The GCA Advocates for its Nine Position Papers in Washington, DC

Non-Partisan Environmental Conference Helps Guide GCA Club Members in Conservation and Stewardship of Natural Resources

March 26, 2025

By: Carolyn Ross

Education and conservation are two cornerstones of the GCA’s mission. While individual clubs lobby local and state governments, nowhere is the GCA’s collective voice louder than at the GCA’s annual National Affairs and Legislation Conference (NAL) in Washington D.C.

Every year for the past 41 years, 300 delegates from the GCA’s 200 clubs in 40 states have visited Washington to learn, network, and to advocate based on the GCA’s nine position papers. This year's meeting is being held this week.

As in the past, legislators and collaborating environmental groups  look to the GCA for assistance in bill drafting, sponsorship, and passage. The GCA delegates hear from senators, representatives, and other environmental leaders, and meet with their own legislators to advocate for the GCA’s legislative priorities.

Renowned author, educator, and environmentalist, Bill McKibben, is the keynote speaker followed by top leaders in the environmental industry, including Janet McCabe, former Deputy EPA Administrator; Max Holmes, President, Woodwell Climate Research Center; Elizabeth Gray, CEO of Audubon; Latise LeFeir, Chief of Conservation and Stewardship at the New England Aquarium; Rebecca Riley, Managing Director of the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC); Collin O’Mara, CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, and Tom Campion from the Alaska Wilderness League and a GCA Medal Winner.  
The GCA is proud of its influential national position created by its informed, nonpartisan volunteers who care deeply about responsible stewardship of our planet.