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Dear Friends, Colleagues, Relatives, Fleeting
Acquaintances...(and others whose names I have pilfered from various e mail
lists)
This is a request for your show of support and
membership in the Downeast Salmon Federation, 501 ( c ) 3, of Columbia
Falls.
Most of you know something about our programs and I hope you
agree that we provide a number of very important and unique services
to the community and environment in easternmost Maine.
We are now developing a "membership base" to diversify
our fundraising efforts and to raise dollars to match grant money we
are qualified to receive. (For every dollar we raise
in memberships or donations we receive a dollar from several grant
sources)
The group receiving this e mail is a "select group" that I
know share a great love for the outdoors and especially for the unspoiled
downeast rivers. Our organization works to protect what you value -
open spaces, clean water, public access, fishing opportunities, healthy
communities, natural habitats and better management of our freshwater
resources.
Yes, it's true, we are "another salmon group" but we are much
more than that too. Our philosophy is not single species focused
- we approach our work with an ecosystem perspective at
the grassroots and community level. We are working in a number
of creative ways to protect water quality, traditional access, increase
watershed education and awareness and build local support.
Our programs consist of the Downeast Rivers Land
Trust (Est. 2001), the Wild Salmon Resource Center and Pleasant
River Hatchery in Columbia Falls (Est 1992) and a new Water
Quality and Aquatics Research Center which we are beginning to develop
at the former hydro electric facility in East Machias.
Most of you have known something of my roles
with these efforts over the past twelve years. I have been a
volunteer, a volunteer coordinator, grantwriter, fundraiser, educator and now
serve as the first Executive Director of the Downeast Salmon Federation.
Our successes have been many - ranging from a recent Presidential award
(presented in D.C. by George W. himself) for coordinating the removal of
the East Machias Dam to local awards and much press recognition including recent
articles and coverage including Smithsonian magazine and new book by
environmental writer Elizabeth Grossman called: Watershed , The Undamming of
America, also Field & Stream magazine and many local
newspapers.
Recently we were awarded a very competitive National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant to continue the employment of Jacob van de
Sande, our fulltime outreach educator. For every dollar we raise through
memberships, donations, grants or hat and T shirt sales we will receive a dollar
of NFWF money to support the watershed / endangered salmon education
program.
The Center in Columbia Falls is now celebrating it's tenth
year since groundbreaking in 1992. We have squeaked by over the years
thanks to all types of donations from individuals and organizations of
all means. At this point we need to build individual and/or
business memberships if we are to continue to sustain the unique and good work
we do:
So here is the challenge from a personal point of view:
My wife (Bahia Yackzan) and I have joined as family members ($25) and made
another $25 contribution toward the Downeast Rivers Land Trust's Stewardship
Fund. Jacob and his wife Maggie van de Sande have done the same.
Several of our Board members have made similar and larger donations as have
other new members. Please do what you can. We will accept
contributions in any form. In fact, we just sold a 1992 3/4 ton pickup
that was donated as a fundraiser.
Your membership and support goes well beyond just helping us
to maintain our lean "bottomline". Numbers are important, and by standing
together we can influence decisions and attract additional and larger
grants. We hope to begin a much more active and formal environmental
information network. We can help provide you with information - not just
info on how much pesticide is in our rivers or how bad the acid
rain is or how few salmon have returned this year, but positive stuff like how
many river miles have been protected and how many trees we planted along buffer
areas with local school children.
So, I've rambled on enough and I hope you may be inspired to
become a member or contact us for more info.
Thanks to this great online technology we've made it easy
for you to donate, become a member or buy a T shirt or hat. Thanks to a
free service provided to non - profits, you can choose to use a credit card by
using this link:
or you can print out the form below and mail it with a
check.
Just one last request before I close: Please
consider forwarding this e mail around to your own list. The downeast
rivers belong to us all and we need wide - spread support if we are going to
protect them for future generations.
Name:
____________________________________________________ Phone: ________________________
E-mail: _____________________ Address:
__________________________________________________ City / State:
________________________ Zip code: _______________ Circle One: $10 Member/ Individual
$25 Member/ Family $100 Supporter $250 Sustainer $500 Sponsor $1000 + Partner
Wild Salmon Resource Center merchandise: T shirts (all sizes) $12 Hats $12 Make checks payable to: Downeast Salmon Federation and send this form and your kind donation to: Post Office Box 201, Columbia Falls,
Maine 04623 Dwayne Shaw
Wild Salmon Resource Center PO Box 201 Columbia Falls, ME 04623 (207)483-4336 (207)483-6057 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.mainesalmonrivers.org |
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