Action Needed Now: First Deadlines in Mid-March​

The fiscal year 2017 environmental education appropriations cycle holds great promise this year, as well as some big challenges. Congressional appropriations subcommittees are already considering the FY 2017 budget, so now is the time for each of us to advocate for the environmental education (EE) programs so essential to our communities and the country.  We have a narrow and important window of opportunity to have a positive impact on EE funding—deadlines for critical outreach fall before the end of March.  

You can help by contacting your members of Congress to endorse a set of letters in support of specific programs that are addressed to the appropriations committees.  We all need to ask our Senators and House members to sign these letters by the mid- to late-March deadlines.

The materials you'll need are linked elsewhere on this page in the red "Featured" box under the "Resource" label. There you'll find:

- Detailed advocacy instruction
- Background briefings 
- The Appropriations letters for legislators’ signature and instructions. Note: While we may not have all of the final letters from the legislators   posted yet, don't wait - you should start as soon as possible by reading the briefing papers, contacting your Congressional offices, sharing the briefings and your local environmental education success stories, and letting the legislators' staff know that the sign-on letter(s) are coming within days.

It's very important that we advocate for our cause with all legislators, even those we think won't sign these letters! This outreach provides an excellent opportunity to develop relationships with your Congressional offices and building understanding and support for the great work you are doing in your states and communities.  This is just as important as getting the needed signatures!

Thank you in advance for helping to secure the future of environmental education and please pass this on to your colleagues today!

Brock

Brock Adler
Chair, Advocacy Committee, North American Association for Environmental Education

Sarah

Sarah Bodor
Director, Policy and Affiliate Relations, North American Association for Environmental Education