Write a Letter to the Editor
Letters to the editor of your local paper and op-eds are an excellent way to let your community and your legislators know of your support. You can either send a letter yourself or, for even greater impact, ask a board member or other supporter to write the letter on behalf of your organization/municipality. Rather than provide a generic letter to copy, however, we encourage you to offer your personal perspective on why Growing Greener is important.
Your letter should include:
1. Name of organization: Include your address so the legislator understands you are in their district
2. Type of organization: Nature Center, Watershed, Land Conservancy, Professional Organization, etc
3. Mission of organization: Describe what your organization does
4. Description of audience: Offer a profile of your typical visitor and the number of members if applicable
5. Benefit to the community: Describe how your organization enhances the quality of life for local residents. Be sure to:
- Identify specific successful projects made possible either in whole or in part by Growing Greener
- How these projects have benefitted your area’s residents
- What you will be able to accomplish with future Growing Greener funds
6. Purpose of the Letter: To support Renew Growing Greener – A call for the legislature to dedicate a significant portion of a natural gas severance tax to Growing Greener.
If you are sending the letter electronically, please copy Andrew Heath, Executive Director of Renew Growing Greener (aheath@renewgrowinggreener.org).
Sample Letter to the Editor
I am writing to voice my concerns about the future of Growing Greener, a transformative initiative that has helped XXXXXXX build regional recreation areas and protect natural habitats in our increasingly crowded communities.
Growing Greener has been Pennsylvania’s most effective tool to help communities protect and restore many of the Commonwealth’s most treasured places. In our community, Growing Greener has enabled the local playground, XYZ located on ABC Street to be improved and made safer for the 2,000 inner-city children that live within walking distance.
In the future, we hope to implement more improvements to this much-valued recreation area.
I support Renew Growing Greener and encourage the community at large to urge the legislature to dedicate a significant portion of a natural gas severance tax to Growing Greener.
Sample letter to Legislator
Dear Mr/s. ________________
I am a board member of XYZ Nature Center, located at XXX Red Rover Lane. Our facility is located on 3 acres in XXX borough and is a keystone of education and interactive learning for children ages 4-17.
We host xxx visitors a year; many are from minority or underserved audiences. Our purpose is to introduce children to nature through programming and storytelling. The XYZ Nature Center has 10 exhibits about habitat and conservation that instill an understanding of the importance of nature and how nature shapes our community. Through these activities, we are able to engage our visitors’ curiosity and foster an appreciation and respect for nature that extends beyond their visit. Many of our visitors have minimal interaction with nature and without our organization, it would be further reduced.
Growing Greener has enabled XYZ Nature Center to expand the outdoor interpretive center and because of this expansion, we are able to accommodate 25% more visitors. Without this expansion, our outreach and education would be limited. Fewer children would have the opportunity to explore and learn.
Please support Renew Growing Greener by supporting the dedication of a significant portion of the natural gas severance tax to this initiative. It is vital to the organizations like ours and the children who visit us.
Thank you for your consideration. I will eagerly anticipate the outcome of the severance tax allocation decision.
Sincerely,
John Doe
Board Member XYZ Nature Center
Copy: Renew Growing Greener Coalition
