View and download the .pdf version at this link.
HIGHWAY CLEAN UP APRIL 28 The Coulee Region group will clean up its adopted section of roadway - River Valley Drive in La Crosse - on Saturday morning, April 28 beginning at 9:00 a.m. As usual, we will meet in the parking area of the water pumping station just northwest of the stop lights at the intersection of Gillette Street (Hwy B) and River Valley Drive. Gloves, safety vests, and bags will be provided. Our club clean up is part of the general Earth weekend clean up of the marsh area. At noon, a lunch for all clean up volunteers will be served at the Myrick Rod and Gun Club Shelter. If you have questions, please contact Maureen at 608 784-9324.
EARTH FAIR APRIL 29 The 10th annual La Crosse Earth Fair will be held at Myrick Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 29 with a Recycling Fair at nearby Emerson Elementary School. The Coulee Region Sierra Club will have a table at the fair encouraging attendees to learn about environmental issues and join our efforts. The fair will feature activities for children, hands on workshops, guided hikes, other educational activities. Attendees are encouraged to walk, ride their bikes, or take the shuttle. Passive House Tours of Western TC’s SwiPHt at 751 N. 24th Street will be held between 1 and 3 p.m. Read more at earthfairlacrosse.com. A Recycling Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the nearby Emerson Elementary School parking lot. Dynamic Recycling will accept most electronic items for a small fee. Cell phones will also be accepted for recycling. In addition there will be document shredding, flag retirement, scrap metal collection, and child car seat recycling.
LANDFILL TOUR MAY 15 The La Crosse County Landfill is the site of our next club gathering. La Crosse County Sustainability Coordinator Nick Nichols will take our group on a tour of the landfill which boasts several sustainability features. The landfill is a 350 acre complex which continually seeks to find new ways and partnerships to recycle, repurpose,
and reuse materials to keep them out of the waste stream. A DNR Green Tier Program participant, the landfill captures methane to fuel a local hospital complex, chips clean wood waste as an energy source for a local power plant, collects asphalt shingles to be ground and delivered to a local asphalt manufacturer for highway construction, collects concrete and used blacktop to be ground up and used for road base, and collects over 30,000 pounds of partially used paints, household cleaners, auto care cleaners and lubricants, pesticides and more from citizens, to be beneficially reused again by someone else in the community. Meet at 6 p.m. at the County Landfill (about 0.8 mile beyond Woodmans toward West Salem). You need not be a Sierra Club member to participate. If you would like to carpool - need or can provide a ride - or would like more information, email us at crsierraclub at gmail.
JOIN OUR TEAMS! Water Team members will connect with the state water team through monthly conference calls, highlighting CR group water concerns and coordinating actions with the state team. Ready for 100 Team members will work to educate community leaders about switching to 100% renewable energy and support and advocate for ambitious goals and timelines. Email us to join!
HELP NEEDED Our current program chair, Carol Miller, needs to take a break from Sierra Club duties. We are looking for a member who would like to gather ideas and help set up
speakers and activities (four to six per year) for our group. We are still seeking Coulee Region Sierra Club members who can help keep our club informed about actions, events, issues, and opportunities around the region. Can you email a report about an upcoming program in your area? Could you send some photos of an event? Would you like to write a column about environmental issues in your community? We are also looking for opportunities to connect members from all around the region. We would also like to find club members from outside the La Crosse area to table and/or provide information about the Sierra Club at community events and fairs. To volunteer, please email us!
MAY 19 SHARED USE TRAILS FORUMS On May 19, as part of the Driftless Sports Convergence in Onalaska, the Seven Rivers Region Outdoor Recreation Alliance will sponsor two Community Trails Forums focusing on modern trail design for mountain biking, hiking, and shared use with shared goals of conservation and recreation. The forum will “also discuss proactive solutions for trail use and ettiquette in an effort to promote positive
experiences for all trail users.” These hour long workshops are free and will be held at noon and at 3 pm at the Onalaska Omni Center. For more information and to register, please visit tinyurl.com/laxtrailforums.
SUNVEST SOLAR GROUP BUY A new John Muir Chapter partnership will help shift
Wisconsin from fossil fuels towrd clean, renewable energy. Pewaukee-based SunVest Solar will help members reduce upfront costs and simplify the installation process. Also, for each unit installed through the program, SunVest will make a donation to the Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter to support conservation work in Wisconsin. The program is open to home-owners, businesses, and non-profits. Find and fill out the contact form at sunvest.com/p r o g r a m s /sierraclub and SunVest will respond with an initial design and on-site assess-ment showing production and cost estimates.
THE ENERGY FAIR JUNE 15-17 The 29th Annual Energy Fair will be held in Custer,
Wisconsin (near Stevens Point) June 15-17. The mission is “to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability through education and demonstration.” This year’s fair will include 200+ workshops and demonstrations. Extended workshops will also be offered. Discounts on tickets and camping (optional) are given until May 17. See theenergyfair.org
for more details. If you plan to go and have space for more, please check cr-sierra.blogspot.com after May 1 for carpool signup options.
MAY 3 SOLAR GARDEN INFO Xcel Energy will host a Community Solar Garden Information Session (Solar*Connect Community) on Thursday, May 3 at 6 p.m. at Western TC’s Lunda Center. Individuals and businesses wishing to “go solar” can learn more about the program, how to size solar subscripions, and how bill credits work. Community solar gardens give apartment dwellers and those without suitable sites or the ability to pay high upfront costs the chance to invest in solar. Read more at tinyurl.com/Xcel-solarconnect
ALEC AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Center for Media and Democracy reports that the
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an industry group that writes legislation for states, is meeting in late April to polish bills for the next legislative season. Noting that ALEC IS “chock full of fossil fuel companies,” CMD writes, “One piece of priority legislation ... is the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act ... punative measure designed to frighten protestors with strict penalties and discourage large-scale demonstrations like the Dakota Access Pipeline protests ...” Some states, including Iowa have already passed and signed on to this legislation and it’s been introduced in several others. Another priority is legislation giving states greater control over permitting fossil fuel development on federal land within their
borders (where oil and gas lobbyists have more power and influence). For more details and other bills to watch out for, see tinyurl.com/Alecandenviro
HIGHWAY CLEAN UP APRIL 28 The Coulee Region group will clean up its adopted section of roadway - River Valley Drive in La Crosse - on Saturday morning, April 28 beginning at 9:00 a.m. As usual, we will meet in the parking area of the water pumping station just northwest of the stop lights at the intersection of Gillette Street (Hwy B) and River Valley Drive. Gloves, safety vests, and bags will be provided. Our club clean up is part of the general Earth weekend clean up of the marsh area. At noon, a lunch for all clean up volunteers will be served at the Myrick Rod and Gun Club Shelter. If you have questions, please contact Maureen at 608 784-9324.
EARTH FAIR APRIL 29 The 10th annual La Crosse Earth Fair will be held at Myrick Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 29 with a Recycling Fair at nearby Emerson Elementary School. The Coulee Region Sierra Club will have a table at the fair encouraging attendees to learn about environmental issues and join our efforts. The fair will feature activities for children, hands on workshops, guided hikes, other educational activities. Attendees are encouraged to walk, ride their bikes, or take the shuttle. Passive House Tours of Western TC’s SwiPHt at 751 N. 24th Street will be held between 1 and 3 p.m. Read more at earthfairlacrosse.com. A Recycling Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the nearby Emerson Elementary School parking lot. Dynamic Recycling will accept most electronic items for a small fee. Cell phones will also be accepted for recycling. In addition there will be document shredding, flag retirement, scrap metal collection, and child car seat recycling.
LANDFILL TOUR MAY 15 The La Crosse County Landfill is the site of our next club gathering. La Crosse County Sustainability Coordinator Nick Nichols will take our group on a tour of the landfill which boasts several sustainability features. The landfill is a 350 acre complex which continually seeks to find new ways and partnerships to recycle, repurpose,
and reuse materials to keep them out of the waste stream. A DNR Green Tier Program participant, the landfill captures methane to fuel a local hospital complex, chips clean wood waste as an energy source for a local power plant, collects asphalt shingles to be ground and delivered to a local asphalt manufacturer for highway construction, collects concrete and used blacktop to be ground up and used for road base, and collects over 30,000 pounds of partially used paints, household cleaners, auto care cleaners and lubricants, pesticides and more from citizens, to be beneficially reused again by someone else in the community. Meet at 6 p.m. at the County Landfill (about 0.8 mile beyond Woodmans toward West Salem). You need not be a Sierra Club member to participate. If you would like to carpool - need or can provide a ride - or would like more information, email us at crsierraclub at gmail.
JOIN OUR TEAMS! Water Team members will connect with the state water team through monthly conference calls, highlighting CR group water concerns and coordinating actions with the state team. Ready for 100 Team members will work to educate community leaders about switching to 100% renewable energy and support and advocate for ambitious goals and timelines. Email us to join!
HELP NEEDED Our current program chair, Carol Miller, needs to take a break from Sierra Club duties. We are looking for a member who would like to gather ideas and help set up
speakers and activities (four to six per year) for our group. We are still seeking Coulee Region Sierra Club members who can help keep our club informed about actions, events, issues, and opportunities around the region. Can you email a report about an upcoming program in your area? Could you send some photos of an event? Would you like to write a column about environmental issues in your community? We are also looking for opportunities to connect members from all around the region. We would also like to find club members from outside the La Crosse area to table and/or provide information about the Sierra Club at community events and fairs. To volunteer, please email us!
MAY 19 SHARED USE TRAILS FORUMS On May 19, as part of the Driftless Sports Convergence in Onalaska, the Seven Rivers Region Outdoor Recreation Alliance will sponsor two Community Trails Forums focusing on modern trail design for mountain biking, hiking, and shared use with shared goals of conservation and recreation. The forum will “also discuss proactive solutions for trail use and ettiquette in an effort to promote positive
experiences for all trail users.” These hour long workshops are free and will be held at noon and at 3 pm at the Onalaska Omni Center. For more information and to register, please visit tinyurl.com/laxtrailforums.
SUNVEST SOLAR GROUP BUY A new John Muir Chapter partnership will help shift
Wisconsin from fossil fuels towrd clean, renewable energy. Pewaukee-based SunVest Solar will help members reduce upfront costs and simplify the installation process. Also, for each unit installed through the program, SunVest will make a donation to the Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter to support conservation work in Wisconsin. The program is open to home-owners, businesses, and non-profits. Find and fill out the contact form at sunvest.com/p r o g r a m s /sierraclub and SunVest will respond with an initial design and on-site assess-ment showing production and cost estimates.
THE ENERGY FAIR JUNE 15-17 The 29th Annual Energy Fair will be held in Custer,
Wisconsin (near Stevens Point) June 15-17. The mission is “to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability through education and demonstration.” This year’s fair will include 200+ workshops and demonstrations. Extended workshops will also be offered. Discounts on tickets and camping (optional) are given until May 17. See theenergyfair.org
for more details. If you plan to go and have space for more, please check cr-sierra.blogspot.com after May 1 for carpool signup options.
MAY 3 SOLAR GARDEN INFO Xcel Energy will host a Community Solar Garden Information Session (Solar*Connect Community) on Thursday, May 3 at 6 p.m. at Western TC’s Lunda Center. Individuals and businesses wishing to “go solar” can learn more about the program, how to size solar subscripions, and how bill credits work. Community solar gardens give apartment dwellers and those without suitable sites or the ability to pay high upfront costs the chance to invest in solar. Read more at tinyurl.com/Xcel-solarconnect
ALEC AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Center for Media and Democracy reports that the
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an industry group that writes legislation for states, is meeting in late April to polish bills for the next legislative season. Noting that ALEC IS “chock full of fossil fuel companies,” CMD writes, “One piece of priority legislation ... is the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act ... punative measure designed to frighten protestors with strict penalties and discourage large-scale demonstrations like the Dakota Access Pipeline protests ...” Some states, including Iowa have already passed and signed on to this legislation and it’s been introduced in several others. Another priority is legislation giving states greater control over permitting fossil fuel development on federal land within their
borders (where oil and gas lobbyists have more power and influence). For more details and other bills to watch out for, see tinyurl.com/Alecandenviro
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