Capitol Land Trust and the Griffin Neighborhood Association (GNA) have formed a unique collaborative joint venture to conserve special natural areas in the Steamboat Peninsula region. This effort is known as the Steamboat Conservation Partnership.

The mission of the Steamboat Conservation Partnership is “to conserve the rich and diverse natural landscapes of the Steamboat Peninsula region.” The Steamboat Peninsula region is defined as the Steamboat Peninsula in northwest Thurston County, as well as all other areas within the Eld Inlet and Totten Inlet watersheds, including the areas within the Kennedy, Schneider, Perry, and McLane creek watersheds. The priority area for focus of outreach is the portion of the region within the Griffin School District. Capitol Land Trust and the GNA agree that this natural environment provides important quality of life benefits to area residents and is essential for sustaining robust populations of native fish and wildlife.

Through the Steamboat Conservation Partnership, Capitol Land Trust shall engage in activities designed to conserve special natural areas in the Steamboat Peninsula region and that maintain connections between these lands through corridors useful for wildlife movement. Examples of special natural areas include marine shorelines, estuaries (including pocket estuaries), freshwater streams and riparian habitat, prairies, wetlands, and upland forests.

At its annual picnic earlier this month, Board members from the Griffin Neighborhood Association presented Eric Erler, Executive Director for the Capitol Land Trust with initial pledges of support.

As a father of two girls, I am writing you today to ask you to make a call to your Senator's office - today - to ask for a vote in favor of Senate Joint Memorial 8012.

If you believe that women and men are equal and that all women are entitled to human rights, please make the call today and forward this message to others.

SJM 8012 will ask the U.S. Senate to ratify CEDAW, a United Nations Treaty that creates standards regarding fundamental human rights for women all over the world. Even though the US helped craft CEDAW over 30 years ago we are one of the only countries in the UN that has not ratified it. The memorial, SJM 8012, has made it to the senate floor of the WA legislature, the farthest a memorial of its kind has ever gone.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in July, 2002 to recommend ratification of CEDAW, but the Treaty has never come before the full Senate for a vote. Ratification of the Treaty requires the support of 2/3 of the US Senate, or 67 votes.

I have posted a lengthy piece regarding CEDAW on the Blog of the 35th Legislative District Democrats. http://35thdemocrats.blogspot.com/2009/03/tell-washington-senate-women-are.html

Please call your Senator today (the memorial has to pass by Thursday at 5pm) and ask for a vote in favor of SJM 8012. The passage of this memorial sends a powerful message to the US Congress that WA State cares about the rights of women all over the world.

To find out who your Senator is and get their contact info, go to: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/ and type in your address.

I thank you and my family thanks you.