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Election Toolkit

Election Toolkit

Why Educate Candidates?

You have an opportunity to educate candidates now—before they are elected—about how the policy decisions they will face in office affect family forest owners.  Some public policies make it difficult for family forest owners to keep their land or to continue to manage it as a sustainable forest.  Likewise, some public policies encourage sustainable forest management and provide market incentives for landowners to invest in their forests.

As a private citizen, you have a right and the responsibility to participate in campaigns and to educate your candidates about the issues that are important to you.  As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, AFF is limited in the ways we can participate in election year activities.  We cannot endorse candidates or engage in any partisan activity.  However, we can educate voters about the issues and help you to educate ALL candidates about the policies that affect family forest owners.

For more information on the lobbying guidelines for non-profits such as AFF, please click here.

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Research Your Candidates:

Find information about your candidates by visiting our election guide online.  

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Five Ways to Educate Candidates:

1)      Send a message to your respective candidates.

2)      Attend a town hall or campaign event and ask these questions.

3)      Write a Letter to the Editor.

4)      Invite your candidates to tour your Tree Farm (If you invite one of your candidates, you should also give their opponent the same opportunity).

5)      Organize a forum event for all of your respective candidates.  Check out who your candidates are here.

*Plan to do any of these events?  Please let us know by emailing advocacy@forestfoundation.org.

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Background on Issues:

If America's forest legacy is to continue, government officials implementing policies must address the many challenges facing private forest owners who own most of America's forests.  Please use these documents to educate your candidates:

Farm Bill Recommendations

Estate Tax, Keep the Forest in the Family

Green Building

Forest Roads