| |
|
| Fall-Winter 2000-2001 Bulletin |
| Membership News |
| Having Fun With Serious Business | |
|
by Paul Chubbuck
|
| On the wall above my desk is a graph reminiscent of the stereotypical profit charts of corporate America. It shows the increase of membership in Amigos Bravos over the last three months from 1151 to 1350. Even in times of economic slowdown, our stock seems to be rising. Each new membership is a vote of confidence. Each renewal is a renewed statement of support for the ongoing work our staff devotes to protecting watersheds. Each membership donation helps pay the bills of researchers, biologists, legal and administrative staff. I make a game of watching the chart rise in response to your support, sending a cheer around the office with each new surge. The game is fun and serious. The population of the Rio Grande watershed keeps growing. Development accelerates, and with it, an ever increasing demand for water. With more water demand each year, the danger is real that, 20 years from now, the rivers could be dead, dry, polluted drainage ditches. The powers that represent these demands on limited water resources are many, powerful, and well-moneyed. Who speaks for the rivers? Without a strong voice for keeping clean water flowing in the rivers, supporting the river ecosystem, and for the sustainable practices of the indigenous cultures of the area, there’s simply no competition. It is the increasingly broad-based support of our membership which gives Amigos Bravos clout in the political arena and helps to meet our operating expenses. We are thrilled and grateful to have our membership rising, but consider this — according to the 2000 census, the population of the Colorado, New Mexico and Texas I did a straw poll of my friends, the first five I thought to talk to about this. Several had heard of Amigos Bravos and had a favorable impression of our work. All supported conservation of the natural environment and water resources, but none were members! (They’ll be getting a letter from me soon!) As Amigos Bravos members, you each have friends of like mind who care about the mission we represent and the projects we take on. We aren’t suggesting you solicit or recruit for Amigos Bravos. But we do request your support in giving us referrals. If we could contact several thousand additional people already identified by you, our members, as sympathetic to our work, our membership could grow substantially to better represent this watershed’s population and the grassroots support we know we have. Please take a moment to help us by filling out the form below with the names of 5 of your friends whom you think would like to be Amigos Bravos members. We’ll send them information about who we are and what we do, along with an invitation to join. |
| My Friends Who Care About Clean Water and Wild Rivers
|
| Calendar of Events |
| September 5-7 | Final Molycorp NM Mining Act (closeout permit) hearing, NM Mining and Minerals Division. Starts at 7:00 pm on Wed., Sept. 5, St. Anthony’s Parish Center, Questa |
| September 9 (Sunday) | Amigos Bravos River Awards Celebration, El Pinto Restaurant, Albuquerque, 10:00am - 1:00 pm |
| September 23-25 | Somos Vecinos Retreat, Ghost Ranch, Abiqui, NM |
| October 1-3 | Western Water Conference |
| October 4 (Thurs.) | Santa Fe Community Foundation Piñon Awards, Lensic Theater, Santa Fe, 6:00 pm |
| October 29-31 (Mon.-Wed.) | Training Workshop: Restoring Streams, Riparian Areas, and Floodplains in the Southwest: Improving Landowner Assistance; Incorporating Scientific Advances, Crown Plaza Hotel, Albuquerque (Call Rio Grande Restoration at 751-1269 for details) |
| October 29-31 (Mon.;-Wed.) | New Mexico Environmental Health Conference, Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque |
| November 1-4 | Western Mining Activists Network Conference, Albuquerque |
| Amigos Bravos’ Cash Reserve Fund is Amigos Bravos’ insurance against hard times. The Cash Reserve Fund is money set aside to ensure that the organization can survive cash flow shortages in the annual operating budget. It can only be accessed for certain purposes, such as meeting payroll or for emergency capital outlay. There are strict guidelines on when and how money from the fund can be used. Any use of money from the Fund requires approval from the Board of Directors. This Fund is a hedge against hard times, ensuring that Amigos Bravos will stay healthy and able to pursue its mission. Our Cash Reserve account was opened in March 1998 with a $15,000 grant from the Ruth Mott Fund. Thanks to generous contributions of our members, the $5,082 proceeds of Brian Shields, Unframed, and the net cash flow surplus from FY 1999-2000, the interest bearing account now has a balance of over $35,8722. Our goal is to bring the balance up to $50,000.00. Please consider making a contribution to the Amigos Bravos Cash Reserve Fund. |
| Where There's a Will, There's a Way
By including Amigos Bravos in your will..... ....you could protect a river for years CONFIDENTIAL REPLY To explore a bequest to Amigos Bravos, please com- plete this form and return it, marked confidential to Brian Shields, Executive Director, Amigos Bravos. _____I have included Amigos Bravos in my will. _____Please send me information on how to include Amigos Bravos in my will. Name__________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________ City, State, Zip__________________________________________ Telephone_____________________Best time to call___________ |
| Please return to Fall 2001 Bulletin Index. |
| Return to the Amigos Bravos Home Page. |