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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is spearheading a multi-stakeholder [U.S. business, science and engineering, medical and health, and higher education organizations] <b>LETTER</b> to Congress in support of FY 2017 and FY 2018 research funding. <span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federal research is important to all of us in the conservation world. P2 is signing on. Hope you will, too. [says multi-society on the site, but much broader-includes businesses, and I am sure NGO’s welcome].<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>To add your organization’s name, go to: </b><a href="http://www.cvent.com/d/45ql7l"><b>http://www.cvent.com/d/45ql7l</b></a><b>. <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://custom.cvent.com/828428A4E6DF41F3ADBF92C7C109FE03/files/event/A0EADE3E716B4525B8BC7B6A9F1A3DBD/d1e8f1e3332b4e5ea094ea6c1f975fd6.pdf">Click Here</a> for the letter. Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><i>“For FY 2017, we urge you to avoid a year-long continuing resolution and complete the appropriations process, declining the recently proposed cuts from the Administration. For FY 2018, we urge you to reverse the Administration’s proposed cuts to research investments and negotiate increased discretionary spending caps for next year and beyond that will permit sufficient federal research investments and sustain our nation’s status as the world’s innovation leader.”<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Feel free to <i>help spread the word</i> about this unified effort in support of federal research.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Director of Public Affairs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(703) 509-4746<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:TVA@pollinator.org"><span style='color:#0563C1'>TVA@pollinator.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.pollinator.org/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Pollinator Partnership</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ThePollinatorPartnership"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=40 height=40 style='width:.4166in;height:.4166in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image013.jpg@01D2AA2A.99F69C70" alt="cid:image001.jpg@01D15E89.826C9660"></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/Pollinators"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=40 height=40 style='width:.4166in;height:.4166in' id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image014.jpg@01D2AA2A.99F69C70" alt="cid:image002.jpg@01D15E89.826C9660"></span></a><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PollinatorOrg/about"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=40 height=40 style='width:.4166in;height:.4166in' id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image015.jpg@01D2AA2A.99F69C70" alt="cid:image003.jpg@01D15E89.826C9660"></span></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PollinatorPartners"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=40 height=40 style='width:.4166in;height:.4166in' id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image016.jpg@01D2AA2A.99F69C70" alt="cid:image004.jpg@01D15E89.826C9660"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://pollinator.org/index.html"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=117 height=52 style='width:1.2152in;height:.5416in' id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image017.jpg@01D2AA2A.99F69C70" alt="cid:image005.jpg@01D15E89.826C9660"></span></a><a href="http://pollinator.org/million-pollinator-garden-challenge.htm"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=60 height=60 style='width:.625in;height:.625in' id="Picture_x0020_6" src="cid:image018.jpg@01D2AA2A.99F69C70" alt="cid:image006.jpg@01D15E89.826C9660"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=0 style='border:none;border-top:solid #D3D4DE 1.0pt'><tr><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;border:none;padding:9.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=icon" target="_blank"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=46 height=29 style='width:.4791in;height:.3055in' id="_x0000_i1031" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D2AA3C.1C011B80" alt="Image removed by sender."></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=470 style='width:352.5pt;border:none;padding:9.0pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:13.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#41424E'>Virus-free. <a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=link" target="_blank"><span style='color:#4453EA'>www.avast.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><br />
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