Writing a letter means something

Conserving forests and wildlife almost always involve shaping and garnering public opinion. Letters to the editors of newspapers are effective because–after perhaps the sports section and the comics–they are the most read parts of the newspaper. Congressional offices read letters consistently to gage the minds of their consituents.

With one letter to the editor you reach two powerful audiences: the general public and key decision makers such as elected officials and heads of government agencies.

LTE tips

• You must include your daytime phone number or your letter won't be printed!
• Some smaller local papers will only publish letters about local issues, so be sure to localize the contents of your letter as much as possible.
• Honor the word limit or you risk your letter getting bumped, or at the least, edited by the media.
• Stick to a single topic: making one key point is often the best strategy for creating a powerful, readable letter.
• Timing can be everything! Tie your letter into recent, related news that ran in the same newspaper; papers love to cite themselves.

Newspapers to send to

Statewide papers

Key local papers

Other local papers in western Washington

Other local papers in eastern Washington