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Criteria for Raising an Issue to Statewide Awareness

We hope that our membership will bring issues to the Committee for consideration. If you wish to have your issue considered, please answer the following questions in writing and submit to Committee Member: Ben Mercadante by email at natives01@earthlink.net

1. Issues must be of a specific nature. What is your issue? Please describe.
2. How does your issue specifically affect the preservation, conservation and/or restoration of native plants and/or native plant communities?
3. For an issue to be declared by the Society as having statewide significance, it must affect more than your local jurisdiction. What is it about your issue that you believe makes it of statewide significance?
4. What action would you expect from FNPS should this issue be determined of statewide significance?
5. What action will you and your local chapter take should this issue be determined of statewide significance?

Statement of Purpose of the Policy and Legislative Committee

To assist our Board of Directors in determining if an issue is of significant statewide impact to merit action or statement on the part of FNPS. This determination will be based on how closely the issue fits within the FNPS mission “to preserve, conserve and restore native plants and native plant communities”

The power of any group lies in its ability to focus and advocate for the most far-reaching and significant topics within its area of expertise. Once focused, collaborations with other groups of like mind, but of different areas of knowledge become possible and powerful. Conversely, the power to affect events is lost if a group strays too far from its knowledge base and fragments the group’s advocacy effectiveness.

FNPS can best serve preservation, conservation and restoration of native plants and native plant habitats by bringing the discussion of statewide issues to the FNPS Board of Directors. While supportive of our chapters in their local endeavors, the Society can better serve all FNPS members by focusing on issues that have regional or statewide ramifications. Therefore, it’s not any plant, any time, any where, but rather all plants within the larger context of natural systems throughout Florida.

We hope that our membership participates in this process by bringing topics to our attention that meet these criteria. We welcome your input.

To read about the following topics, Please click here.

• Procedure for arriving at determination that an issue is of statewide significance
• General areas considered to be of statewide significance
• General areas considered not to be of statewide significance
• FNPS organizational policy effect on local chapters
• Criteria for raising a local issue to statewide awareness