I am writing to express concern over the proposed amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule that would create a national registry for a do-not-call list.  Like most non-profit organizations, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) does not have the internal resources to contact each of our members without the aid of a professional vendor.  Therefore, a national do-not-call registry would severely hinder our ability to communicate on a personal level with our members.  This personal contact is crucial to building relationships, not only to fund critical programs, but to maintain an open dialog on issues that are important to our members.

The programs and services of NWF would not be possible without the continued support of our members.  NWF is the nation's largest member-supported conservation group, uniting individuals, organizations, businesses and government to protect wildlife, wild places, and the environment.   Recent conservation accomplishments include restoration of the gray wolf to their ancestral habitat in Yellowstone National Park and bringing Florida's Everglades back from a century's worth of assaults from agricultural growth and urban sprawl.

The future viability of these and other initiatives depends heavily upon cultivating an ongoing personal relationship with our members.  A national do-not-call registry would put a large percentage of our members out of reach.  Therefore, I strongly urge you to exclude calls made on behalf of non-profit organizations from coverage in the registry.  At the very least, we ask that there be an exemption for prior relationships.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Anne Senft
Manager of Membership Marketing
National Wildlife Federation