Due to schedule conflicts, our April 23 talk with the Mayor about climate action in a river city has been postponed. We hope to reschedule at a later time.
Monday, April 8, 2024
Sunday, April 7, 2024
April 9 - Spring into Energy Savings
Don't forget - find out how you can become more energy efficient, reduce your fossil fuel use, and save money!
Tuesday, April 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Myrick Park Nature Place in La Crosse, learn how you can use federal Inflation Reduction Act funds and other incentives to upgrade your home or business with cleaner, more efficient appliances and building components. Find out how much you might be eligible for and how to finance the upgrades. There is no charge for this event!
Monday, April 1, 2024
April Newsletter
Tuesday, April 9, 6 to 8 p.m. Spring Into Energy Savings! Save Money, Protect the Environment. The Nature Place, Myrick Park, La Crosse Learn about how you and your family can benefit from the largest climate investment in US history! Sign up to learn about the benefits available to help you install energy efficient appliances and solar panels, reduce your home's energy usage, buy electric vehicles, and much more – all with major cost savings! Guest speakers: Maxwell Johnson of Wisconsin Conservation Voters and Mackenzie Mindel, chair, City of La Crosse Climate Action Plan Steering Committee. This is an in-person event that is free and open to everyone. Please register so we can be sure to have enough materials: https://tinyurl.com/SpringIntoEnergySavings. The event is co-sponsored by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Citizens Climate Lobby - La Crosse Chapter, City of La Crosse, Coulee Region Sierra Club, and Wisconsin Conservation Voters.
Tuesday, April 23, 7 p.m. online Climate Action on the Mississippi with guest, Mayor Mitch Reynolds of La Crosse La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds is co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, an organization that collaborates to heal and protect the health and sustainability of the Mississippi River system. Globally, he’s worked with river city mayors from around the world on challenges and solutions. Locally, he has championed a community-wide climate action plan to reduce carbon emissions and address and mitigate adverse effects of drought, floods, and storms. We’ll hear from Mayor Reynolds about his work and plans, with time for questions and answers during this online program. To register, call 608-315-2693 or visit tinyurl.com/CRSC-MayorReynolds-042324.
BAD RIVER A special screening of the film BAD RIVER will be held on Monday, April 29 at 5 p.m. at the Rivoli, 117 4th St. North, in La Crosse. Doors open at 4 p.m. It is free and open to all, but registration is required. To register, call 608-315-2693 or fill our the form at https://tinyurl.com/BadRvrFilmInLaCrosse. Co-sponsors include Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Coulee Region Sierra Club, Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and The Rivoli Theatre & Pizzeria.
The film is also being shown on April 5 in Sparta. See https://www.spartacinema6.com/movie/Bad_River for details.
BAD RIVER chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and the Band’s ongoing fight for sovereignty, including the battle over siting of the Enbridge Line 5 fracked oil pipeline.
Read more about the film at www.badriverfilm.com and about line 5 at sierraclub.org/wisconsin/line-5.
EARTH FAIR, SUNDAY, APRIL 28 FROM 11 A.M. TO 4 P.M. AT MYRICK PARK IN LA CROSSE
KNOW YOUR CO-OP, OWN YOUR CO-OP On March 14, the Coulee Region Sierra Club and the Wisconsin Chapter Sierra Club joined several other organizations to present a program about grassroots citizen action. Guest speakers included
• Dean Eakles of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice
• CRSC board president Kathy Allen who gave background on Dairyland Power Cooperative and Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC)
• Lee Sandok Baker with the League of Women Voters of Douglas County who talked about Neighbors Against NTEC,
• Dr. Cameron Kiersch, Assistant Professor in Viterbo University’s School of Nursing and member of Healthy Climate Wisconsin discussing health effects of fossil fuel use and climate change
• Samantha Laskowski from Vernon County Energy District describing their neighbor-to-neighbor efforts to educate and motivate, and
• Forrest Jahnke of Crawford Stewardship Project who talked about efforts to rein in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
If you are a rural electric co-op member, we encourage you to attend your co-op’s annual member meeting! Learn more about the March program at https://www.facebook.com/CRSierraClub
WISCONSION DNR The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) and Wisconsin DNR will offer their annual opportunity for public input on a variety of natural resource-related questions with an in-person opportunity April 8, 2024, at 6 p.m. in each county or online starting at noon April 10 to noon on April 13, 2024. Get the spring hearing questionnaire and find out how you can attend your county’s event at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing.
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will meet on April 10 at 8:30 a.m. to consider several proposed rulemaking documents, a proposed land sale, and donations. The public is able to watch the meeting on the DNR’s YouTube channel. Learn more at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/90111.
The deadline to register for public appearance requests and to submit written comments is 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Remote testimony from the public via Zoom may be accepted.
GREEN GOOSE CHASE The Green Goose Chase is a mission-based game meets scavenger hunt for ALL AGES that runs from April 19 through April 28. Download the app then create or join a team. Your team will complete missions by snapping photos, texting in answers, or submitting GPS location tags. Each mission is tied to at least one of the Good Life Goals. As you complete missions, your team will accrue points at a chance to win great prizes! Learn more about how to form a team, how to complete missions, and what great prizes are available at the Green Goose Chase site: https://www.sustaininstitute.com/greengoosechase.
EARTH FAIR TABLERS NEEDED CRSC will table at the La Crosse Earth Fair on Sunday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are looking for a few people to help table for one or two hours. You don’t need special knowledge or skills! We will set up the table and give you the information and materials needed to talk to our friends and neighbors about the club’s activities, goals, and advocacy! Please call us at 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com to help with this important outreach effort.
APRIL 27 HIGHWAY CLEANUP It’s time to clean up the CRSC stretch of River Valley Drive! We’ll meet on Saturday, April 27 at 9 a.m. at the pumping station just west of the Gillette Street and River Valley Drive intersection to get bags, gloves, and safety vests then pick up trash until about 10:30. See you there!
Better Bike Parking Promotes Sustainable Transportation by Cassi Gersbach Everyone has an inherent right to freedom of mobility, which is the ease of moving freely, forward and unrestricted. Bicycle and pedestrian mobility are personal investments that are good for mental, physical, and ecological health.
But how can we satisfy our freedom of mobility when our investments are not properly protected? Bicycle theft rates are running rampant downtown, on campus, and in residential areas of La Crosse. Students are getting their bikes stolen in broad daylight right between their classes, property owners are getting robbed directly out of their backyards, and inadequate bike locks are getting snipped and dipped. Investing time and money into a bike is a financial and ecological choice of transportation.
To work towards a carbon neutral future, we need to protect our investments in electric bikes, and eco-friendly modes of transportation.
James Longhurst, has a PhD in history and policy. He’s a history professor at UWL with an emphasis on urban and environmental policy, including transportation and bicycle history, is a member of the Committee on Transit and Active Transportation of the La Crosse Area Planning Committee. He points out, “Better bicycle parking infrastructure is in the interest of the government. It means fewer vehicles on the road, which means less money spent on construction, structure, and maintenance. The addition of more cars and increasingly heavy vehicles results in roads deteriorating faster, which accumulates government expenses. Ultimately, money spent on bikes saves money.”
We can try renovating unused areas of parking ramps and installing secure entrances, which could repurpose existing negative spaces. We could also invest in protective bike cages which would add security and and encourage more to live in the neighborhoods. Progressive implementation of bike security ensures freedom of mobility and protection of investment and ecological concerns for the future.
The Bike-Ped Advisory Committee is now revising the City’s 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to improve bicycle infrastructure, education, safety, and security for those of all ages and abilities. Now is the time to offer input via survey on the Foward La Crosse website: https://forwardlacrosse.org
As we work toward a decarbonized future, it is time to use an open mind and provide freedom of movement for everyone. To create a necessary change, we need people who care about investing their time, money, and future on sustainable and secure bike infrastructure. Through constructive public forums, anyone can voice their ideas and solutions for a safer community.
VIROQUA PLASTIC FREE Viroqua Plastic Free is a local organization devoted to educating people about the dangers single-use plastics present to the environment and to human health. The group has recently concluded their Choose to Reuse cloth shopping bag campaign during which local businesses offered for sale their recycled cotton shopping bags at a minimal mark up from the wholesale cost. The goal was to offer cloth shopping bags at a price everyone could afford. Nearly 400 bags have been distributed.
Their on-going Plastic Conspiracy events have included “Beyond the Myth of Plastic Recycling,” “How Plastic Is Making Us Sick,” and “Are You Being Greenwashed?”
Their most recent project is a Zero Waste Event Initiative. They are partnering with the Viroqua Chamber of Commerce to assist in zero waste events by supplying organizations with reusable dishware, napkins and utensils for their gatherings.
VPF meets every other Wednesday afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Room 207 in the Landmark Center in Viroqua. Visitors are always welcome. Email us at viroquaplasticfree@gmail.com for the next meeting date.
Check out their website (viroquaplasticfree.org) and our Facebook Group and Facebook page.
MAY 1 - CHAPTER FUNDRAISER On May 1, the Wisconsin Chapter will host its annual, online celebration of sustainable production and grassroots activism. This year, we’ll take a journey around the state to feature several local vendors who have a close connection to the Chapter’s work to protect land, water, and wildlife and stop the worst impacts of climate change. In addition to some great conversation, we’ll play trivia and share some favorite recipes. This event is free, with opportunities to donate during the evening. Find out more and register here: https://tinyurl.com/wisc24-lgnk
SOLAR FOR GOOD RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative fosters the expansion of solar power among mission-based nonprofits and houses of worship in Wisconsin. Grant applications open April 1 and will close on May 1. Learn more about the grants at: www.renewwisconsin.org/solarforgood/
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS The Coulee Region Sierra Club is offering a $300 award for a high school student graduating in 2024 or 2025 who demonstrates leadership, action, and environ-mental stewardship, and who understands the importance of civic engagement in protecting our environment.
Applicants need not be Sierra Club members. They should live in one of the Coulee Region’s counties: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, or Vernon. This is not a scholarship! Any eligible student may apply no matter their postsecondary plans.
The application includes essays and submission of a portfolio. The deadline for applications is July 1, 2024 with the award to be given by the end of July, 2024. Learn more at https://sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/education.
DRIVE ELECTRIC EARTH MONTH Drive Electric Earth Month is a national campaign to share information about electric vehicles during the month of April. In addition to being better for the environment, electric vehicles are more fun to drive, more convenient to fuel and less expensive to operate than gasoline vehicles. There are two DEEM events scheduled in the Coulee Region. Check https://driveelectricearthmonth.org for updates.
On Saturday, April 20, the Vernon County Energy District will host a Drive Electric B-Earthday Event from 9 a.m. to noon at the Viroqua Food Co-op. Vernon County Energy District is celebrating it's fourth anniversary, so, in addition to electric cars, there will be cake!
On Sunday, April 28, visit the Ask Me About My EV display at the La Crosse Earth Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Myrick Park. The EVs will be in the lower parking lot next to The Nature Place and the Rod & Gun Club Shelter.
CRSC BOARD NEWS The CRSC board meets monthly to plan club events, discuss advocacy campaigns, and seek ways to connect with the chapter and regional organizations on our priorities. Email us at CRSierraClub@gmail.com or call 608-315-2693 for access information. The next board meeting will be Tuesday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom.
MORE APRIL EVENTS
- 4/ 3: Wisconsin frogs and toads at The Nature Place, Myrick Park, La Crosse. 7 p.m. https://natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/enviro-wednesdays-3-2024-04-03/
- 4/ 6: Baby animals at Wildcat Mountain State Park. 1 p.m. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/events/88276
- 4/ 7: When the Sky Turns Dark - Understanding Eclipses at the La Crosse Public Library. 2 p.m. https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/event/when-sky-turns-dark-35901
- 4/ 7: Indigenuity - Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth with Daniel R. Wildcat at Pearl Street Books in La Crosse. 4:30 p.m. https://www.pearlstbooks.com/events
- 4/10: Upper Mississippi River Refuge Centennial - a Lunch & Learn event at the Refuge, N5727 Cty ZB, Onalaska and online. 11:30 to 1. https://tinyurl.com/UMRWFRCentennnialLWV
- 4/11: Crafting Bows and Arrows with Stone Age Tools at the La Crosse Public Library. 5:30 p.m. https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/crafting-bows-arrows-stone-age-tools
- 4/13: Work Play Earth Day at Wildcat Mountain State Park. 9 to noon. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/events/88616
- 4/20: Earth Day Cleanup at Castle Mound State Park Shelter. 11:30 a.m. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/earth-day-cleanup/
- 4/20-27: Earth Week at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Annual-Events
Friday, March 15, 2024
Viroqua Plastic Free March 20
Viroqua Plastic Free will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, March 20, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 207 at Youth Initiative High School, 500 E. Jefferson St., Viroqua. The group will share all that they have accomplished in the last year and what's on the agenda for 2024. The annual meeting will be followed by our regular every other Wednesday meeting.
For more details, visit viroquaplasticfree.org
Friday, March 1, 2024
March newsletter
THURSDAY, MARCH 14 at 7 p.m. online Know your co-op, OWN your co-op Some still remember when electricity first came to rural areas. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 put local folks at the helm of electrical transmission, putting up lines and creating member-owned co-ops. Rates were determined by those who used the power and income was reinvested in operations and returned to members. Today, many modern-day rural electric co-ops have minimized the power of members and leave their interests and concerns unrepresented. Generating cooperatives play a large role in determining costs. Each new gas or coal power plant - and even abandoned plants - add additional costs. Cooperative members are often kept unaware and the cost analysis of transitioning to renewables is left undone. It's time to put members back in the driver's seat. If you are a REC member, please join us for an educational webinar about rural energy, electric rates, and getting involved in your local Rural Electric Co-op. The event is co-sponsored by several area and state organizations including CRSC. Register for the link at tinyurl.com/WISC-OwnYourREC or call 608-315-2693 to learn how to attend by phone.
ALDO LEOPOLD WEEK "Perhaps such a shift of values can be achieved by reappraising things unnatural, tame, and confined in terms of things natural, wild and free." Celebrate Aldo Leopold with a week of events. In the La Crosse area, several events will highlight Leopold’s
work and legacy beginning with a March 2 day of events. From 9 to 11:30 a.m., the Nature Place at Myrick Park will host family activities, crafts, live animals, and more. From noon to 4 p.m., the celebration will move to the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge on
Brice Prairie which is celebrating its centennial. Talks, walks, plant give-aways, and more are among the Leopold events at the Refuge, N5727 County Road Z, Onalaska. Learn more at gatheringwaters.org/event/wisconsin-leopold-days-celebration-in-la-crosse/
On March 5, a 7 p.m. online talk by entomologist, ecologist and conservationist Doug Tallamy will be hosted by the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at www.facebook.com/viterboethic
Online, the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Madison offers a week of speakers who will explore the “natural, wild, and free” theme and suggest ways for us to more deeply connect to the land community. Learn more and register at www.aldoleopold.org/news-and-events/leopold-week Register once for access to all eight events. Replays of all events will be available to registrants.
TRANSIT TO TRAILS FOR ALL On February 1 the Wisconsin Sierra Club hosted an
online program about a new national club initiative, Transit to Trails for All, to increase accessibility to green spaces, recreation areas, and public parks via public transportation. If you missed the program, you can view it at the club’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SierraClubWI/videos/1823149808147267 Guests included Jesse Piedfort, Deputy Director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign; Gerry James, Deputy Director of the club’s Outdoors for All campaign; Kim Biedermann, Principal Planner - Regional Bike/Ped Coordinator for the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; and Cathy Van Maren of the Coulee Region Sierra Club. National goals include establishing at least ten new public transit routes and T2T projects. Learn more about the T2T initiative at https://www.sierraclub. org/outdoors-all/transit-trails If you are interested in connecting to help plan a few CRSC T2T events, please email.
OUTINGS LEADER TRAINING Sierra Club outings are a critical aspect to connecting people to the outdoors and the places we're working so hard to protect. There will be Outings Training this year to get more leaders certified to lead outings and to host paddles with the River Touring Section. If you’re tentatively interested in taking the training, please fill out this survey here: https://forms.gle/NChj1giU8Lf5CkDy7
BOOK CLUB The next Sierra Club Book Club will be from 7 to 8 p.m. online on March 5, and the book is Divining: A Memoir in Trees by Maureen Dunphy. In sixteen essays, each named after a species of tree, Dunphy explores the nature of human-arboreal relationships right outside our windows. Learn more and register for the link at tinyurl.com/WISC-0324Book
HIGH SCHOOL STEWARDSHIP AWARD CRSC offers an annual award of $300 for a a high school junior or senior who demonstrates leadership, action, and environmental stewardship, and who understands the importance of civic engagement in protecting our environment. This award is available to students who will graduate from high school in 2024 or 2025 and who reside in the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties. Applicants do NOT have to be Sierra Club members! This award is available to any eligible student no matter their postsecondary plans. Apply by July 1, 2024. Learn more at sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/education or call 608-315-2693.
BRIGHT ACTION FOR CLIMATE ACTION Bright Action is an online tool lets you sign up and choose carbon-reducing actions from food to energy use to transportation. Part of the City of La Crosse’s Climate Action Plan, the site is available for anyone wishing to learn more about reducing their carbon emissions. CRSC has a team at the Bright Action site. If you are a City of La Crosse resident, please join our team at https://brightaction.app/link/join/nojs/community-group/9659 and if you live outside the city, you may join the action at https://www.brightaction.com/
EARTH FAIR TABLERS NEEDED! CRSC will table at the La Crosse Earth Fair on Sunday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This fair is a great place to talk about our issues and efforts and spread the word about events and programs. We are looking for a few people to help table for one or two hours. You don’t need special knowledge or skills! We will set up the table and give you the information and materials needed to reach out to the community at this important and well-attended event! If you can help us, please email CRSierraClub@gmail.com OR call or text 608-315-2693 with the times of your availability. We’ll get back to to with a schedule and more information well before April 28. If you have questions, please ask!
UWL PARKING RAMP CONVERGENCE
This article is written by Cassi Gersbach, a senior at UW-La Crosse who will graduate this spring with a degree in Philosophy and Environmental Studies and Sustainability. This spring, she is doing a service learning project with the Coulee Region Sierra Club and will be contributing some articles for our newsletter as well as working on some of our spring initiatives. Welcome, Cassi!
The University of Wisconsin – La Crosse plans to build a new parking ramp at 221 16th Street North in La Crosse. This three-story expansion across from the Lowe Center of the Arts facility will provide 550 new parking stalls aiming to satisfy the university's parking demands and decrease congestion of surrounding street parking.
This new addition is being sustainably proposed to the committee as a parking taxation on students who drive to the university and bring additional carbon emissions with them. It also aims to relieve residents who lose convenient parking due to student demands. This new parking addition will be the 18th lot on the University campus strictly dedicated to parking.
By prioritizing convenience over sustainability, the installation of a new parking ramp encourages the housing of more vehicles to meet profit demands, selling parking passes to residents for $250 per year and commuters/employees for $200 per year). Profit gains are prioritized over promotions of using alternate forms of transportation, disincentivizing off-campus residents to walk or bike.
A new cement construction project will require resources and emit greenhouse gases to produce a facility to house sleeping cars. As students struggle to afford University access and resources, this new 18th additional parking lot, and second multi-story parking structure is a prime example of putting profit before the health of people. Elected officials responsible for the community should rethink priorities to come up with better solutions in an evolving world.
To build the ramp, UWL needs a zoning variance. The request initially came up in February but was referred for thirty days. It will come up again on March 5 at the Judiciary & Administration Committee who will vote to recommend the change or not. Then, it will go to the La Crosse City Council.
The Judiciary & Administration Committee will meet on March 5 at 6 p.m. at the Council Chambers in City Hall, 400 La Crosse Street. To voice concerns or comment, attend the meeting (arrive 10 minutes early to register) or email cityclerk@cityoflacrosse.org to have your comments become part of the public record. Reference File #24-0068. Learn more at tinyurl.com/UWLRampZoning
MORE MARCH EVENTS
3/ 2: Total Eclipse Experience 1 p.m. UWL Planet-arium. $ http://uwlax.edu/planetarium
3/ 3: Coming Home - The World of Adventure with Doug Ellingson 2 p.m. La Crosse Com-munity Theater. https://explorelacrosse.com/event/explore-the-world-of-adventure-with-david-ellingson/
3/ 4: Public Hearing on Xcel plans to expand gas facilities at Wheaton Plant. Vitrual (see below)
3/ 6: Leave No Trace Program. 7 p.m. The Nature Place, La Crosse. natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/enviro-wednesdays-3-2024-03-06/
3/ 6: Sustainability Chats - Dynamic Lifecycle Innnovations. Online 1 p.m. https://www.westerntc.edu/event/sustainability-institute-chat-dynamic-lifecycle-innovations
3/ 8: Candlelight Hike at Norskedalen. https://www.norskedalen.org/events/candlelight-snowshoe-hike/
3/13: Driftless Dialog: US Fish & Wildlife Service - La Crosse Research Station. 6:30 p.m. Kickapoo Valley Reserve. http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Lecture-Series/
3/13: Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program. 6:30 p.m. at Lunda Community Center, Black River Falls. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/wisconsin-master-naturalist-program-presented-by-friends-of-the-black-river/
3/18: Defending Wisconsin's Sacred Waters from Dangerous Mine Proposals 6 p.m. Online tinyurl.com/gwsc-031824
3/19: Call of the Frog. 3:45 p.m. McIntosh Memorial Library, Viroqua. https://mcintoshmemoriallibrary.org/children-programs/
3/19: UWL Archaeology in Serbia and Wisconsin. 7 p.m. at Room 1400 Centennial Hall, UWL. https://www.uwlax.edu/calendar/?e=29838
3/21: Braiding Sweetgrass author speech at UWL. https://www.uwlax.edu/calendar/?e=29620
3/30: Ho-Chunk Nation Founders Day Powwow. La Crosse Center. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/ho-chunk-nation-founders-day-powwow/
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
February newsletter
Transit to Trails for All As part of Transit Equity Days, which honors Rosa Parks' birthday, Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter and Sierra Club - Coulee Region Group are co-hosting an online event about Transit to Trails, a campaign to connect people to green spaces via public transit. This online event will feature examples of how activists and planners are trying to connect people to green spaces via transit, including stories from right here in Wisconsin and lessons learned from national and state campaign leaders: Jesse Piedfort, Deputy Director with the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign; Gerry Seavo James, Deputy Campaign Director, Outdoors for All Campaign; and Kim Biederman, East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Committee/Fox Valley. Please register for the link at tinyurl.com/WISC-T2T4A0201 OR call 608-315-2693 to get information about how to join by phone.
Sunday, February 4: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks 1:30 p.m., Rivoli Theatre & Pizzeria, 117 4th St. N., La Crosse Public Transit provides basic mobility for many in our communities. It is also essential urban infrastructure – just like roads, bridges, tunnels and utilities – that is crucial to the economic, social and environmental well-being of all our regions. Everyone in the community has the right to mobility. As part of La Crosse's Transit Equity Week, AARP Wisconsin
is pleased to host a screening of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks in collaboration with La Crosse Area Transit
Advocates. A panel discussion on transit equity will immediately follow the screening. The event is FREE and open to all, but registration is required.
February 20 Primary Elections Not every community will have a spring primary. Please check MyVote.WI.gov to check your registration, polling place, what’s on your ballot, and more.
2024 Environmental Education Grants Awarded! The Coulee Region Sierra Club will award two projects with environmental education grants for the spring 2024
semester. Brooke Brockman, a first grade teacher at Westview Elementary School in Platteville, will use grant money for their Monarchs and Milkweed project. The 100 first
graders will grow milkweed plants and install them along
the Rountree Branch Trail in Platteville. They are working
in partnership with the Platteville Community Arboretum.
Clinton Grabhorn and Lila Planavsky, advisors for
Longfellow Middle School’s Outdoor Adventure Club in
La Crosse, will use grant money, along with other funds
raised, to purchase camping equipment for club activities which will teach ethical practices in outdoor recreation and encouraging conversation, awareness, and stewardship of the land. We look forward to reporting on outcomes of these
wonderful projects this fall! Congratulations, teachers!
Great Backyard Bird Count Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days, people spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and report them to organizers.These observations help scientists better
understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations. This year’s dates are Feb. 16-19. Learn
more at: www.birdcount.org
More February Events
2/ 3: Candlelight Ski/Hike/Snowshoe in the Black River
State Forest from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
www.b lackri ve rcountr y. net/event /black- r i verstate-
forest-candlelight-ski-hike-snowshoe-2/
2/ 5: Transit Equity Day National Livestream 11 am
www. labo r4sustai nab i l i ty. or g /t ransi t -equi ty -
2024/
2/ 7: Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh Annual Mtg
7 pm at the The Nature Place, La Crosse
n a t u r e p l a c e l a c r o s s e . o r g / c a l e n d a r / e n v i r o -
wednesdays-2-2024-02-07/
2/ 7: Protecting our Night Skies at 7 pm at the Kickapoo
Valley Reserve http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Lecture-
Series
2/ 8: Forest Bathing at 9 am at The Nature Place, La
Crosse natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/forestbathing-
program-at-the-nature-place/
2/ 9-11: Winter Wonderland Snowshoe Challenge at
Lunda Community Park, Black River Falls
jacksoninaction.org/winterwonderland
2/10: Candlelight Ski/Hike/Snowshoe in the Black River
State Forest from 5 to 9 p.m. dnr.wisconsin.gov/
events/86801
2/10: Valentine’s Snowshoe Hike at 1 p.m. at the La
Crosse River Conservancy tinyurl.com/mvcsnowhike0210
2/13: Achieving Environmental Justice in Wisconsin 6:30
to 8:00 p.m. ONLINE tinyurl.com/LWVWI-EnvJustice
2/17: Family Fun with The Great American Bird Count at
9 am at The Nature Place, La Crosse
natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/famil y- funwith-
the-great-backyard-bird-count/
2/21: DPC’s Peregrine Falcon and Osprey Restoration
Stewardship Project at 7 pm at The Nature Place, La
Crosse natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/birdingprogram-
2024-02-21/
2/25: Planning for Stewardship from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at
Seneca High School tinyurl.com/csp-planning
Seeking one or two people to help with the newsletter as backup. Call or text 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com for details.
Monday, January 1, 2024
January Newsletter
to school, work, events, appointments, services, and a full life regardless of their age, income, race, health, or ability--is key to reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. For the past six years, the Labor Network for Sustainability has promoted Transit Equity Day, February 4, Rosa Parks’ birthday, to highlight how important public transportation is for fair access, good jobs, and a livable planet.
In the La Crosse area, Transit Equity Days will be recognized from January 29 through February 4, with displays, events, programs, and an invitation for all of us to consider the local and global effects of our personal transportation choices. Our region is lucky to be served by the La Crosse MTU, the Scenic Mississippi Region Transit (SMRT) buses, Amtrak, several para-transit services, and several shared-ride taxi services including those in Onalaska-Holmen-West Salem, Viroqua/Westby, Black River Falls, Tomah, Richland Center, and Prairie du Chien. To learn more about Transit Equity Days and how you can get involved, please visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/la-crosse-wi-transit-equity-days/
On February 1, the Wisconsin Sierra Club and CRSC will host an online program about the Sierra Club’s new Transit to Trails for All initiative from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. including national and state guests talking about how we can work together for better access to local, state, and national natural and outdoor recreation areas. If you want to celebrate Transit Equity Days in your community, spread the word about this event and encourage your friends and neighbors to attend! Register at https://tinyurl.com/WISC224-T2T4A or call 608-315-2693 for information about how to join the program by telephone.
EDUCATION GRANT DEADLINE JANUARY 5 CRSC offers grants of up to $200 each for environ-mental education projects to schools or community organizations involving young people at the ele-mentary and middle school level within the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempea-leau, and Vernon counties.
Applications may be completed online, emailed or mailed. The deadline is January 5, 2024. Learn more at www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or www.tinyurl.com/CRSC-Education
To learn more about how you can donate to our grants program, please email or call us (608-315-2693).
SMALL BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY On Thursday, January 18 from noon to 3 p.m. at the La Crosse Center, the City of La Crosse and the Climate Alliance for the Common Good will host a hands-on workshop to help La Crosse area small businesses and organizations create a draft sustainability plan. Experts will guide attendees from concept to a nuts-and-bolts plan through reducing energy, emissions and waste while sharing ways to pay for it with rebates, incentives, and savings from reduced energy demands.
The workshop is based on the free-to-download La Crosse Small Business Toolkit on Sustainability developed by the nonprofit group Climate Alliance for the Common Good: www.climatealliancecg.org Register for the free workshop at tinyurl.com/LaXSmallBizCAPWkshp
2023 In Review by Kathy Allen, CRSC Board President
Our club continued to be leaders and voices for environmental sustainability and access in 2023. Several CRSC members have amplified our efforts through their local, regional, state, and national connections with allied groups and movements. Here are some highlights of 2023 in the Coulee Region Sierra Club.
January - We hosted an online program on Transit Equity and Climate Action with Susan Gaeddert from 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, as part of La Crosse’s Transit Equity Days (you can view the program at our Facebook page: tinyurl.com/2023CRSCTransitAndClimate). We also awarded two environmental education grants to local elementary schools.
March - We hosted an online program with Al Buss from the Vernon County Energy District (VCED) on their Community Approach to the Energy Transition, Watch it at http://tinyurl.com/CRSC-VCED23
April - We conducted our spring roadside clean-up along River Valley Drive, tabled at the La Crosse Earth Fair, and co-sponsored the Drive Electric Earth Day event at the Earth Fair.
May - We co-hosted a "Know your Utility" event in Sparta, where we talked with customers of Xcel and rural electric cooperatives about how we can convince our utilities to transition to clean energy.
June - We got together for a Summer Potluck at Goose Island County Park.
July - We conducted our summer roadside clean-up of River Valley Drive in the La Crosse River marsh.
September - We hosted a walk at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge on Brice Prairie with Refuge Visitor Services Specialist Katie Julian.
October - We co-sponsored an "Ask Me About my EV" event and a first-ever Solar Tour in La Crosse, as part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour; we also conducted our fall roadside clean-up.
November - Two organizations that we've partnered with, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and VCED, received Good Citizen awards from the Sierra Club's Wisconsin Chapter (view the program at tinyurl.com/23WISCAwards).
December - We hosted our group holiday get-together for the first time in four years - thanks to all who attended for the great food and great company!
JAN. 2 BOOK CLUB Join Sierra Club members and friends from around the state for a discussion of "Nathan Coulter: A Novel" by Wendell Berry. This first novel introduces us to the fictional Port William--a community united by duty and bonds of affection for one another and for the land upon which they make their livelihood.
Register for an email that includes a link to join the call at tinyurl.com/WISC-NCoulter or call 608-315-2693.
OUR 2024 BOARD! Congratulations Kathy Allen, Ned Gatzke, Larry Sleznikow, and Cathy Van Maren who were elected to serve on the Coulee Region Sierra Club Board of Directors for 2024-2026! Also, thanks to the state chapter for helping facilitate online voting.
We are sorry to say goodbye to Pat Wilson, our excellent, long-serving board member, past president, historian, mentor, state chapter liaison, outings leader, networker, organizer, and much more who has been the spine of CRSC for many years. While he is stepping away from the Board, Pat will still be active in the club, the work, and the community. Thank you, Pat!
The new board will meet in January to elect officers and set priorities for the coming year. If you would like to attend the meeting or have suggestions for issue, events, or programs, please email CRSierraClub@gmail.com or call 608-315-2693.
CALLING XCEL ENERGY CUSTOMERS AND CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCATES! Last spring we told you about Xcel Energy's proposal to "repower" an existing gas plant near Eau Claire with new fossil gas turbines. The new Wheaton facility would consist of a 210-MW combustion turbine and five 9-MW RICE (reciprocating internal combustion engine) units. Xcel claims the new facility is required to meet projected load requirements and maintain system reliability under extreme weather conditions.
Xcel anticipates a 40-year life span for the project, but this is not consistent with Governor Evers’ plan to decarbonize Wisconsin’s electrical grid by 2050. And, it conflicts with Xcel's own pledge to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050!
To move forward with this plan, Xcel Energy needs a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC is currently accepting public comments on Xcel's proposal and will hold two virtual public hearings on January 25, at 1:00 and 6:00.
Please share your comments and concerns! Learn more and find a link to the public comment page at tinyurl.com/WIPSC-Wheaton.
For help with in-person or written comments, please contact our Chapter Campaign Coordinator, at jadine.sonoda@sierraclub.org.
2024 SIERRA CLUB TEAMS KICKOFF An Issue Team is a group of volunteers from around the state who work together on specific issues under shared volunteer and staff leadership. These teams meet monthly online, strategizing and planning to win environmental victories,
On Saturday, January 20 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., teams will meet in Madison and online for a day of planning and relationship-building. This year, with elections, big projects in the pipeline, and climate deadlines looming, our Teams work is even more important than ever.
YOU ARE INVITED to join a team and use your skills, experience, and passion to help make real change. No prior volunteer or environmental experience is required. Join here: tinyurl.com/WISC-EnviroTeams or email or call us (608-315-2693) to learn more.
Here are the current Teams:
Clean Water - Advocate for protection against factory farm pollutants, PFAS, and other pollutants that threaten our drinking water
Transportation Access & Equity - Work towards a strong transportation system in Wisconsin that includes accessible and well funded mass public transit, walking and biking; work to stop out-of-control highway spending; help re-prioritize the state transportation budget.
Moving Beyond Coal to Clean Energy - Advocate for clean energy and help Wisconsin move beyond coal, gas, and nuclear to cleaner energy solutions. Help close individual coal plants, promote energy efficiency and conservation and clean, renewable solar and wind energy.
Public Lands & Forests - Help protect old growth forests and increase access to public lands. Advocate for access to Wisconsin State Parks for all fourth graders in Wisconsin.
Wildlife - Fight for science-based wildlife management informed by the Tribes and public input.
Tar Sands Pipelines - Work to stop new oil pipelines in the state, protect our waterways, and connect with other pipeline fights in the region. The team is focused on stopping the new Line 5 reroute and supporting activists fighting the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota.
Mining - Work to ensure mining proposals do not negatively impact our air, water, or climate.
ENVIRO-ED GRANT REPORT Jenn Speckeen, a teacher at Hamilton Elementary in La Crosse, shared: "The fourth and fifth-grade students celebrated end of the school year with an exhilarating hike through the scenic trails. Thanks to a grant from the Sierra Club For funding this opportunity! Students immerse themselves in nature, bonding with their classmates and creating lasting memories before embarking on their summer break. Most students had never been to the Hixon trails before. Some highlights were completing a scavenger hunt for things found in nature, seeing a deer on the trail and walking almost 10,000 steps!"
BRIGHT ACTION What climate actions will you take in 2024? How can you make a difference? Do you know what your options are? Do you know how to take the first steps?
The City of La Crosse has partnered with Bright Action to host a Carbon Zero challenge with ideas, suggestions, and assistanc for making sustainable changes. If you live in La Crosse and would like to join our community team, please use this link: https://brightaction.app/westernwi/community-group/join/9659
If you live outside La Crosse, you can still join, learn, network, share ideas, and take action. Go to brightaction.app to sign up and get started.
THE GLOBAL TEN PERCENT We often hear about the “global wealthy” and their responsibility for high greenhouse gas emissions. But just who are the wealthiest people on Earth? According to the 2023 Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report, an individual with at least $137,333 in net assets (income, savings, invesments, property, vehicles, etc. less debts) is in the global top ten percent, and someone with about $1.1 million in assets is in the global top one percent.
Changes made in transportation, food, energy, consumption, leisure, and investment habits among members of this group can have big climate impacts. The U.N.’s list of Actions for a Healthy Planet is a good place to start. Time is short. Stakes are huge. Read more at www.un.org/en/actnow/ten-actions
1. Reduce energy use. Be efficient at home.
2. Switch to renewable energy.
3. Walk, bike, take public transit.
4. Use an electric vehicle.
5. Stop or reduce flying.
6. Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle.
7. Eat more vegetables, fewer animals.
8. Reduce food waste.
9. Plant native species.
10. Produce less waste, clean the environment.
11. Make your $ count in buying and banking.
12. Speak up!
MORE JANUARY EVENTS
1/ 6: Transportation Camp hosted by Transportation for America. t4america.org/transportation-camp
1/ 8: Film: Journey Down the Gila. Online at 6:30 p.m. tinyurl.com/WISC-0108Film
1/12-14: Snowshoe Challenge in Black River Falls. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/2024-winter-wonderland-snowshoe-challenge/
1/12: Science Cafe - CARPool Karaoke with Dr. Marybeth K. Brey. 6 p.m. JavaVino www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=371331382240887&set=a.191427546897939
1/13: Winter Festival at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. http://kickapoovalley.wi.gov/Events/Annual-Events/Winter-Festival/
1/15: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
1/17: Habitat Management and Research Projects in the Black River Falls area. 1 p.m. at the Lunda Community Center. www.blackrivercountry.net/event/lcc-hub-guest-speaker/
1/19-21: Snowshoe Challenge in Black River Falls. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/2024-winter-wonderland-snowshoe-challenge/
1/24: La Crosse Citizens Climate Lobby meeting at 6:30 p.m. Email info@lacrosseccl.org for access info.
1/30: Sierra Club Virtual Volunteer Fair 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Online. tinyurl.com/WISC-124Vol
1/31: Transportation Liberation interactive workshop on going car-free or car-light. 6:30 p.m. at the Southside Neighborhood Center in La Crosse tinyurl.com/TEDLaCrosse2024
2/ 1: Transit to Trails for All, a Sierra Club initiative. Online program featuring national and state guests. 6:30 p.m. tinyurl.com/WISC-T2T4A
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)