Write a Letter Save a Tree

Instructions and info for writing your State legislators
last updated - December 14, 2009

"Write a Letter - Save a Tree" is a letter writing campaign to encourage the Indiana legislature to enact the "Tree Bill." Instructions are below for you to follow to get a quality letter off to your correct legislators in the quickest way possible. If you still need help, please leave a voice mail for Justin @ 866.867.2038 with the best time to reach you and help will call you back ASAP. For more background on this issue visit IndianaTreeAlliance.com This webpage will be updated periodically with our latest letter writing priorities - check back occasionally.

The draft Tree Bill, as it stands is not something that can be published, by rule of the Legislature, until it is in final form and registered with a bill number. When we can, we will make it available.

Your immediate action is required. ***Letters should be sent by January 7th, 2010***

DETERMINE YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS
Each resident of Indiana has only one Senator and only one House Representative in the Indiana State Legislature. The boundaries of the districts these legislators represent are redrawn frequently. Even if you think you might know which district you are in, it is highly suggested you verify which district you are currently in by one of the methods below. Your letter is best sent through your legislator's contact webform or alternatively by eMail.
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>>Method One<< - using the Internet: Project VoteSmart.org
Step 1) Know your official 9-Digit ZIP Code called "ZIP + 4." You can find your ZIP + 4 by visiting the USPS ZIP Code Lookup tool.

Step 2) Enter in your ZIP + 4 code into the Project Vote Smart widget below on the left and click the "Search" button. Look in the results the widget provides under the "State Legislative" section and click on your State Representative or Senator.

Step 3) Once you click your legislator, the "info pane" in the middle will show the information about your legislator you just clicked on and it will resemble the sample on the right. Click the link just below "Capitol Webmail:" as marked in red in the sample. Take note of the district number of your legislator as you will need it later when you write your letter. If they do not have a "Capitol Webmail" link, then you can click on their "Capitol Website" link and then click on the "contact" link in your legislator's website.

Votesmart.org widget:	VoteSmart.org legislator info pane:	Info pane sample:
Project Vote Smart - Search Candidates, Elections and Officials Javascript must be enabled.

Step 4) Edit the Sample Letter we have provided and then copy the entire edited letter [addresses and everything] and paste it into your legislator's contact webform.

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>>Method Two<< - Using the the official Indiana "Who Are Your Legislators?" tool
Visit our step-by-step instructions page for using the official Indiana "Who Are Your Legislators?" tool
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>>Method Three<< - using your phone
Step 1) Contact your County Clerk or County Board of Voter Registration by phone. Provide them with your address and zip code and ask for both your your Indiana House District number and Representative name AND your Indiana Senate District number and Senator name. You will need both the name and the district number. The telephone number for the County Clerk or Board of Voter Registration for your county can be found on page two of the Indiana Voter Registration Form.
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WRITE YOUR LETTER
We suggest you use our Sample Letter to reference and use as a structural template while writing your own letter. Please feel free to use as much of the sample letter text in your letter as you wish. Keep in mind however, the most effective letters will be put into your own words. At least sharing a few sentances of your own personal experience in the middle or second paragraph is important. Our Talking Points linked below are provided for you to use as a means to help develop your letter. Remember, keep it short and keep it targeted [no more than one page - very important].

Sample Letter:
Step 1) Download this Sample Letter by clicking here.
Step 2) Edit the Sample Letter in your word processor to reflect your views, current date, contact information and representative's information.
Step 3) Copy and paste your edited letter in its entirety into your legislator's webform [webform is preferred] or email you send.
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Potential talking-points:
Our Talking Points will provide some of background and ideas you may wish to address in your letter.
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Letter Writing Tips:

• Always use and provide your real contact information [name, address, phone, email etc.] when contacting legislators.
• Individualized letters should fit on one page. Please follow the general structural formatting of the sample letter. One page should include the addresses and everything and should use a standard font size [11pt Arial or 12 pt Times] with at least one inch margins. Please be respectful of your legislators time: to be most effective, letters need to be condensed and targeted.
• Use eMail if possible, not hard copy or fax, to contact your legislators - the best way is by using their webform. Legislators and their assistants much prefer eMail and it reaches your legislator quicker! eMail is now the preferred medium.
• The subject line of your eMail should be The "Tree Bill" with the quotes. Do not change or remove the "RE:" line in the sample letter so that it ends up in the correct stack at the legislators office.
• Using the contact webform on the legislator's website is often the best way to make sure your letter will be received.
• If you do use the webform, edit your letter first in a word processor, copy that one page letter and then paste the entire letter [addresses and all] into the webform.
• Faxing your Indiana State legislators is not recommended. Most Indiana State legislators do not publish their individual fax numbers. Indiana State Senators do not provide their individual office fax numbers or other means to fax them. However, if you must fax, Indiana House representatives have two general fax numbers [and you must clearly identify who the fax is intended for]:
  Indiana House Democrats - 317.232.9795 fax
  Indiana House Republicans - 317.233.9835 fax
• Address letters to Indiana State House Representatives this way:
  

  The Honorable Jane/John Doe Indiana House of Representatives 200 W Washington ST Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786

• Address letters to Indiana State Senators this way:
  

  The Honorable Jane/John Doe Senate, State of Indiana 200 W Washington ST Indianapolis, IN 46204

• Do not use bombastic language.
• Do not make claims that are untrue.
• Do not demand a reply.
• Remember to spell check your letter before sending it.

Links to other letter writing tips and tools:
- EFF: Contacting Congress
- Effective Communication With Your Representative (Florida)
- The Right to Write
- Project Vote Smart
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WRITE OTHER IMPORTANT POLITICOS
Now that you have put together a good letter in a good format, you can send the same or similar letter to other important political officials. They are:

SPREAD THE WORD - ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO WRITE LETTERS
Awareness breeds success!

1) Download our "Write a Letter - Save a Tree" .pdf flyer - print many out and:

• Pass them out to your neighbors [door to door or perhaps in newspaper boxes - NOT in mailboxes].
• Hand them to other parents at your children's sports or other practice or games. This works!
• Hand them out at community meetings.

2) eMail the link to this letter writing tool to your friends and other concerned contacts. The direct link to this webpage is http://IndianaTreeAlliance.com/SaveATree

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