(via e-mail)
April 9, 2008

Greetings from the Brethren Witness/Washington Office:

1. Congress is set to vote on the National Landscape Conservation Act (HR 2016) on April 9th, TODAY! Email or call your representative right now!!
   
2. Call your Representative’s office about the Jubilee Act (HR 2634)! The House should be voting on it in early April!

1. Congress is set to vote on the National Landscape Conservation Act (HR 2016) on April 9th, TODAY! Email or call your representative right now!!

From the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program:

Lands, wilderness, and open spaces have always been central to the Judeo-Christian tradition, playing a vital role in the spiritual journeys of Biblical individuals from Moses to Jesus Christ. Lands are also an essential part of God’s creation. Through the land, God nourishes life; provides the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems and human communities; supplies blessings of sustenance like soil, water, timber and minerals; and offers natural space for prayer and spiritual renewal.

The western United States, with its vast deserts, rugged mountains, and majestic forests and wilderness, is home to some of the best known, wildest, and most stunning examples of God’s handiwork. In June 2000, the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) - the most innovative American land protection system created in the last 50 years - was established to encompass the public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This new conservation system consists of more than 26 million acres, and includes: national monuments, National Conservation Areas, wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National and Scenic Trails.

Congress is set to vote on the National Landscape Conservation Act (HR 2016) on April 9th, which will unify and make permanent a system of conservation lands managed by the BLM-The National Landscape Conservation System.

EMAIL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND URGE THEM TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION ACT (HR 2016). It is imperative that you let him/her know that their constituents care about protecting our public lands. Please ask them to vote "YES" on April 9th to affirm the National Landscape Conservation System.

Wilderness is a place where God meets us, sometimes most powerfully. Our wilderness lands and the national system of public lands that supports them remain an impressive part of our national legacy, but preserving and maintaining that legacy is a challenge.

2. Call your Representative’s office about the Jubilee Act (HR2634)! The House should be voting on it in early April!

The US House of Representatives will vote on the Jubilee Act in early April, most likely next week!

Please take action by calling your Representative TODAY

Join us today as we call on Congress to pass the Jubilee Act and break the chains of debt for the world’s impoverished countries (additional information below the call script).

Please take the simple steps below -- and help change the lives of millions:

1. Find out who your Representative is by entering your zip code at www.house.gov (upper left corner).
   
   
2. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
   
   
3. Ask to be connected to your Representative's office. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself as (your name), a constituent from (city, state).
   
   
4. I am calling today to urge Representative________ to vote yes on the Jubilee Act (HR2634), which will be considered on the House floor in early April. This bill would expand eligibility for debt cancellation to 67 impoverished countries. Without debt cancellation these 67 countries will not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). (If you’d like, add an additional sentence about why this issue is important to you). Do you know how Representative _________ plans to vote on the Jubilee Act?
   
   
5. Be sure to thank the receptionist when you are finished.
   
   
6. Email Danielle at Jubilee with the results of your call – Danielle@jubileeusa.org.
   
   
7. Thank you for taking action – now forward this message on to 10 friends & urge them to make the call too!!

For more information go to www.jubileeusa.org or contact Jubilee Policy Fellow Danielle Pals at 202-783-0215 / Danielle@jubileeusa.org.

Brethren Witness/Washington Office Contact Information

If you have questions on these or other issues, contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office at the address below. We would love to hear from you!

Brethren Witness/Washington Office Action Alerts are sent out as important issues arise. Forward this alert to others! To add an e-mail address to our list, contact us at:

Brethren Witness/Washington Office
337 North Carolina Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003
Local Phone: 202-546-3202
Toll Free: 1-800-785-3246
Fax: 202-544-5852
E-mail: washington_office_gb@brethren.org