Make your voice heard -- write a letter to editor of your newspaper.

The opinion section is often the most-read part of newspapers. It’s a free, easy way to express yourself and speak up for the wild Siskiyou.

Below are some tips for writing a letter to the editor (LTE). The Siskiyou Project is always happy to help you craft an LTE, and we like seeing what has been submitted to papers. Please email a copy of your LTEs to project@siskiyou.org

Letter to the Editor Writing Guide:

1. Start with a sentence or phrase about yourself and/or your connection to the area. (Such as "As a homeowner in the Illinois Valley" or "As a person who loves to kayak the Wild & Scenic Illinois River…")

2. Say something about what you would like to see happen orsomething about the government's plan. (Such as "I support the creation of a Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Conservation Area." or "I can't believe the Forest Service is proposing to log roadless forests in the Siskiyou.")

3. Support your argument. (For example: Recent science shows that post-fire logging increases fire risk and hurts natural renewal...")

4. Finish with a clear statement that engages people. (Such as, "It’s time to hold the government accountable for what it does to our public lands.")

5. Be timely. Submit an LTE about an important current issue or news event. Newspapers are often more likely to print LTEs that refer to a recent article. It helps to refer to the specific article with its title and date. For example: “The story ‘Forest Service Logs Botanical Area’ (8-15-2005) shows just what is wrong with the management of public lands these days…” The sooner you submit the LTE, the better. Even if your LTE does not get published, it can still help by demonstrating readers’ interest in a given topic and encouraging editors to public similar letters.

Please remember to send the papers your contact information or they might not print your letter and also to send it to as many newspapers as possible (check out the word limit carefully) .

Each paper has different guidelines for LTE submission. Be sure to abide by word limit rules.
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Grants Pass Daily Courier
letters@thedailycourier.com  Grants Pass Daily Courier, P.O. Box 1468, Grants Pass, OR, 97528 *(250 words)
Illinois Valley News
newsroom1@frontiernet.net 321 S Redwood Hwy, PO Box 1370, Cave Junction OR 97523 Fax: 541-592-4330
Medford Mail Tribune
letters@mailtribune.com Letters to the editor, Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501 Fax 541-776-4376 *(max 200 words)
Oregonian
letters@news.oregonian.com The Oregonian 1320 SW Broadway, Pdx Or. 97201 Fax 503-294-4193 *(max 150 words)
Register-Guard, Eugene
rgletters@guardnet.com  www.registerguard.com
Mailbag, POB 10188, Eugene, OR 97440-2188 Fax 338-2828 *(max 250 words)
Salem Statesman Journal
letters@StatesmanJournal.com  or go to: http://news.statesmanjournal.com/letter_form.cfm
Letters to the Editor, Statesman Journal, P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR, 97309_3009; faxed to (503) 399_6706 *(max 200 words)

Feel free to contact the Siskiyou Project with any questions:

Siskiyou Project campaign office – (503) 222-6101

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