Resolutions Process and Timeline Begins Now

By Ginny Wallace

Preparations for the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s (CFM) annual convention in March have begun.  This is a reminder that the timeline and process for resolutions starts now.  Resource Advisory Committees (RAC) need to know if you have issues or topics which you believe should be addressed at the next convention.  The RAC chairs will start researching and discussing topics with their committees this fall and winter.  The timeline and process of the resolutions can be found on CFM’s website: confedmo.org/process/

Any member of CFM can request consideration of a conservation topic or issue by filling out the Member/Affiliate Request of Conservation Issue Review form. Submit this form to Tyler Schwartze (tschwartze@confedmo.org), Executive Director or to Micaela Haymaker (mhaymaker@confedmo.org), Director of Operations, by December 14. 

In preparing your issue or topic to be considered, include as much information (data, research, background) as you can find.  This may entail emails, calls, and letters to experts from agencies, affiliates, other RACs, etc. You don’t have to have all of the information but do include enough detail that the RAC understands what you are asking and why it is important. Include suggestions of where to go for more information to assist the RAC in researching the issue further.

Before sending your ideas to Tyler or Micaela, quickly review previous resolutions (https://confedmo.org/listed-resolutions-through-the-years/). A quick search using keywords will let you know if the subject has already been addressed. 

Be aware that we don’t write Resolutions to CFM – In general, resolutions are our desires projected outward, not a way to ask CFM to take action.  They shouldn’t create “new” areas of work/assignments for CFM and staff – their work is driven largely by the strategic plan.

You should be contacted by the chair or vice chair of the RAC to which your issue has been assigned; they will let you know whether or not the committee has drafted a resolution on the issue you submitted. Despite our best efforts, however, ideas occasionally fall through the cracks. If you have questions about whether or not your idea is in the resolution pipeline, don’t hesitate to contact Tyler or Micaela by the first week in January to find out.

Timeline for 2024 Convention resolutions:

•  December 14, 2023 – Deadline for submitting issues/topics to Tyler or Micaela to be considered for any pre-filed resolutions for the annual convention.
• December 14, 2023 – January 14, 2024 – Individual RACs hold workshops with their official committee members to develop DRAFT resolutions and the convention agenda for their committees.
• January 14, 2024 – Deadline for RAC pre-filed DRAFT resolutions to be submitted to the Resolutions Committee.
• February 12– Pre-filed DRAFT resolutions to be considered at Convention are announced on the CFM website.