Policy resolutions are the foundation of One Federation. The National Wildlife Federation is unique in that our national conservation policies are set not by our Board of Directors, but by our affiliates through resolutions. Since the National Wildlife Federation was founded in 1936, affiliates have proposed resolutions annually, which are deliberated and voted on by affiliate delegates.
As conservation policies of the Federation, resolutions guide policy positions and add strength and weight to the voice of NWF within policy arenas. When the National Wildlife Federation and affiliates speak on matters firmly grounded in affiliate approved resolutions, it helps advance the conservation agenda.
By voting on NWF policy resolutions, affiliate delegates, and the organizations and constituents they represent, have the unique opportunity to help mold national conservation policies based on their experience and knowledge. They bring insights gained in their home states and territories to the national stage.
It was the resolutions process that provided the foundation and direction for NWF and affiliate organizations to play important roles in many remarkable conservation victories, such as saving our public lands from Congressional attack, the reintroduction of wolves into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, creating a North American Education Strategy with state wildlife agencies, continuing the long-running battle to protect our nation’s precious wetlands, saving millions of waterfowl from lead poisoning by supporting conversion to nontoxic forms of shot for hunting, and the recovery of our national symbol—the magnificent bald eagle—among other achievements.
The Resolutions Process
As guided by NWF’s bylaws, delegates serve on topic-specific committees which meet prior to the Annual Meeting via conference call as well as in-person at the Annual Meeting to discuss and deliberate on their assigned resolutions. Once approved by the committee, resolutions are presented to the full delegate body for final vote.
When passed, resolutions become official Federation policy on issues of national conservation importance, representing the voice of Americans across the country.
Adopted resolutions since 1975 can be found at affiliates.nwf.org/policy-resolutions.
Tips for Successful Resolutions
Affiliates propose resolutions that are important and relevant to their conservation work. Given the diverse set of organizations within the Federation, there can be differences of opinion. The following tips may be useful when considering proposing what may be a controversial resolution:
- Prepare the resolution early. Share your draft resolution with your Director of Conservation Partnerships (DCP) and Regional Executive Director or the Affiliate Partnerships team. Discuss potential sticking points and work together to identify areas of conflict.
- Talk it through. Have discussions with the leaders of other affiliate organizations who may have concern about your proposed resolution—try to work out differences of opinion, with the help of DCPs and other NWF staff.
- Involve a workgroup. When possible, work your resolution through a relevant workgroup or pillar caucus in order to hear the opinions of others across the Federation who may have expertise in the area, reach early compromises, and gain support from other affiliates.
- Be open to compromise. Remember that policy resolutions represent the voice of the entire Federation. It is possible to have reasonable differences of opinion on a given conservation topic. A position that might work for one organization in one state, might not work in a different state or region. Be prepared to change controversial language or remove sections of your resolution so that it represents the breadth of the Federation. Consider that this may be better than a resolution that’s voted down.