Our rebrand, updates from Olympia, insider briefing, and more!

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Welcome to Synthesis — a 2-minute read to give you the quick hits of our recent work, amplify our partners' projects, and share important environmental stories.

February is Black History Month, but we observe, honor, and celebrate Black history every month. Here at Washington Conservation Action, we recognize that the bold progress and significant achievements made in the conservation movement could not have happened without the contributions and leadership of Black people and communities. We're excited to share a blog about Black conservationists from across the country and right here in Washington state later this month!

In case you missed it, Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters officially unified under one brand, Washington Conservation Action. While our names are changing, our missions get stronger. We believe that uniting the power and brand equity of WEC and WCV will help people and the environment have even greater victories for future generations. We still operate both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities – learn more here [[link removed]].

The 2023 Legislative Session officially kicked off January 9! Along with the Environmental Priorities Coalition (EPC), Washington Conservation Action and affiliated organizations statewide are focused on advancing four environmental priorities [[link removed]]. Stay up to date with Action Alerts this legislative session by getting on our activist email list here. [[link removed]]

Washington's transformative Climate Commitment Act went into effect on January 1st, 2023 and we expect this cap-and-invest program to generate billions by making polluters pay. Now, our legislators must ensure these dollars are invested wisely. Tell your lawmakers to spend our climate dollars wisely, prioritizing the most impacted. [[link removed]]

Thanks to activists like you, we made significant legislative progress on the GMA Climate bills (that will require local municipalities to plan for climate resilience) and the WRAP Act bills (that will reform our dated recycling system). More actions to come to help these bills advance!

Each year, activists across Washington come together to speak up for environmental health and justice during Environmental Lobby Days. The 2023 Environmental Lobby Days will be held virtually on February 14,15, and 16. Sign up here to join us, our coalition partners and fellow volunteers to advocate for protecting people and nature as one! [[link removed]]

Have questions about Washington Conservation Action? We hope you can join us for the first action-packed virtual briefing of the year, with the latest on our new brand, an update on the 2023 legislative session, and a peek into Lobby Days 2023. This conversation is geared towards members, activists, and donors, and takes place on Friday, February 10th at 1pm. Please join us! Register here. [[link removed]]

STAFF CORNER: Jody Olney

Jody (she/her) is the Tribal Government Liaison for Washington Conservation Action. Washington State is where her life began and where it has always felt the most like home.

As the Tribal Government Liaison, Jody’s job is to build long-term trust and relationships with sovereign tribal government partners as part of WCA’s commitment to involve tribal nations in statewide environmental decision-making processes. Jody notes it’s challenging, yet necessary:

“It’s humbling to recall instances where I’d wonder - why aren’t there people bridging these gaps between tribal nations, nonprofits, and the governmental decision-makers? It didn’t occur to me then that I might be one of the people – I am so excited and honored to be one of the people taking on this work and to see the collective effort more clearly from a different vantage point.”

Recently, Jody has picked up crocheting and uses it to unwind after a workday. She also enjoys spending time with family and loved ones through sharing a movie together.

“We take turns picking movies and my favorites are re-telling of actual events – they help me remember our shared humanity and were more engaging for our little ones than the books they were based on that put them to sleep (sometimes the movie put them to sleep too – but I enjoy them). We enjoy Reservation Dogs and Ted Lasso, too.”

Outdoors, Jody enjoys walks at Discovery Park and visits to Powell’s Books with family.

RACIAL JUSTICE GLOSSARY

Cultural Burning

Cultural burning refers to the Indigenous practices of using controlled fires to modify and maintain landscapes such as forests and grasslands for a variety of ecological and social purposes, including but not limited to the creation of wildlife corridors; promoting fire-adapted plant species for medicinal, culinary, and material applications; and improving soil. Cultural burning can also result in decreased risk of wildfire severity, and many of the forests of what is now the western US are adapted to frequent, intentional burning. However, the federal and many state governments have prohibited cultural burning as part of their wildfire suppression policies. Recent and ongoing efforts are making progress in removing barriers to the inherent rights of Tribal nations to practice cultural burning.

Washington Conservation Action

1402 Third Avenue, Suite 1400 | Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 631-2600 | [email protected]

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