1. Hill Basics: Do’s and Don’ts Caroline Brouwer cbrouwer@refugeassociation.org 202-420-9625

2. At your meeting  Bring:  Business cards  Packets of information on programs/asks  Any swag from your refuge that you have with you  Wear:  A suit/dress/”church” clothes  If you are a rancher, etc, you can get away with cowboy boots and a hat. Otherwise, play it safe!

3. Meeting Basics  Arrive 5 minutes early  Remember you must go through security, which can take anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes  Make sure all attendees are present  Tell the staffer at the front desk who you are and who you are seeing- they might ask for a business card

4. Getting Around Capitol Hill

5. At The Meeting Make sure you talk about your refuge, and why you volunteer there Ask about their experiences with the refuge— are they from the area, have they been to the refuge, do they hunt/fish/birdwatch, etc? Make it personal! Then, get down to business

6. Your Ask Operations and Maintenance Funding for the Refuge System—$508.2 million LWCF—full funding at $900 million and permanent reauthorization  If you know details about specific land projects at your refuge, definitely bring this up Other topics as time allows and your interests dictate  Examples: Arctic wilderness, road through Izembek NWR, NAWCA grants, etc.

7. Meeting Etiquette DO NOT forget to call the office or email the staffer if you are going to be late DO research on the Member prior to the meeting so you are aware of their interests/disinterests. Examples? DO NOT use your cell phone during a meeting DO be aware that staffers’ interest levels vary— not all meetings will go as well as others DO be friendly and engage the staffer in conversation

8. Tricks of the Trade Tunnels  There are tunnels between all the buildings. If you are headed from the Senate side to the House side (or vice versa), ask if you can get a ride on the train under the capitol  Tunnels between House/Senate buildings can be tricky, but are mostly found on the “Basement” level. ASK if you need help finding a tunnel entrance. Security lines are longer first thing in the morning or after lunch. Build extra time in at these times Take pictures!

9. Questions?