Contact your Representatives in Support of NRP
This page is intended to assist you in making a contact with your representatives. You are encouraged to cut and paste whatever you like into your U.S. Mail letter, email, or personal notes for a visitation to your official. There is no limitation to the number of contacts you can make with your representatives, either in person, by phone, or by written communications.
INTRODUCTION
Government officials get stacks of communications daily. With our representative government, communicating with your representative is an expected part of our system. There is a preferred protocol for titles of officials, but they are much less important, and the priority is to get your idea across to them. Officials certainly do not expect to receive only well-written, scholarly documents. They prefer to know what "real people" are interested in, rather than what paid lobbyist have to say.
Form letters have very little impact of officials because they require little thought or effort by the sender. Create your own document content.
To find your representative with his phone number, email address, U.S. Mail address, and office, use the Maryland State Archives Website for the legislature. At the banner in the blank white space after "address", insert your address. The reps will come up in the left column in blue. Blue means you have a link to more information. Click the link to get the contact information on the member of teh legislature.
INFORMATION FOR CONTENT
If something just occurred in the news which caused your concern, certainly use
the information you have. There is likely more information about it online. You
could query a search engine like Google or Yahoo to find that information on new
or old topics! Just put something you know in the
search box on either an old or new topic. For example, you could use google.com , yahoo.com or msn.com by putting "Illegal Rockfish" in the search box.
Today, the first item is "Police find more illegal rockfish nets" from the news.
If the results are not what you want, change your search words. If the topic
is hot off the press, it may take a day to have that information posted online.
You are also encouraged to read our Data and News pages for information the Lodge has found. Further, the About Page and History Page will provide additional background on the NRP. The links to these pages are in the header at the top and also at the bottom of this page.
DRAFTING THE DOCUMENT
With the addresses in hand with the information you need, it is time to write your document. Minimally, put the date at the top of the document, followed by the greeting --- "Dear Senator Thomas Middleton".
- The Honorable Delegate First Last:
- Maryland State Delegate First Last:
- The Honorable Maryland State Delegate First Last:
- The Honorable Senator First Last:
- Maryland State Senator First Last:
- The Honorable Maryland State Senator First Last:
The body of the letter is the key. Using the information you have assembled, create your unique, personal document. As a model, you can view our letter sent to the Governor either in Word or PDF format. Feel free to cut and paste any information from this letter into your letter.
We have an advantage that when people like you draft documents to the officials, they have more impact than lobbyists, mass mailings, reproduced documents, and form letters. Express your own position on the issues that impact the NRP.
As you add the closing and signature to your document, PLEASE be assured that the Lodge appreciates your support for our issues which impact Maryland's Natural Resources as well as the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
Hoping the Lodge is not becoming to presumptuous, if you have the time, calling, or even better, making an appointment by calling the numbers provided for a representative and having a visitation, has no equal.