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Dear List, I just returned tonight from Washington, D.C. I was able to go with Kees for the weekend, but had to return this evening so I could go back to work in the morning. The beginning of the conference looks great!! There are more people there this time than ever before (so they say... my first trip). People also seem to be very focused and ready to work hard. Kees and Bob and Nancy Martone and Jim and Nina Brown had 2 appointments on the hill today. They then have 4 or more set up for the next 3 days. Many other people also had 4 or 5 appointments scheduled, and were actively working for more. I am really impressed at the energy I saw being spent, and I can only believe that it will only help in our fight. There was also excitement at how many signatures on petitions and letters were there: Texas had more than 5,000 (we don't have a count yet from the Dallas group), Michigan had more than 6,000, and New England had what looked like 12 or 15 big storage boxes crammed with petitions and letters!!!!! I sure wouldn't want to be the staffer trying to sort through those boxes... I think I'd just twist my congressman or senator's arm and say, "GIVE THEM THE MONEY!!!' My feeling from all this is that we on the list should be happy and proud of our collective efforts (because those folks in D.C. are not going alone, they are going with the knowledge that there are all of us here and others not on the list supporting them). The BIG thing that I recognized from my short time there is that we can still make a difference. Here is what I think we should do: Every person on the list with a congressman and senators should email them ASAP with a short, to the point request to support funding for the Udall Act and telling why. Follow it up with a snail mail letter. Then get all your friends who have twistable arms and get them to do the same. My impression from several things I have seen and heard the past 3 days is that petitions will carry some weight, but that 10 letters will mean more than 100 signatures. Thanks to all for the encouragement given to the PAN attendees. Faye Armstrong-Paap