Strategic Direction #1. Outreach and Mobilization. Share the values of wilderness and wild lands and their positive impacts on communities. Build broad based bipartisan support for wilderness protection through outreach and mobilization of influential constituencies. Strategic Direction #2. Wild Lands Protection. Protect Montana's wild places through wilderness designation, administrative agency processes, collaboration with communities and stakeholders, and promotion of quiet trails. Strategic Direction #3. Youth Empowerment. Engage and energize the next generation of wilderness advocates and increase youth involvement in MWA. Strategic Direction #4. Philanthropy. Weave a culture of philanthropy through all levels of MWA with emphasis on expanding council, volunteer, and staff networks of potential supporters and donor relationships. Strategic Direction #5. Organizational Effectiveness. Build a strong, effective, efficient institution so that MWA remains an enduring force for the protection of Montana's wild places.

#1 A. Develop and implement annual strategies for engaging key constituencies in MWA wild lands and quiet trails campaigns. B. Conduct presentations and public forums on the values of wild lands that are the focus of MWA campaigns. C. Fully integrate the Wilderness Walks Program into MWA campaigns so that the majority of walks take place in wild lands that are the focus of MWA campaigns. D. Hold annual events that celebrate Montana's wilderness heritage. E. Conduct civic engagement campaigns to inform and mobilize voters. #2A. Advocate for the passage of the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act and the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act in the 113th Congress. B. Develop viable wilderness proposals that are ready for Congressional action in either the 113th or 114th Congress. C. Initiate discussions with community leaders and key stakeholders about strategies for protecting Island Range wild lands. D. Leverage relationships to build enduring solutions that protect wild lands and litigate as a last resort. E. Mobilize conservation minded community leaders, key stakeholders, and MWA members to actively participate in federal agency planning processes. F. Expand the Continental Divide Trail and High Divide Trails with an emphasis toward increasing public participation and local community appreciation of non-motorized trails. G. Communicate the role of wild lands protection in mitigating the impacts climate change to key audiences. #3A. Fully integrate and sustain and expand the NexGen Wilderness Leaders Program to all MWA Chapter regions. C. Expand the NexGen Wilderness Leaders Program focus to include outreach to families and other influential constituencies. D. Increase involvement in MWA by people under 35 years of age by developing new tools to solicit and sustain youth participation and/ or memberships. E. Maintain at least three MWA Council members and encourage chapters to maintain at least two chapter board members under 35 years of age. #4A. A robust, sustainable fundraising program that allows MWA to reach a FY 2017 goal of $2. 2million in total revenue, including approx. $850,000 from individual gifts, and add one to two new foundations annually. B. 100% participation by Council in the following fundraising activities: membership recruitment, new donor identification and recruitment, deepening relationships with existing donors and donor prospects. D. Increase fundraising capacity by retaining skilled development staff. #5A. Recruit Council members with the skills necessary to continue MWA's trajectory as a high impact wilderness advocacy organization. B. Recruit and retain highly skilled staff across all organizational departments. E. Acquire the communications technology for MWA to operate at peak efficiency. F. MWA Chapters prioritize activities that have the greatest impact on advancing MWA's overall mission.

MWA has an incredible team committed to fulfilling our goals. We have a committed and passionate advisory council of 19 individuals. Our staff is compromised of 25 permanent employees with a variety of advanced skills and experience in grassroots organizing, wilderness advocacy, and a proactive public lands agenda.

MWA's progress indicators are number of acres protected through agency process or legislation, miles of trail maintained as non-motorized quiet trail, miles of trail stewarded, and number of people who engage with our landscapes through our Wilderness Walks program and then become wilderness advocates.

MWA has accomplished the passage of the Rocky Mountain Heritage Act, 40 miles of trail stewarded along the continental divide, canceled one illegally obtained oil and gas lease in the Badger Two-Medicine, defeated numerous bills that would have transferred public land ownership to the state, and engaged more than 1000 people with our landscapes each year through our Wilderness Walks programs. We have yet to pass the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act that was introduced by Senator Jon Tester on March 2, 2017. We are working in partnership with various like-minded organizations and outdoor groups to raise awareness and support for the BCSA which will permanently protect 180,000 acres of wildlife habitat.