The Teaming With Wildlife (TWW) Fly-in Day occurs every February in Washington, DC to communicate to Congress the importance of the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program and other wildlife conservation legislation. The Fly-in includes trainings, meetings with congressional members and/or their staffs, and TWW coalition and congressional receptions and awards.
The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants (SWG) program is the principal source of funding to implement State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP) in every state and territory. During the Fly-in, enthusiastic advocates from around the country visit Capitol Hill, asking their members of Congress to sign a Dear Colleague letter in support of funding for the SWG program in annual appropriations bills. Those who cannot travel to Washington, DC still participate by making calls and sending emails to their members encouraging them to sign-on to the Dear Colleague letters. Sample call, email, and thank you scripts are attached below. Check the Congressional Signing Tracker to see if your member of Congress has supported SWG in the past.
The Fly-in is also an opportunity to garner congressional support for the Teaming With Wildlife Act (S655). The Act, introduced by Senator Tim Johnson (SD), would provide a reliable source of funding to implement SWAPs in every state and territory. The bill proposes to deposit a relatively small portion of existing federal revenue from off-shore and on-shore oil and gas development on federal lands into the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program (WCRP) account. The WCRP program was last funded in 2001. Co-sponsors of the Teaming With Wildlife Act include Senators Stabenow (MI), Tester (MT), Thune (SD), Merkley (OR), Klobuchar (MN), and Udall (NM).
After the meetings, it’s fun and socializing at the TWW Fly-in congressional reception! In addition to food and libations, awards are presented to members of Congress who have exhibited exceptional support for the SWG program. Awards are also presented to the winners of the SWAP Partnership Award and the TWW Coalition Member Achievement Award.
