Call to action

Action Alert from Cascade Land Conservancy
Please help protect Mt Rainier National Park

Congress is currently deciding what land protection projects to fund. This year, we have the opportunity to protect over 540 acres of riverfront land to be added to Mt Rainier National Park. If funds are secured in time, several privately held parcels along the Carbon River can be purchased by the National Park Service for permanent protection. However, we need your support!!

Please fax or e-mail your Senators and Representative to let them know that you support further protection and expansion of Mt Rainier National Park. Tell them that $2.5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund is needed to protect these important recreational lands.

Additional information is available from the National Park Conservation Association (PDF).

A sample letter is included.

Please note: Due to mail security procedures, standard letters sent via the US Postal Service often take weeks to reach Congress. The best way to contact your elected officials is via e-mail or fax. Fax numbers and websites are listed below—to e-mail, go to the websites and there will be a “contact” page that will let you e-mail the Members of Congress:

The Honorable Patty Murray US Senate Fax: 202-224-0238
Website: http://murray.senate.gov/
The Honorable Maria Cantwell US Senate Fax: 202-228-0514
Website: http://cantwell.senate.gov
The Honorable David Reichert US House of Representatives Fax: 202-225-4282
Website: http://www.house.gov/reichert
The Honorable Norm Dicks US House of Representatives Fax: 202-226-1176
Website: http://www.house.gov/dicks
The Honorable Adam Smith US House of Representatives Fax: 202-225-5893
Website: http://www.house.gov/smith

If you choose to e-mail, please do NOT simply forward this request on.

It is important that this message to your representative in Congress come from individuals in the community, so please send your message or "cut and paste" this message directly from your own e-mail account.

Please forward a copy of any faxes or e-mails you send to
Liz Johnson, lizj@cascadeland.org for our files.

Thank you very much for your assistance in this important conservation effort.
Sample Letter
..............................................
The Honorable (Full Name)
United States Senate/House of Representatives

Via E-mail

Dear Senator/Representative (Last Name):

I am writing to ask you to support the expansion of Mt Rainier National Park. An FY 2009 appropriation of $2.5 million is needed to acquire 540 along the Carbon River to be added to the Park. This appropriation will allow the National Park Service to establish a new campground with associated roads and parking, new hiking trails, and riverfront fishing areas.

The expansion will also afford much needed protection to the beautiful Carbon River Valley, conserving habitat for endangered and threatened species such as Chinook salmon and the northern spotted owl. Conservation of these properties will also help link the surrounding wildlife corridors -- the Fairfax Forest to the north, the National Park to the east, and the proposed Foothills Rails-to-Trails corridor.

(Please write a few sentences in your own words of why this project is important to you and/or your organization)

An appropriation of $2.5 million in FY 2009 will allow the National Park Service to complete the acquisition of the Carbon River Ranch (the Thompson property) and to acquire the Carbon River Gateway parcel. Carbon River Ranch will be the site for a new northwest entrance to the park, replacing an existing road frequently washed out by floodwaters from the Carbon River. These acquisitions will be a critical step towards attaining the recreational, management, and environmental goals of the boundary expansion.

Thank you for your continued support for the protection of Cascades forestlands.

Your name AND/ OR Organization
.............................................