CREATING A DOOR FOR OPPORTUNITY TO KNOCK ON

Opportunity has three components:

1) The effort that goes into its creation;

2) Recognizing the opportunity;

3) Being ready and willing to act on the opportunity.


Number one on the list is the sweat equity we have all put into the RAF – each one of you who has given of your time and talent. Campfire conversations that led to work parties that proved our conviction to the RAF mission. We learned what needed to be done, and we learned how to do it together. We were polite and persistent in our approach, which, in time, presented opportunities.


Number two is recognizing that an opportunity is presenting itself, and knowing that it is one worth taking on. Over the years, we learned the RAF’s ability to prioritize, begin, and how to go about the best next steps. No backcountry guidebook was available, so we did a lot of “learning by doing.” The RAF has become a respected organization in our area of work. The opportunities that we are seeing on our plate today are not just luck. They were created. That is a tribute to you, the people of the RAF.


Finally, when you add one and two, you come to being ready to act. We put much of the early effort into creating opportunities, then gained the experience to prioritize them, found wisdom and strength in allying with like-minded groups, and finally, we are doing our best to take action on the best of them. 


You are vitally important at this stage since we need you to continue to be a part of the action. The RAF will be asking you for support at many levels as we move forward, and we hope you will find the challenges as exciting as we do. When we call for your help, we only request that you look at the project and decide, is this my time to do what I can? We hope you will join us, and why not bring a new friend to help out? 


 - John McKenna, RAF Chairman


Submitted March 15, 2026

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