With the support of Congress, the land trust community is ready to accomplish much that would benefit all Americans.
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) April 19, 2021
The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America, is this week connecting conservationists with their elected representatives through Land Trust Alliance Virtual Advocacy Days.
Starting April 19, a record-setting 234 land trust professionals and supporters from 39 states are connecting with members of Congress through video conferencing and phone calls. Virtual Advocacy Days participants will urge congressional action on multiple conservation priorities, including passage of the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, which would halt the abuse of conservation easement donations and thereby safeguard taxpayers.
“With the support of Congress, the land trust community is ready to accomplish much that would benefit all Americans,” said Land Trust Alliance President & CEO Andrew Bowman. “Together, we can stop bad actors from abusing a critical conservation program and we can give the people of this nation more conserved lands to benefit their physical and mental health. In short, we can make a better tomorrow.”
In addition to advocating for the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, Virtual Advocacy Days participants will promote voluntary private land conservation as a means to achieve the Biden administration’s goal of conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, join the call for a modernized Civilian Conservation Corps and lay the groundwork for a successful 2023 Farm Bill.
Land Trust Alliance Advocacy Days runs for four days, concluding April 22. Scheduled speakers include U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Senior Advisor for Climate Robert Bonnie, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), along with Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania).
About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents nearly 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at http://www.landtrustalliance.org.
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