Sending a Message to our Elected Officials: Clean Water Matters
Sending a Message to our Elected Officials: Clean Water Matters
Day of Action Toolkit
For Tuesday, November 27th, 2018
If your organization cannot participate that day, then we still encourage you to find a different date to participate.
Purpose of this toolkit
Our Washington communities benefit from the local investments made through federal funding – from clean air, drinking water and healthy salmon populations to pollution reduction and flood prevention. The purpose of the November Day of Action is to remind our elected officials, including those newly elected into office, that we want them to champion clean water.
Over the next few years, these leaders will be deciding on whether critical programs, like EPA funding for clean water or NOAA funding for salmon recovery, continue to receive the allocations they need to keep our communities healthy, our water clean or rivers healthy, etc. We will use our collective voice to send a clear message to our leaders that we need them to prioritize (or keep prioritizing) clean water to support our health, livelihoods, and our local culture. By having multiple organizations take action on the same day, we can amplify our voices.
How your organization can participate
- Share social media posts on your organizational Facebook, Twitter and other social channels. Simply copy and paste the suggested social media posts and visuals below, or develop your own customized posts to share out the content, using the #protectcleanwater hashtag.
- Send an action alert email to your members/supporters and/or email lists. A template is included below.
Social Media
That phone in your hand is a mighty advocacy tool that can activate friends and supporters, and alert policymakers that people care about this issue. Our Administration, Senators and Representatives and their staff are active on social media – Facebook and Twitter, in particular. Their staff also monitor how their boss is being talked to and about online and they will respond or make a note of your online comments and asks when they include their boss’ handle.
What you can do
Copy and paste this text for social media posts on Facebook and Twitter and upload the visuals provided in the links below to boost visibility online. Use the #ProtectCleanWater hashtag and call out your elected officials by using their handle (E.g., use “@SenatorCantwell” instead of “Maria Cantwell”).
For Federal Administration Officials
The people of WA have spoken and we want #CleanWater to support our way of life! Let’s get to work building a federal budget that will #ProtectCleanWater by fully funding EPA and NOAA. We look forward to working with you in 2019.
- @SecretaryZinke – Secretary of the Interior
- Chris Hladick – EPA Region 10 Administrator
- Barry Thom – NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Administrator
- Andrew Wheeler – EPA Administrator
Hashtags to consider adding:
- #EPARegion10
- #SaveTheEPA
- #NOAA
- #NMFS
- #NOAAfish_WCRO
For recently re-elected policymakers who are champions:
The people of WA have spoken – we want #CleanWater champions to support our way of life! Thank you @electedofficial for continuing to fight for clean water on behalf of all Washingtonians; now let’s get to work building a federal budget that will #ProtectCleanWater by fully funding EPA and NOAA. We look forward to working with you in 2019.
- @SenatorCantwell
- @RepDerekKilmer
- @RepDennyHeck
- @RepAdamSmith
- @RepJayapal
- @RepRickLarsen
- @RepDelBene
For recently re-elected policymakers who AREN’T yet champions:
The people of WA have spoken – we want clean water champions in the House and Senate! @electedofficial, we look forward to working with you on priorities to #protectcleanwater in 2019.
- @HerreraBeutler
- @CathyMcMorris
- @RepNewhouse
For our newly elected representative (Kim Schrier):
@DrKimSchrier, congrats on your victory! Now let’s get to work building a federal budget that will #ProtectCleanWater by fully funding EPA and NOAA.
Photos for posting (Right click on the image to save it to your phone or desktop, otherwise click here.)
List of Newly-electeds and Re-electeds to mention:
- @SenatorCantwell
- @DrKimSchrier
- @RepDerekKilmer
- @HerreraBeutler
- @RepDennyHeck
- @RepAdamSmith
- @RepJayapal
- @CathyMcMorris
- @RepNewhouse
- @RepRickLarsen
- @RepDelBene
Email action alert
An email alert can provide your members and audiences with tangible actions to fight for the clean water programs through the federal agencies, like the EPA. You can adapt this email template to fit your audience.
Dear [member/audience name],
Our communities benefit from the investments made through EPA, NOAA, Department of Interior and other agency funding – from clean air, drinking water and healthy salmon populations to pollution reduction and flood prevention. As a supporter of [insert your organization name], we are working on [insert priority issue] and that work depends on vital federal funding.
With the election wrapped up, we now know who will represent us in Washington, DC and make decisions on whether critical programs, like EPA funding for clean water or NOAA funding for salmon recovery, continue to receive the revenue streams they need to keep our communities healthy, our water clean or rivers healthy, etc. We call on you to prioritize (or keep prioritizing) clean water to support our health, our livelihoods, and our local culture.
Take action:
- Use social media to call on our leaders to #ProtectCleanWater. Upload a photo, draft a short message and use the #ProtectCleanWater hashtag. Here is a sample tweet:
- @SenatorCantwell: Washingtonians ask you to keep raising your voice for #PugetSound! Keep fighting for a strong budget to #ProtectCleanWater!
- @CathyMcMorris: Washingtonians are watching, use your voice to work building a federal budget that protects Washington’s clean water and fully funds EPA and NOAA in 2019.
- @DrKimSchrier: congrats on your victory! Now let’s get to work building a federal budget that protects Washington’s clean water and fully funds EPA and NOAA in 2019.
Sincerely,
[Your organization]
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