Learning the conservation advocacy ropes: Laurel Brodsky

During Advocacy Days this past April, Land Trust Alliance members from 33 states arrived in Washington, D.C., to speak with elected officials and policymakers about issues of land conservation, in particular the reauthorization of the Farm Bill. In more than 175 meetings with representatives and their staff, as well as officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, Alliance members shared the value of conserving land as well as the challenges they face in accessing needed funding and support to carry out their work.

As an intern with the government relations team, it has been a wonderful experience to witness first-hand the impacts of advocacy and contribute to the work of the Land Trust Alliance in connecting members with their representatives. In my role, I scheduled meetings, prepared fact sheets and handouts, and joined Alliance members on Capitol Hill for the Advocacy Days events. The experience was both enlightening and inspiring seeing both seasoned advocates and first-time visitors to the Hill engage with their representatives to share their passion for land conservation.

I was able to join Molly Fales and Brendan Boepple of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust in a couple of their meetings to observe advocacy at work. Molly and Brendan engaged with representatives and their staff, educating them about conservation easements and providing anecdotes and specific suggestions for policy changes that would enable them to more effectively employ federal funding to support agricultural land easements. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) took Molly and Brendan’s feedback and shared it with other members of the Senate Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources. It was great to see the partnership between land trust members and their representative in increasing awareness of conservation issues and addressing areas for improvement on policy.

Members of Congress are often not experts on every policy matter that crosses their desks, and they rely on staff and outside resources to inform their decisions. For this reason, the success stories and the complications that land trusts face in accessing federal funding and navigating federal programs are important to share because they provide meaningful feedback that lawmakers and policymakers can act upon.

With the 2023 Farm Bill negotiations well under way, it is more important now than ever that lawmakers understand the positive impact of Farm Bill conservation programs. As I witnessed during my time with the Land Trust Alliance, advocacy plays a vital role in achieving that goal. It’s encouraging to know that we all can make a difference from wherever we are. I encourage anyone with an interest in conservation to share in the lessons I have learned during my internship with the Land Trust Alliance and reach out to your elected officials to advocate for land conservation in your cities, states and nationally.