north carolina conservation network 10-year plan

7/29/2019 North Carolina Conservation Network 10-Year Plan

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YET HERE WE ARE.

In just the last two years, conservative leaders in the North Carolina General Assembly have

paved the way or racking, made our state a laughing stock as we shunned climate science,

and passed multiple bills that allow industry to legally pollute our air and water. But sadly,

its going to get worse beore it gets better.

So how did we get here?Anti-environmental elected ocials now control every branch o state

government, including a Governor who campaigned against environmental protection and a

veto-proo majority in both the North Carolina House and Senate.

What does this mean?In short, the environment is losing. Weve already lost long-standingprotections and anti-environment legislators continue to introduce some devastating practices

to North Carolina, like racking or natural gas and intentionally not considering scientic

inormation regarding sea level rise. And, when the environment loses, we all lose.

How do we get out of this mess?Tis shit took place over a ew years and it will take a ew

years to get back on track. We need to start turning this around now. We also need to make sure

we dont lose all the progress and protections weve won over the past ew decades.

NC Conservation Network has developed this 10-year action guide or where we want to go

and how we will get there. We will ght the day-to-day ghts while we build or a better North

Carolina in the uture. Heres how well do it:

Grow, grow, grow. We want to continue to grow our grassroots base not just next year, but or thenext 10 years.

Go local. We are unlikely to win anything meaningul at the state level or the next ew years.However, we can win locally. Well work with our aliates to win environmental protections at the city

and county levels.

Make the environment a top issue for North Carolinians. We want the environment to be on theshort list o issues that North Carolina citizens believe are important and need action. Tis includesmore media coverage as well as putting orward other voices such as business leaders and publichealth experts to carr y our message.

Find new leaders. We need more individuals who are willing to take leadership positions in local andstate government. Our plan is to identiy emerging leaders in our activist and aliate networks andhelp them move into leadership roles in their communities.

With the support o our donors, activists, and aliates, we can turn things around. ogether,

we can ensure North Carolinas environment is protected. Your support has been a critical part

o our success over many years and will be more important than ever in the years ahead.

Read on for our action steps that will lead us back to the North Carolina weknow and love.

ITS NOT YOUR NORTHCAROLINA, EITHER.

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At the start o the 2013 legislative session, more than hal o theNorth Carolina General Assembly is made up o reshman and

sophomore legislators. 58%, to be exact. Tese are elected ocials

who have no relationship with NC Conservation Network and who,

in-large part, are either anti-environmental, or their views on the

environment are unknown. Tis wave o new legislators and a new

Governor who campaigned on an anti-environmental platorm help

explain why were seeing a food o bad bills being introduced and

moving quickly towards passage.

o get out o this mess, were going to need new leaders who

care about environmental protection. We must start nding andcultivating these people now so that they will be ready to lead over the

next 10 years. Heres how NC Conservation Network plans to do this:

In the short-term, we will make in-roads and build relationships

with current legislators rom both sides o the aisle.

In the long-term, we will identiy individuals who care aboutthe environment and are willing to take a leadership role, and

then train, network, and nurture these uture leaders.

We recognize that developing the next generation o leaders can

take time and that there are real threats right now. So we will alsoght to keep our existing state environmental protections.

SO DOES WINNING.

Our new LeadershipDevelopment program

will identiy, train,and connect new

leaders and give themthe tools they need

to pursue leadershippositions in theirown community.

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We will work at the ederal and local levels to ensure that we continue to makeprogress on important environmental issues. Our plan is to:

A t the end o our 10-year action plan, we expect to see a North Carolinathat has weathered the storm o environmental rollback attempts and anew, powerul group o leaders at the local and state level who understand theneeds o our state and have made protecting our environment a priority.

FIGHT THE FLOOD OF ROLL-

BACK PROPOSALS rom theNorth Carolina General Assemblyto save the most importantenvironmental protections. Wewill ocus our attention on themost damaging proposals anddevelop campaigns to ocus publicattention on whats at stake.

ADVOCATE AT THE NATIONAL

AND LOCAL LEVELS to winpolicy victories. At the nationallevel, we are participating inederal campaigns to win criticalclimate and energy policies andto strengthen toxic chemicalstandards. At the local level,we will work with our afliategroups to win clean air, cleanwater, land conservation, andtransportation victories.

REFRAME OUR ISSUES AND

REACH OUT to build newstrategic relationships withlegislators on both sides o theaisle. Specifcally, we will build anew cadre o riendly Republicansand members o the Black Caucuswho care about environmentalprotection.

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We have ound that a time o crisis is oten the best time to growyour base o support. Tis is one o those times.

As legislators introduce bad bill ater bad bill, individuals get more

concerned and willing to get engaged. We can see this in the rapid

growth o our Public Alert citizen activist network, which has grown

rom 14,000 to over 34,000 activists in just the last year. We will

continue to take advantage o the current crisis and ultimately grow

our base to 80,000 Public Alert activists by 2023.

We are also building our grasstops network o leaders rom the

business, public health, faith, and wildlife communitiestosupport our campaigns. Tis work has been crucial as anti-

environmental legislators oten have a hostile knee-jerk reaction

to the environmental community. Our grasstops work has allowed

us to rely on non-traditional voices to advocate the need or

environmental protections to decision makers.

While its a great time to grow our base, we recognize we must also

reach beyond it. We need to make the environment a top issue or

North Carolinians. We will work to raise the issue o environmental

protection through a new communications program. Tis program

will ocus on getting earned media to show individuals how our

issues impact their lives on a regular basis. Well leverage ourgrasstop network o business, public health, aith, and wildlie voices

to share why environmental protection is critical in North Carolina.

MORE PEOPLE MOBILIZED.

Well leverage ourgrasstop networko business, publichealth, aith, and

wildlie voicesto share why

environmentalprotection is criticalin North Carolina.

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Specically, this new communications program will:

Our Public Alert network is one o the largest oany statewide progressive nonprot with over34,000* activists. Tis large grassroots base allowsus to generate an impressive number o emails andphone calls to decision makers. We also have a strongFacebook ollowing with over 14,000* ans. All told,our messages reach over 47,000* North Carolinianson a weekly basis.*Tese numbers are accurate at the time o print.

DEVELOP A STRATEGIC

COMMUNICATIONS

PROGRAM to educate andengage North Carolinians.

BUILD A TEAM OF OTHER

VOICES at the state level whocare about our issues, can betterconnect with the public, and reacha wider audience.

GROW THE TRADITIONAL

NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

COVERAGE o environmentalstories so that North Carolinianssee how our issues impact theirdaily lives.

YEAR ACTIVISTS EMAILS CALLS

2010 13,201 24,099 295

2011 13,856 50,460 1,400

2012 21,930 69,112 2,190

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Since the creation o NC Conservation Network in 1998 some o ourstrategies have changed, but our role o coordinating and building

the capacity o our aliates nearly 100 environmental, community,

and environmental justice organizations has remained a constant

and critical aspect o our work. Even though our community has

grown stronger through our work, the need or capacity building and

coordination remains important.

Starting in 2013, we are ocusing our capacity building resources on

regional trainings, webinars, one-on-one support, and launching new

organizational development programs or our aliates. We know

that this approach will better help our aliates and allow us to ocuson strategic parts o the state.

In addition, we will partner with some o our aliates to conduct

local campaigns. While there is little hope or progress at the state

level over the next our years, we can win protections at the local

level. Along the way, we will also build the capacity and sustainability

o our aliates so they will be stronger or the state-wide ghts in

the uture.

In the next decade, these strategies will result in a stronger North

Carolina environmental movement and more North Carolinians

being aware o how our issues impact their day-to-day lives.

TOGETHER.

In the next decade,this work will

result in a strongerNorth Carolinaenvironmental

movementand moreNorth Caroliniansbeing aware o howour issues impact

their day-to-day lives.

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In the next 10 years, we will:

We plan to go local with our policy work by coordinating with ouraliates in specic communities across North Carolina. In additionto winning meaningul policy victories, these campaigns will also build ouraliates activist and donor bases.

COORDINATE WITH OUR

AFFILIATES to create acomplimentary, comprehensivestrategy to work together in thischallenging political landscapeand develop a powerul core oenvironmental advocates.

DEVELOP LOCAL CAMPAIGNSto win environmental protections.This is the best chance well have tocontinue to make progress in NorthCarolina over the next ew years.

BUILD THE CAPACITY

OF AFFILIATE GROUPS in keygeographic areas to be moresuccessul and sustainable.

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We are asking you to continue tosupport us in this important work

over the next 10 years.

For the next ew years, North Carolinas environment will be under constant attack.Making progress at the state level will be challenging. We need to ght to keep ourcurrent protections. We believe we can turn this around and invite you to invest in

our movement now so we can hold the line today and win in the uture.

We need YOU in this ght. Without your nancial support, we wont be able to:

Dont let our North Carolina be on the losing side o this ght. We are ready

to respond to the current challenges and protect our state or generations to

come. But, we need your support to make this plan a reality.

Join NC Conservation Network as we fight to protect

North Carolinas environment and public health.

FIGHT THE FLOOD OF

ROLLBACK PROPOSALSproposals rom the NorthCarolina General Assemblyto save our most importantenvironmental protections.

IDENTIFY AND TRAIN

FUTURE LEADERS whowill fght to protect ourenvironment.

GROW OUR PUBLIC ALERT

ACTIVIST NETWORKtocreate a strong, diversevoice or our campaigns.

BETTER COMMUNICATE

OUR STORIES by using non-traditional voices to carry ourmessage.

WORK WITH OUR

AFFILIATES local campaignsto create wins or NorthCarolinas environment.

COLLABORATE WITH OUR

AFFILIATES to create acomprehensive and diversestrategy to overcome thischallenging landscape.

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NC Conservation Network19 E. Martin Street, Suite 300Raleigh, NC 27601

[email protected]

(919) 857 4699

www.ncconservationnetwork.org

acebook.com/ncconservationnetwork

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north carolina conservation network 10-year plan

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