Foresters to Descend on Washington



The Society of American Foresters is holding its first ever "Legislative Days" so its members can take advantage of SAF's contacts on Capitol Hill and connect with the policymakers who influence and create the nation's forest laws and regulations. The event will be held June 23 in Washington, DC.

Legislative Days will allow SAF members to visit Washington, DC, to share their experiences and ideas with key forest policymakers and interest groups. Attendees will gain first-hand knowledge of how the federal legislative and budget processes work, develop the necessary skills to become a stakeholder in policy decisions, and network with those involved in forest policy development. Legislative Days can help SAF members become better leaders within the organization as well as in their capacity as a forestry professional.

According to Michael Mortimer, a forestry professor at Virginia Tech and chair of SAF's Committee on Forest Policy, Legislative Days is also likely to be of great benefit to the policy efforts of SAF state societies and divisions.

"This event presents a rare and unique opportunity for SAF members interested in policy to learn more about how federal legislative decisions are made and to meet directly with their respective federal legislators," says Mortimer. "It also gives state policy chairs or other SAF members a chance to network with their counterparts in other states and to apply what they've learned with their local SAF societies and divisions."

Cosponsored by the National Network of Forest Practitioners, American Forests, The Communities Committee, and The Pinchot Institute for Conservation, the event will begin on Monday, June 2, with a half-day of Congressional Relations Training, followed by visits with key members of Congress and staff on Capitol Hill. Additional visits to Capitol Hill are planned for Tuesday, June 3.

The registration fee for the event is $45 and does not include hotel accommodations, meals, or travel. Additional donations above the $45 fee are strongly encouraged.

For information, contact Rita Neznek, SAF's interim director of forest policy, 5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814; (301) 897-8720, ext. 115; neznekr@safnet.org.