.)
The league's foundation-funded approach calls for it to establish
an Outdoor Writers Population Colloquy, consisting of respected
outdoor writers "to help us develop themes and messages
that will speak strongly to hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts."
The league expects to contract with those writers to
"write a compelling piece of about 2,000 words for publication"
and will ask them also to "provide input on designing an effective
education and outreach strategy to get the message out to other
writers, their editors, and their audience."
The group says it expects to publish a collection of the writers'
articles addressing population and outdoor recreation; compile
existing articles and analyze their content; publish a handbook for
writing and publishing on population issues for outdoor writers
and editors; establish a population writing award to be given at its
2004 annual convention; and conduct writers' workshops.
The group points to its 30-plus years of concern over population
impacts, and says that it has frequently taken on the population
issue despite concerns among many environmental organizations
over the inevitable link to immigration issues and, therefore, to
charges of racism or zealotry. The group says its focus over the
past decade has been on "making the case that population growth
is a conservation issue and increasing funding for international
family planning."
The group says it works "regularly" with Audubon, the Sierra
Club, and the National Wildlife Federation on population issues,
but describes itself as "the closest to the outdoor sporting community and able to bring the reasonable voice of conservation to the table on a sensitive and
politically complex issue." It says that although 80 percent of its members support U.S. government programs that provide international family planning, they differ on whether population stabilization
should be a League priority.
Editor's Note: The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental
Reporting, publisher of Environment Writer, receives financial
support from the Hewlett Foundation's population program. (Return to text.)
