bring this message to your constituencies and key House and Senate
members.
The
endorsed recommendations fall into three broad categories to protect
urban forest health:
[1] address issues at the landscape level and promote urban trees and
forests as green infrastructure; [2] interagency support and
coordination; and [3] research, tools and information resources.
Attached
to this email Alert are:
Executive Summary of SUFC Farm Bill Recommendations (print ready) and a
sample template letter. Additional SUFC Farm Bill Advocacy Kit
materials* (talking points, Farm Bill webinar recordings, letter to Ag.
Committees etc.) are on the TAKE ACTION page of the SUFC website http://www.urbanforestcoalition.org/takeAction.aspx.
Timing
is important.
The advocacy goal is to get in front of as many members of the House and
Senate Agricultural Committee members as possible (see SUFC Take Action page).
The Policy Working Group suggests focusing on the window of time leading
up to November 23rd when the Super Committee is scheduled to vote on its
plan to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion. This plan will have
important implications for the work of the House and Senate Agriculture
committees on the Farm Bill. The Policy Working Group will keep a
close watch on the work the Super Committee-which is highly secretive-and
provide updates and suggested action steps prior to the November 23rd deadline
and after.
What
to Do:
·
Find
you local Congressional and Senate Representatives http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
·
Write
a letter or call their office demonstrating your support (letter template
attached but please customize with your own story)
·
Visit
their offices!
·
Contact
members of the House Agricultural Committee: http://www.urbanforestcoalition.com/doc/House_Ag_Members.pdf
·
Contact
members of the Senate Agricultural Committee: http://www.urbanforestcoalition.com/doc/Senate_Ag_Members.pdf
·
Contact
members of the Super Committee:
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Senate members
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· Patty
Murray, Washington, Co-Chair
· Max
Baucus, Montana
· John
Kerry, Massachusetts
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· Jon Kyl,
Arizona
· Rob
Portman, Ohio
· Pat
Toomey, Pennsylvania
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House members
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· Xavier Becerra, California
· Jim
Clyburn, South Carolina
· Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
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· Jeb Hensarling, Texas, Co-Chair
· Fred
Upton, Michigan
· Dave
Camp, Michigan
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Please
let us know how your organization will participate in this effort. This is critical to
tracking our collective efforts, leveraging our contacts and tracking our
progress. If you have questions, please contact Gerry Gray, Policy
Working Group Chair at SUFC ggray@amfor.org
or Nancy Hughes at CaUFC njhughes@caufc.org.
Thank
you – we
appreciate your efforts on the behalf of urban and community forestry!
2.
Farewell from CaUFC staff Sonya Hammons
To the
wonderful urban forestry supporters: I have greatly enjoyed my time as
CaUFC’s Program Manager, and am now moving to new position working on
environmental health policy at the national level.
It has
been a pleasure to work with all of you, and I appreciate the inspiring
work you all do to strengthen our California communities. Keep up the
great work and I look forward to seeing you again!
Thanks for all that you do to grow healthy communities!
Sincerely,
Sonya
Hammons
Program
Manager
California
Urban Forests Council
Mail:
PO Box 823, Novato, CA 94948
Office:
555 Northgate Dr., #225, San Rafael, CA 94903
Ph:
415-479-8733, Fax 415-789-4501
Join
us on Facebook!
Become a member for free: http://www.caufc.org/Membership
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