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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Greetings Partners,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">I am forwarding a request from SRM and the North American IYRP Support group that has been sent out to several mailing lists this month requesting “signatures” on a group letter. There will be
another similar request going out this week to Western Deans and Directors. This is also relevant for other University departments, Extension units, etc. (see attached Word document with the list of signatories as of last week). The more who sign on the
better so please consider pursuing this at your institutions or organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Thank you for your consideration,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Barb<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Lia Biondo <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, May 12, 2021 2:18 PM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Sign-On Request: Support the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Good afternoon, <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">On behalf of the Society for Range Management, I’m reaching out to ask for your organization’s signature on a group sign-on letter to the Secretaries of State, Interior, and Agriculture requesting
U.S. support for an United Nations designation of an <a href="https://iyrp.info/">
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">We are just two short steps away from having the international year officially declared by the United Nations. FAO is expected to endorse the IYRP for 2026 at their conference this summer, at which point
it will move to approval by the UN General Assembly in September 2021. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Fifty countries have formally supported the designation either with letters or verbally, while the U.S. has remained neutral. Our goal is to earn U.S. support for the designation, so please do
feel free to forward this invitation to other relevant rangelands and grasslands stakeholders. Additional information is provided in the attached cover letter from SRM President Dr. Poncho Ortega and a justification document titled, “<i>Why IYRP Should Matter
to the United States”.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">The deadline to sign-on is June 9, 2021.</span></b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"> You may respond to this email or fill out the Google form here to relay your support:
<a href="https://forms.gle/wF4pRwpgpDvvKg8W6">https://forms.gle/wF4pRwpgpDvvKg8W6</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Lia <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif">Lia Biondo
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif">Director of Government Relations and Federal Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.rangelands.org/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif">Society for Range Management</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif">202-870-1552<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:lia@wssdc.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif">policy@rangelands.org</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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