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Activity Report Explorer

Rio Grande Valley Broadband • Entered by Susan Ostlie on May 1, 2022

ARRWA Lobbying practice and meeting w/Melanie Stnasbury’s staffer – Lauren Vernon

April 5, 2022 – April 11, 2022

Participants and Hours

Pre Planning hours 1
Post Admin hours 2
Activity Hours 2.5
Participants 1
Total Hours 5.5

Key Issue: Public Lands Health & Protection
Activity Type: Advocacy (rallies, lobbying, meeting decision makers, letters/calls/emails)
Key Partners: SUWA, and NM Friends of Utah wild lands.
Landscape/area: Bears Ears National Monument (BLM) (1351837 acres)

Short Description of Activity

Hello everyone!

This is just a short note say THANK YOU for making our meeting with Lauren so successful! It was an excellent meeting – focused informative presentations and terrific personal expressions of appreciation and stories from folks. Thank you for all your help in planning the meeting and participating!

I’m sure you noticed that Lauren was listening closely and very engaged. For example, it was terrific to see her express interest about so many things: learning about the Navajo National resolution; support for climate action and how ARRWA could help; learning more about the need for BLM to resume designating Wilderness Study Areas; visiting southern Utah; and more! It was wonderful she encouraged us to meet with Rep Leger Fernandez as it indicates her boss is likely to speak favorably if that Rep checks in with her.

Everyone on this call made a meaningful and significant contribution! We’re pleased that everyone who wanted to speak had a chance to and it was wonderful to have every square on the screen filled with supporters.

In terms of next steps:
Lawson will be sending a thank you note to Lauren and ccing you all.
We will be following up with a separate email with information about WSAs.
When Rep Stansbury is formally listed as a cosponsor, we will be sending out an alert to SUWA supporters in her district thanking her for cosponsoring.

I encourage all of you to look for opportunities to cross paths with Rep Stansbury at public events or forums and to fit in “Thank you for cosponsoring America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act” in whatever way is possible. These kinds of personal affirmations go a long way to keeping a member of Congress engaged.

Here is a screen shot. If you want to share it on social media that is fine, perhaps with a note saying that you were so pleased to meet with Rep Stansbury’s office today to show your appreciation for her commitment to cosponsor America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act.

Reflection/Evaluation

It went great and we are so excited to have a strong advocate like Melanie Stansbury representing NM in Washington DC. Her field reps are also very easy to work with and work hard to stay up on important environmental issues.

Photos/Uploads

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Photo Captions

Participants in lobbying for ARRWA with Lauren Vernon, legislative aide to Rep. Melanie Stansbury.