In Alaska's political climate, strategic alliances and credible messengers are vital. Effective coalitions with environmental and non-traditional allies encourage broad consensus on conservation issues.

ACA works in close collaboration with member organizations and other allies on statewide issue campaigns. Current campaigns include:

• Pesticides
• Economics
• Outreach

Alaska is a unique and wonderful place unlike any other, and those of us who live here consider ourselves lucky. We cherish our clean air, clean water and healthy natural environment. That's why Alaska Conservation Alliance continues to collaborate on a multi-faceted, multi-year pesticides offense, working with member organizations Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC), and other partners.

There are over 5,000 pesticides registered for use in Alaska, many of which are known to cause cancer, poison the nervous system, and damage our endocrine and immune systems. Children and pets are more susceptible to these harmful effects than adults. Alaska Conservation Alliance believes everyone has the right to know when and where these toxic chemicals are being sprayed so we can better protect our health.

We're working with other conservationists, health professionals, and teachers to reduce the number of pesticides used in the state and increase notification of the use of the rest. With the help of member groups and allies, ACA educated lawmakers to pass Alaska?s first-ever Pesticide Right to Know Law, which was signed into law by the Governor this summer.

Together, we have successfully educated the Anchorage Assembly, which passed a notification ordinance on July 6, 2004. We also defeated an attempt to weaken the Anchorage ordinance in 2005. When the Department of Environmental Conservation wanted to allow aerial pesticides spraying in Southeast Alaska, we scripted and funded radio spots that helped stall the permit, preventing contamination in fragile salmon streams.

We will help educate borough assemblies in other areas to expand pesticide right to know, and to help keep pesticides out of Alaska's schools. You can help, too. Write or call your elected assembly person and state representatives and tell them that you have the right to know when carcinogens are being sprayed near your home or work place. Together, we can protect what we love about Alaska.

For more information about our pesticides work contact

Economics

ACA believes that safeguarding Alaska's natural character and healthy ecosystems will promote a vibrant local economy. Conservationists have been working to articulate our positive vision for Alaska 's economy.

In order to win the hearts and minds of Alaskans and build conservation constituencies, ACA and the Alaska Progressive Coalition have developed a positive, alternative vision for Alaska 's economy that embraces sustainable jobs, high environmental integrity, and quality of life. ACA aims to further protect habitat from uncontrolled development by leading the way to a diversified economy not based solely on resource extraction.

To help promote this positive, sustainable economic vision, ACA created the Prosperous Future Development (PFD) Coalition. The PFD Coalition is comprised of healthcare, business, and education professionals, community and civic leaders, and other Alaskans who care about our economic future. It focuses on promoting practical, positive opportunities for growth and development that are compatible with a healthy environment.

To view ACA's economic report and learn more about the PFD Coalition, please visit www.pfdcoalition.org

Outreach

In 2005, ACA is focusing attention on an Outreach program to work better with the conservation community and build relationships with new constituencies. Our outreach is helping educate Alaskans about conservation issues and improve the conservation community's image.

Our Outreach Coordinator, Caitlin Higgins, organizes and facilitates Alaska 's conservation community by:

• Developing and maintaining positive relationships with all ACA member organizations
• Recruiting new ACA member groups
• Frequently informing member organizations about ACA's programs and initiatives

ACA's outreach also expands the network of non-traditional allies by creating and organizing robust outreach programs to engage ACA with new constituencies.

Media Outreach
Our media outreach efforts will help coordinate media efforts among conservation groups to strengthen the image of Alaska 's conservation community, and help protect Alaska 's air, water and natural places.