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We need ALL of us in 2017!

December 2016 Newsletter

Our December newsletter is published online. This one will also be printed and mailed to those who have requested it and/or for whom we don't have an email address. If you are able to read the newsletter online, please consider contacting us to remove your name from our paper newsletter mailing list. This will save resources and money. Email CRSierraClub[at]gmail.com.

PEDRETTI HONORED BY JOHN MUIR CHAPTER - The John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club honored Marilyn Pedretti with the 2016 John Muir Chapter Merit Award for her inspiring leadership, commitment to preserving the environment, and personal commitment to and advocacy for sustainability and renewable energy. The award was presented at the November 19 Volunteer Appreciation and Awards event in Madison.  Read more 

ARRIVE TOGETHER: Building a Twenty-first Century Transportation System for Wisconsin - On Saturday, December 3, the Sierra Club and partner organizations will host a statewide conference on the Milwaukee Area Technical College campus. The all day event includes breakfast and lunch, a plenary session with keynote speaker (US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx invited but not confirmed at this time), sharing of transit stories, breakout sessions, a wrap up round table, and a social hour. Tickets cost just $10 for the whole day (including meals) and scholarships are available. Info/Registration  transportationequitysummit.eventbrite.com

HELP US PLAN FOR 2017 - This year so far, the Coulee Region Sierra Club has worked to highlight issues of transportation and solar energy in addition to cosponsoring several local events. What should our top priorities should be for 2017? More importantly, what can YOU do in cooperation with the club and others in our region to make a difference? What changes would you like to see in our club? Read more ...

HUNDREDS VOICE WATER CONCERNS AT EAU CLAIRE EPA LISTENING SESSION - Coulee Region Sierra Club board president Pat Wilson and La Crosse County Board member Mike Giese traveled to Eau Claire to make statements at the Nov. 15 listening session on Wisconsin water quality issues with US EPA Region V Administrator Robert Kaplan and Region V water quality specialist Christopher Korleski. Read more ...

La Crescent NO DAPL 11/15

FOSSIL FUEL PIPELINE NEWS - Many Sierra Club members joined others from Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin on November 15 in a Day of Solidarity with those who are fighting to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. Demonstrations were held around the country at Army Corps of Engineers buildings. While the pipeline is nearly complete, the Army Corps issued a stop order while it arranges talks with the Standing Rock Sioux. However Energy Transfer Partners, builder of the line, has filed suit to end government “meddling.”

Please continue to call on the White House to end this environmental disaster waiting to happen and donate to support the Water Protectors (and go if you can). Here are several ways you can help in the fight: tinyurl.com/helpnodapl.  Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, the John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club notes that, “Enbridge is upgrading their Line 61 pipeline to become the world's largest tar sands pipeline, outside of Russia." Read more ...

COULEE REGION SIERRA CLUB WINTER GATHERING! TUES., DEC. 20 at 6 p.m.
1965 Valley Road, La Crosse (call 608 788-3914 with questions)  Bring food to share, drinks provided. DON'T NEED TO BE A SIERRA CLUB MEMBER TO ATTEND! Bring a friend!

TAKE ACTION: No Place For Hate In Our Government - “President-elect Trump is naming some truly terrifying people to advise him and fill his cabinet. Their extreme positions and climate denial are dangerous not just to the environment but to our country in general and millions of Americans. We must speak out immediately. If President-elect Trump wants to uphold his word to bring the country together and be a president for all Americans, then he should publicly rebuke these advisers and declare that he will not listen to anyone that propagates hate or science-denial. Anything less is unacceptable. Stand up against hate and ignorance. Tell your senators and representative to oppose any nominee who holds these extreme views.” Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club  Read more ...

2017 SIERRA CLUB CALENDARS, our group's primary fund-raiser, are now available. Get your calendar at our December gathering or order from Maureen: 784-9324/784-5678 or email. SIERRA CLUB HOLIDAY CARDS are available at the online store. Use code  CARDS20 for a 20% discount. Order at tinyurl.com/sierracards16.


JANUARY FILM AND DISCUSSION - Sierra Club board member Bill Katra will host a film & discussion evening on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 7 p.m. An environmental film will be shown followed by discussion. Refreshments will be available, too. The address is 1008 Avon Street, La Crosse. You don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to attend!

FEBRUARY TOUR AT UWL - On Monday, February 27, Sierra Club members and friends will have the chance to tour UWL’s new student center with special emphasis on its sustainability features. The tour will begin at 7 p.m. Meet at the building’s info counter. Parking in most campus lots is free after 7 p.m. The MTU #4 goes through campus as well. If you have questions, please email CRSierraClub[at]gmail.com.

BOARD NOMINATIONS! - Three of our seven board members have terms expiring in February (not December as previously reported!) Would you like to run for the Sierra Club board and help keep this important organization going in the Coulee Region? Board members meet monthly, sometimes via email. Email CRSierraClub[at]gmail.com BY FEBRUARY 20 to nominate yourself or someone else.

Water Quality Listening Session with US EPA Region V Administrator Robert Kaplan

Pat Wilson and La Crosse County Board member Mike Giese traveled to Eau Claire to make statements at the Nov. 15 listening session on Wisconsin water quality issues with US EPA Region V Administrator Robert Kaplan and Region V water quality specialist Christopher Korleski.  The Listening Session was sponsored by the Sierra Club John Muir Chapter, Midwest Environmental Advocates, River Alliance of Wisconsin and other groups.  There was a standing room only crowd in the lecture hall, with over 200 people from all over Wisconsin.  They wanted to tell the EPA administrators about the water quality problems in Wisconsin and how it affected them, and to ask that the EPA do what it can to help.  Mike Giese and Pat Wilson talked about the problems with WDNR enforcement of the Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits, specifically in La Crosse County.   There were complaints of polluted lakes, streams, and well water.  There were complaints about CAFOs and manure spreading and karst topography.  There were complaints about the proliferation of high capacity wells and the effects on water tables and stream flow.  There were complaints about algal blooms and health advisories about swimming in lakes.  There were complaints about sand mines and siltation in trout streams.  But most of all, there were complaints about the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and their lack of action to address any of these issues in a state that’s “open for business” at any cost.  The EPA was asked to step in and enforce federal clean water regulations.

The session was scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. but went to 8:15 p.m. so everyone could speak.  The EPA administrators thanked the group for their comments and said that this kind of session was a big help to them in doing their jobs.

December 8 - Sustainable Business Conference

[cross-posted at Coulee Region Climate Alliance]

Join RENEW Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Sustainabile Business Conference 2016

The 2016 Wisconsin Sustainable Business Conference is coming up on Thursday, December 8th in Onalaska, WI. The agenda was just announced, and RENEW's Tyler Huebner will be moderating a panel tilted "Using Renewable Energy in Your Business." 
The panel will feature:

- Ben Reynolds - Reynolds Transfer

- Alan Eber - Gundersen Health

- Dan Andersen - Phillips Medisize

Join RENEW Wisconsin at this excellent event to learn more about cutting edge business sustainability practicies and to disucss how we can help create a successful, sustainable, transparent, Wisconsin business community that will stand out nationally.

When: Thursday, December 8th 8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m., with reception to follow

Where: Empire Screen Printing

Address: N520 Marco Road Onalaska, WI 54650

Learn more and register here!

Chromium-6 (the Erin Brockovich carcinogen) in our water

You may have heard the the well-respected Environmental Workiing Group has a new report out about a carcinogenic contaminant that is in most Americans' water supplies.

'Erin Brockovich' Carcinogen in Tap Water of More than 200 Million Americans

Published in September, the article (and accompanying map) provides a chilling and detailed history of this contaminant and why it is in so many Americans' water and, more importantly, why the EPA has not regulated it. For example, 

The American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry's powerful lobbying arm, argued that before formally releasing the draft for public comment, the EPA should wait for the publication of studies funded by the Council and the Electric Power Research Institute on the biological mechanisms through which chromium-6 triggers cancer. In an April 2011 letter obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, Vincent Cogliano, acting director of IRIS, responded to the chemistry lobby that "granting your request could entail a delay of unknown duration with no public discussion or review of the strong new studies that are now available."

That's exactly what happened.

An external review panel, which the Center for Public Integrity later found included three members who consulted for PG&E in the Brockovich case, pressured the EPA to grant the American Chemistry Council's request. In 2012, the EPA quietly announced that the draft risk assessment will be held up until the chemical lobby's studies are finished. EWG and other public health groups objected vociferously, not only due to the delay on chromium-6 but "the dangerous precedent suggested by delaying risk assessment activities to allow incorporation of as-yet unpublished, industry-funded research."

The EPA's prediction of when the risk assessment will be released for public comment has been pushed back repeatedly – from 2015 to the second quarter of 2016, and then to early 2017. When asked for an update, Cogliano wrote in an Aug. 24 email to EWG: "We expect to release a draft health assessment document in 2017, though I wouldn't use the word 'early.'"

 In La Crosse, where contamination is relatively high according to the EWG map, no plan of upgrading filters has been put forward by the City's Water Utility. An October 13 letter to the editor, requests the mayor and city address the problem immediately.

There is an effort underway to make a more formal multi-organization request of this nature (if your organization would like to be involved, please email CRSierraClub[at]gmail.com).

In the meantime, city water bills have been mailed for the July through October service period. As you write out your check to pay for your water, consider that that water is contaminated and so far nothing has been planned or done to address the problem. You may want to contact the city's water utility (utilities[at]cityoflacrosse.org or 608 789-7536) to find out what they intend to do about this problem (which has been going on for some time already) and when. 

According to the EWG report, the City of Onalaska also has a contamination problem. Not every county or water utility has been tested, so you might want to check your water supply. 

This is also a reminder that there is a water quality listening session with the US EPA Region 5 Administrator in Eau Claire on November 15. [To carpool to the event, please email Pat.] After reading the EWG report, you might like to attend and ask why the EPA does not have published chromium-6 guidelines yet.

 

CR Sierra Club - November newsletter

[View the full newsletter (with better layout and graphics)

at issue.com]

PEDRETTI HONORED: The John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club is honoring Marilyn Pedretti with the 2016 John Muir Chapter Merit  Award. You’re invited to join other Sierra Club members at the award ceremony on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Brocach Irish Pub, 7 W Main St., Madison from 3 to 5 p.m.  Contact Pat Wilson (pbwilson[at]centurytel.net) if you’re interested in carpooling. Read more ...

EPA LISTENING SESSION - NOVEMBER 15 IN EAU CLAIRE (see previous blog post): Anyone interested in carpooling to this event should email Pat

ARRIVE TOGETHER: Building a 21st Century Transportation System in Wisconsin TRANSPORTATION SUMMIT IN MILWAUKEE DECEMBER 3: Tickets cost just $10 for the whole day (including meals) . Scholarships are available. Register online. A FREE bus will go from Madison to the conference in Milwaukee and back to Madison. The Sierra Club will  coordinate rides and car pools to Madison (occupants may then take the conference bus) for those registered by Nov. 21. You may register after that but conference meals and ride assistance are not guaranteed. We are also seeking agencies, officies, and organizations  to help promote and promote registration for this event. There is no cost for partnership. Partners will receive a packet of flyers, posters, and handouts. If you know of anyone interested, please ask them to complete the partner form. Read more ...

2017 SIERRA CLUB CALENDARS AND HOLIDAY CARDS NOW AVAILABLE. Read more.

SIERRA CLUB ENDORSED CANDIDATES NEED OUR HELP WITH GOTV FROM NOW UNTIL NOVEMBER 8! Please contact Stevan Stankovich at 317-372-0134  Read more.

HELP NEEDED! Seeking local member to represent us on the state board. Also seeking membership chair. Read more.

BOARD NOMINATIONS: Seeking nominations for three board positions ending in December. You may nominate yourself or another member who can meet monthly (sometimes by email) and help guide our club next year. NOMINATIONS DUE (email CRSierraClub[at]gmail.com) BY NOV. 20!
Read more.

ENVIRO-EDUCATION GRANTS AVAILABLE!  Teachers and youth leaders - apply for up to $200 to help with your environment-related project. Applications due by December 1! Read more.

JANUARY FILM AND DISCUSSION:  Board member Bill Katra will host a screening of the film, Dear President Obama - The clean energy revolution is now! at his home on Tuesday, January 31. Read more.

SIERRA CLUB - NO DAPL - WEBINAR: Friday, November 4 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Register online.

NOVEMBER 15 - NO DAPL SUPPORT TRUCK LEAVES LA CROSSE: A truckload of supplies, food, equipment will leave La Crosse on November 15. Please learn about this important environmental issue. Read more.

COULEE REGION SIERRA CLUB WINTER GATHERING: Barb and Don Frank (1965 Valley Road, La Crosse) will host this year's winter gathering on Tuesday, December 20 at 6 p.m. Please bring some food to share. Beverages will be provided. EVERYONE IS WELCOME (you need not be a Sierra Club member!) Phone 608 788-3914 with questions.



 

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November 15 Water Quality Listening Session

[UPDATE: Please email Pat if you'd like to carpool to this event!]

from Midwest Environmental Advocates:

Nov 15, 2016

Listening Session with U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Robert Kaplan

Listening Session with U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Robert Kaplan
Tuesday, November 15, 5-7 p.m. – Eau Claire - Chippewa Valley Technical College, Room 30, Business Education Center, 620 West Clairemont Ave.

Members of the public are invited to come and share their thoughts and concerns about the implementation of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act in Wisconsin to the Administrator of US EPA’s Region V, Robert Kaplan.  Administrator Kaplan will give a brief description of the US EPA’s role in Wisconsin and their current activities in Wisconsin, and then he will hear from the public.  Depending on the number of individuals that want to speak, each person will be requested to limit their remarks to three minutes.

This event is sponsored by the Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter, Midwest Environmental Advocates, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Lakes Association and Clean Wisconsin

Parking:
You may park in the RCU Visitor Lot (P1 on the map) or the Student Lot (P3) using the attached parking permit for each vehicle. Another option is to park in the Pay-Per-Hour Lot (P7) for a fee.

If you have any questions or concerns about parking, the Public Safety Office general phone number is 715-833-6202.

Link to RSVP:
http://tinyurl.com/eparsvp
Link to Sierra Club petition:
tinyurl.com/protectwiwater

Fundraiser for NO DAPL

Update! Fundraiser is over. Today only. Watch for coming events to support 11-15 truckload of support from La Crosse. In the meantime, drop off donations at English Lutheran Church (16th and King) or UWL Cartwright Center.

Transportation Forum

La Crosse area residents talked about transportation alternatives and equity.

On Wednesday, October 5 about thirty La Crosse area residents gathered at the Southside Neighborhood Center to learn more about transportation options in our community and to discuss their concerns, needs, and ideas for transportation planning and funding. This is one of several similar meetings being held around the state, sponsored by the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation in Wisconsin. The coalition includes the state (John Muir Chapter) Sierra Club, the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG); 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin,  and many others. (Read more about the coalition in this September 22 Wisconsin Gazette article).

Tim Koterwski, Transit Supervisor at La Crosse's Municipal Transit Utility (MTU), answered questions about MTU routes and schedules and heard suggestions for increased service including routes that serve Onalaska, Holmen, and West Salem. Valerie Hoff represented the Enterprise Car Share program which is now open to all La Crosse community members. There was also information about other local and regional transportation options, the benefits of car pooling and park and ride programs, and how to get started as a bicycle commuter.

Peter Skopek, Director of WISPIRG facilitated the formal program, leading participants in brainstorming and visioning better transportation options, and giving an overview of Wisconsin's transportation budget. Skopek noted that funding for public transportation and road maintenance have remained relatively flat over the past several years while "mega projects" in southeast Wisconsin have receive an increasing share of the budget. Wisconsin's population is aging and will need transportation options that do not require driving a private car. In addition, a WISPIRG survey of millennials at the state's universities confirmed that young adults consider the availability of good public transportation an important factor in determining where they will live and work.

Dr. Chuck Lee, professor emeritus of history at UWL, gave an overview of local transportation challenges, and Jackie Eastwood, a La Crosse county transportation planner, discussed the county transportation budget as it affects public transportation and other non-private car transportation options and the La Crosse Area Planning Committee's (LAPC) plan to examine traffic management options. There will be an LAPC meeting on Wednesday, October 19, open to the public, to discuss some of these options and the committee's planned Transportation Improvements Program projects for 2017-2020.

Several elected officials from the city and county attended and all stressed that people need to contact local AND state officials about transportation budget priorities. In addition, it would be helpful if those who live outside of the city of La Crosse and share the goal of protecting our marshlands and seeking other less expensive and more sustainable transportation options should make sure their elected officials know how they feel. Too often, it seems, LAPC representatives of communities that surround La Crosse seem to prefer road building and highway expansion rather than car pool and park and ride promotion.

Even if you were not able to attend, you can still share your Transit Story by completing this online form. There will be a state Transportation Equity Summit on December 3 in Milwaukee to summarize results from the regional forums and provide more information and opportunities for activism. We will post details as they become available (and you can stay up to date by visiting the event website).

CR Sierra - October Newsletter

Our online only October newsletter is now available to view. Highlights include:

NEXT EVENT:  Highway Clean up  5 pm Tues., Oct. 4  Meet at city well bldg (Cty B & River Valley Dr)  North La Crosse Join Sierra Club friends on Oct. 4 to help clean up River Valley Drive (RVD) on La Crosse’s north side. Meet at the city’s water well near the intersection of Gillette Street and RVD at 5 p.m. We’ll pick up trash from St. James Street to Palace Street. Safety vests and bags will be provided. Many hands will make light work! After about 1.5 hours of clean up, some of us may meet up at a nearby restaurant for treats. Bring a friend and your camera! Questions? Contact Pat or Bobbie Wilson at pbwilson[at]centurytel.net or 608 788 8831.

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SOLAR IN WISCONSIN: Thank you, Michael Vickerman of RENEW Wisconsin, for a useful and interesting September 27 Sierra Club presentation on the amazing increase in solar power generation in our state and solar’s continuing cost effectiveness. An overview of the presentation can be found at Renew Wisconsin’s website at [NOTE: UPDATED LINK] http://renewwisconsin.org/presentations/. Renew Wisconsin is interested in working with citizen activists in pushing and lobbying local governments to install solar on government and public buildings, too. If any Sierra Club members are interested in forming a group to pursue this, please email crsierraclub[at]gmail.com

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STANDING WITH STANDING ROCK:  Miles Koenig, a member of the Ho-Chunk nation, updated us about local support for the environmental protectors of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation as they continue efforts to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline would carry Bakken (fracked) oil, threatening an important water resource and building new fossil fuel systems that threaten a sustainable climate. Miles and his brother Branson coordinated a truckload of relief supplies last month and plan another trip on October 14. Donate warm clothing, cold weather sleeping bags, hygiene products, food, school supplies, etc, if you can. More details at tinyurl.com/lax4stndingrk.
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OCTOBER 5 TRANSPORTATION FORUM: La Crosse needs a transportation system that connects more people to jobs, businesses and services; is safe, effective, fair and affordable for drivers and non-drivers; and uses our tax dollars responsibly to address real community needs. Transit riders and advocates will share personal stories about their local transportation system and offer insights on how the system could be improved to better serve everyone in the community. Sierra Club will present a statewide perspective on the transportation budget and how we could best meet the needs of local communities. In addition to programming about our transportation planning and budgets, we will host a Transportation Information Fair from 6 to 6:45 pm. Find out about your current transportation options - including car pools, car share, and public transportation - at the Forum.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016
6:00 Open House - 6:40 Presentation
Southside Neighborhood Center
1300 6th Street S, La Crosse WI ===
ENVIRO-EDUCATION GRANTS: The Coulee Region Sierra Club is offering grants of $50 to $200 for environmental education projects involving  young people at the elementary and middle school level. The application and more detalis are available at our website (sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee) and blog site (cr-sierra.blogspot.com). The application deadline is DECEMBER 1. Please spread the word about this opportunity!
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HELP NEEDED: We are seeking a Coulee Region Sierra Club member to represent our group at the John Muir Chapter state council. The council meets every other month, sometimes online, to discuss national and state plans and programs. If interested, email pbwilson[at]centurytel.net. We would like to find a Sierra Club member to help welcome and integrate new Coulee Region Sierra Club members into our group. Interested? Contact Pat!
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DATES TO REMEMBER!

• Tuesday, October 4 - River Valley Drive clean up. Meet at 5 p.m. Gillette St. pumping station.
• Wednesday, October 5 - La Crosse Area Transportation Forum. 6 p.m. Southside Neighborhood Center
• The October Autumn Assembly has been cancelled.
• Friday, October 14 - Traditional Ecological Knowledge Conference/Keynote: Winona Duke (tinyurl.com/vutek)
• Friday, October 14 - Standing Rock protectors donation truck leaves (tinyurl.com/laxstndingrk)
• Oct. 16-19 - Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference (www.umisc.net/schedule--program.html)
• Monday, October 17 - Absentee in person voting begins in municipal clerks’ offices (myvote.wi.gov)

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2017 Sierra Club calendars, our group's primary fundraiser, are now available. These beautiful calendars (wall = $13.95/desk = $14.95) feature photos worth framing. Get your calendar at our December holiday party or order from Maureen Kinney: 784-9324/784-5678 or email her at
maureen[at]johnsflaherty.com

Reminder - OCT 4 HIGHWAY CLEAN UP!

Please join us if you can at 5 p.m. for highway clean up on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4! More details at the Highway Clean Up page.

Coulee Region Transportation - please participate!

There are important transportation related events coming up. We hope Sierra Club members will be able to attend and advocate for the environment and for fairness in planning and funding.

IF YOU DIDN'T (DON'T) OWN A CAR, HOW WOULD YOU (DO YOU) GET TO WORK/SCHOOL/EVENTS/APPOINTMENTS?

The Wisconsin Counties Association is hosting a night of Transportation Town Halls on Thursday, September 29 at 7 p.m. in each Wisconsin county. These have not been well publicized but they will provide an opportunity for citizens to advocate for better alternative transportation options. What with lack of publicity and inaccessible location! you could get the impression that they'd prefer few people attend. If you are available, though, the La Crosse event is at the La Crosse County Highway Shop, 301 Carlson Road, West Salem WI 54669. Visit the site to learn where your county's event will be held.

The La Crosse Tribune reports today that the La Crosse Area Planning Committee will start exploring non-road transportation plans! Please encourage your ciy and county representatives and officials to 1) work to encourage more transit, car pools, park and ride, bike/ped solutions to area transportation issues and 2) attend the Sierra Club's October 5 event:

 

Reminder! Meeting TOMORROW!

Enviro-Education Grants!

The Coulee Region Sierra Club is offering grants of up to $200 for environmental education projects involving young people at the elementary or middle school level or in community organizations. The local group, in keeping with the Sierra Club's purpose of exploring, protecting, and enjoying our environment, invites teachers/leaders in all areas of study, as well as youth group advisors, to involve tomorrow's decision makers in making their world a better place.

More information and grant application available here. Application is due by December 1 for projects to be completed within the 2016-2017 school year.

Questions? Please email us at CRSierraClub[at]gmail.com.

National Sierra Club Update - 9/20/16

A Light Shines in the Dakotas

Aggrieved but emboldened by the federal government's attempt to fast-track a crude-oil pipeline through sovereign Native American lands, more than 200 tribes and thousands of native activists have gathered at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota in a powerful and virtually unprecedented display of unity. Thousands more have rallied in solidarity in over 100 cities across the country. In response, three federal agencies have issued a joint statement that will temporarily halt pipeline construction near the Standing Rock Sioux's water supply. "Regardless of what happens next, the Dakota Access pipeline protest has already made history," says Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune.

Read on—and take action to support the Standing Rock Sioux.

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Voices From the Camp

For five months, Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and other native allies have been camped alongside the Missouri River in a show of resistance against the Dakota Access pipeline. "There are two kinds of laws," says indigenous activist, writer, and economist Winona LaDuke. "The white man's law and the Creator's law."

Read about how the indigenous climate justice movement is working to stop the pipeline.

Photo by Sunshine Velasco

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Stop the Delisting!

Greater Yellowstone's grizzly bears are already facing the loss of traditional food sources due to climate change, diminishing habitat due to development, and an uptick in preventable conflicts with hunters and ranchers. Stripping them of Endangered Species protections, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed, could be the proverbial straw that breaks the grizzlies' back. Many of the state-level leaders who would take over management of this magnificent apex predator are uninterested or outright hostile to grizzly bear recovery. Some state plans even advocate culling—one might say "trophy hunting"—of essential female bears.

Take action by October 9 to help protect Greater Yellowstone's grizzlies.

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Speaking Out for the Arctic

When Emmy-nominated actress Keri Russell was in her early 20s, she landed the title role in a major TV series. "We'd work 18 hours a day five days a week," she recalls. "I had a binder for my scripts, and on the cover I put a photo of Alaska. It was my solace. I'd look at it and think, 'I'm going to go there.'" And go there she did, to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—one of the nation's last great wilderness areas, which nonetheless faces threats from drilling and fossil fuel development.

Hear what Russell has to say in this video, and take action to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

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Waiting for Winter

Do the first hints of cooler weather make you crave snowy adventures? Yeah, us, too. The crisp air and hush of winter are the perfect companions to invigorating activities. Here are a few trips that will make you want to dust off the snow gear:

• Cross-country ski the remote northern Maine woods
• Winter backpack from hut to hut in California's High Sierra
• Dogsled through untamed Alaskan wilderness
• Snowshoe the wonderland of Grand Teton National Park

Dreaming of a different type of getaway? Search our full roster by activity, location, date, and budget.

Photo by John Kolman

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Dirty Power Plan

Big Coal may be going the way of the dinosaurs, but it's still fighting tooth and nail to stop advances in clean energy. That's where ALEC—"a kind of dark-money dating service, matching wealthy corporations with compliant politicians"—comes in. Underwritten by fossil fuel interests like Koch Industries, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy, and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (say what?!), ALEC crafts templates for bills that reflect the desires of its funders and puts them in lawmakers' hands. "ALEC's overarching goal," says the Center for Media and Democracy, "is to prevent the regulation of carbon emissions."

Read more about ALEC's battle against clean energy.

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How to Clean Up Our Polluted Political Ecosystem

According to Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig, we need to first fix our democracy if we're to stand a fighting chance of addressing the challenges facing our environment. "The environmentalism that inspired Roosevelt may well have given us America's first great fight against the corrupting influence of money in politics," he says. "But we have allowed our republic to be captured by special interests ... and the way we fund political campaigns corrupts democracy."

What's the remedy?

Illustration by David Plunkert

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Nasty-Ash Sludge

Heather Moyer, a writer on the Sierra Club's staff, took a sabbatical earlier this year to report on an array of subjects including fly-fishing, the intersection of the faith and environmental communities, and the travesty of mountaintop removal coal mining. Back in July we brought you Part 1 of Moyer's in-depth look at mountaintop removal in West Virginia. We now bring you Part 2:

What Does 7.8 Billion Gallons of Toxic Coal Sludge Look Like?

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The Envelope, Please...

A Native American environmental leader, a U.S. congresswoman who has championed clean energy, and the man who guided the National Park Service through its 100th birthday celebration were among those honored at the 2016 Sierra Club Awards ceremony in Oakland, California, on September 10.

Read about all the winners and what they did to earn their awards.

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Backcountry Bookshelf

Backcountry adventure and book reading aren't exactly the most compatible of pastimes. Paper books are heavy, and e-readers can lose their charge. Still, most backcountry adventurers insist on jamming a paperback into their backpack. But what about before your trip? Smart planning is a prerequisite for a successful sojourn, and to that end we've rounded up the best books of the season on parks and the outdoors—some geared for pre-trip planning, others better suited for the coffee table.

Check 'em out.

Photo by Lori Eanes

Sierra Club Holiday Cards Are Here

Our online store has a great selection of new designs and customer favorites to choose from. But don't delay! The most popular cards—holiday and blank—and boxed assortments sell out quickly.

Check out this year's selection.

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Will You Be a #ClimateVoter in November?

There's so much at stake in this year's election, and the latest polls suggest it's going to be a horse race. The Paris Climate Agreement, the president's Clean Power Plan, basic safeguards for our air and water, the future of the EPA, the balance of the Supreme Court for perhaps a generation, and countless other critical fights hang in the balance. Each election, the Sierra Club releases a Voter Guide to help members pick the candidates who will protect our environment. This year, we've added some new features, including ways to make climate a key issue in this election.

Be among the first to check it out!

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Don't Let the EPA Get Exhausted

Thanks to standards set by the Obama administration, the fuel efficiency of our cars is improving every year, cutting oil use and carbon emissions while saving drivers money at the pump. But—surprise!—Big Oil is putting its profits before public health by trying to roll back these rules. We mustn't let that happen. Now is the time for the EPA to strengthen, not weaken, these critical standards. The deadline for public comments is September 26.

Urge the EPA to stand strong and strengthen tailpipe pollution standards.

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Summer of Success

Summer's almost over—this Thursday it will officially be autumn. But while the end of summer is always a tad wistful, the last three months brought great progress in the ongoing (we think inevitable) transition from dirty fuels to clean energy. In case you missed any of the big news while you were spending time at the beach or by the campfire, Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign director Mary Anne Hitt has put together a list of summer highlights.

Check out Hitt's Top 10 hits.

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Let's Make a Good Thing Even Better

The U.S. Forest Service just released its long-awaited management plan for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. While it contains many good ideas, including a transportation plan that will greatly improve access, it lacks critical detail and planning in several areas. Now is the time for the public to help shape the future of "L.A.'s backyard" by demanding better recreational amenities and naming specific lands, waters, wildlife, and habitat that need explicit protections in the final management plan.

Take action: Support the strongest, most inclusive plan for the San Gabriels.

La Crosse Transportation Forum - October 5

Please plan to attend and bring your friends and neighbors to the October 5 La Crosse Area Transportation Forum from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Southside Neighborhood Center, 1300 South 6th Street. This event is one of several around the state hosted by the Sierra Club to inform people about transportation funding issues and invite people to voice their concerns, priorities, hopes, and ideas.

For a more detailed explanation of transportation equity and why it's important, please see the Sierra Club's blog post, Community Forums on Wisconsin's Transportation System

Because we have other challenges unique to our area, including the ongoing issues with the DOT's Coulee Region Transportation Study,  the forum in La Crosse will include information about current transportation options, input from the public about their ideas for improving transportation in the region, and more information about regional and state plans and initiatives.

As part of its study of the Wisconsin system, the Sierra Club is collecting Transit Stories from people who drive for, ride with or would like to ride with public transit. Please share your story and share the link so others can, too.

Please spread the word about this important event! A flyer will be available soon, but for now, please make sure people mark their calendars!

NO DAPL SOLIDARITY - DAY OF ACTION

UPDATE: The truck of supplies will leave on Friday. Take donations to Ho-Chunk Three Rivers House. For suggested donations, see sacredstonecamp.org/supply-list/.  The protectors also have a wishlist at Amazon. Another good site for ways to help the protectors is gozamos.com/2016/09/12-ways-you-can-support-the-dakota-pipeline-protestors-at-sacred-stone-camp/

Here are more suggestions from that site:

Call the executives of Energy Transfer Partners, the corporation that is building the pipeline:

a. Lee Hanse
Executive Vice President
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
800 E Sonterra Blvd #400
San Antonio, Texas 78258
Telephone: (210) 403-6455
Lee.Hanse@energytransfer.com

b. Glenn Emery
Vice President
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
800 E Sonterra Blvd #400
San Antonio, Texas 78258
Telephone: (210) 403-6762
Glenn.Emery@energytransfer.com

c. Michael (Cliff) Waters
Lead Analyst
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
1300 Main St.
Houston, Texas 77002
Telephone: (713) 989-2404
Michael.Waters@energytransfer.com

7. Call North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple at (701) 328-2200 to demand protections for protestors and and end to hosilitites against them.

8. Call the White House at (202) 456-1111 or (202) 456-1414. Tell President Obama to rescind the Army Corps of Engineers’ Permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

9. Call the Army Corps of Engineers and demand that they reverse the permit for DAPL: (202) 761-5903

To follow up on the Sierra Club's (and 350.org's and others') call to show solidarity with the No DAPL Protectors in North Dakota (and Iowa), please consider donating to the support effort planned by Bronson Koenig and his brother, Miles.

Here's the La Crosse Tribune article describing their project:
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/uw-star-bronson-koenig-brother-to-aid-n-d-sioux/article_a94d9d84-7a32-57ca-9b9a-8ac95a7f64bb.html

Plans are under way to have something more substantial later this month, but for the Tuesday DAY OF ACTION/SOLIDARITY, please consider dropping off donations of food, clothing and or money at the Ho-Chunk Three Rivers House (please call Miles first! Anyone who wants to donate can call Miles at 608-433-8521)
 

Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline

You may not know about this giant pipeline that the government approved a few months ago, but as its construction continues near and through Native American tribal and sacred lands, a large contingent of protectors is try to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. Treaty rights, human rights and environmental rights are all in play as well as a government agency not following the law and big oil companies pushing for expedited permitting. Hundreds of tribal governments have sent support and representatives to take a stand along with many others concerned about continuing fossil fuel production in the face of ever increasing global warming.

The main protector encampment is in North Dakota near the home of the Standing Rock Sioux, but there is also a group trying to stop construction of this "black snake" in Iowa.

Several environmental and human rights groups are also supporting the protectors including the Sierra Club and 350.org who have called for a National Day of Action on Tuesday, September 13 to stop yet another Bakken oil pipeline.

If you haven't heard of this issue, it's not a surprise. There has been almost a total broadcast media blackout. For continuing coverage including interviews with tribal members, attorneys, historians, environmentalists, elders, scientists, and activists, check Democracy Now! or Indian Country Today.

If an event is organized for La Crosse, we will post details here. In the meantime, you may wish to learn more about this issue, let others know, donate to help the protectors continue, and connect with the broader picture like our own "black snake" troubles that threatens water with the mile long oil trains that still slither through our communities daily and the recent decision by the state Department of Transportation to only fund transportation solutions in our area that include more roads for more private cars. (By the way, today marks the start of the Citizen Climate Pledge.)

CR Sierra - September edition

We are mailing paper editions of this newsletter to those for whom we have no email address and to those who have requested a paper copy. We will email a .pdf of the newsletter to others. You may also read it online (click the newsletter icon on the right).

We welcome your feedback and input!

Member meeting and program
"Get on board the solar train" with Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin
Tuesday, September 27 at 7 p.m.
Ho-Chunk Three Rivers House (8th and Main, La Crosse)

Our program will focus on solar energy's journey from a boutique energy source to the preeminent source for new electric generation in most states. Despite a less than robust policy framework in Wisconsin, solar generation has exploded here on rooftops, brownfields and farmland. We entered the year with about 25 megawatts of solar generation online, and we'll likely finish the year doubling that capacity. Southwest Wisconsin has turned into a strong regional center for solar with large arrays serving Xcel (not yet built), Vernon Electric Co-op, Scenic Rivers Co-op, and Oakdale Electric. Vickerman will discuss customer-sited solar for businesses and residences, shared solar (Xcel Solar Connect), and utility solar (Dairyland's projects).

The board will meet at 6 p.m. - open to all members

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Enviro-Education Grants

The Coulee Region Sierra Club is offering grants of $50 to $200 for environmental  education projects involving young people at the elementary and middle school level.

In keeping with the Sierra Club’s purpose of exploring, protecting, and enjoying our environment, teachers and leaders in all areas of study, as well as youth group advisors, are invited to involve tomorrow’s decision makers in making their world a better place in some small way.

Projects (to be completed during the 2016-2017 school year) should provide hands-on experience for students to learn about and explore our environment, promote a world in which all life forms can live and prosper, and show students that they can make a difference in their environment.
The application will be available after September 15 at our website (http://sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee)  and blog site (cr-sierra.blogspot.com). The deadline will be December 31.

Please spread the word about this opportunity!

Get Your 2017 Calendars!

Sierra Club 2017calendars, our group's primary fundraiser, are now available. These beautiful calendars (wall = $13.95/desk = $14.95) feature photos worth framing. Get your calendar at our September meeting, or, order from Maureen Kinney: 784-9324/784-5678 or maureen[at]johnsflaherty.com 

Autumn Assembly
October 7-9, 2016
Bethel Horizons Camp & Retreat Center, Dodgeville

The Wisconsin Sierra Club Autumn Assembly is a fun, one-of-a-kind event featuring indoor and outdoor environmental activities for Sierra Club leaders and volunteers or those who wish to get more involved. Hosted by the John Muir Chapter, Autumn Assembly 2016 will focus on campaign planning, communications and other activism skills with an eye toward building a stronger, more effective club. In addition to the hands-on workshops, we’ll celebrate some inspirational activists at the annual Awards dinner. Register for the whole weekend or just the Saturday sessions. More details/registration information at sierraclub.org/wisconsin/optional-outings-autumn-assembly.

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Highway Clean Up

Seven Coulee Region Group members cleaned up River Valley Drive on Tuesday, July 5. Thanks to those who participated! Our next clean up will be on Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 5:30 to about 7:00 p.m. Meet at the city water well building at the intersection of Highway B (Gillette Street) and River Valley Drive. Wear old clothes and bring work gloves. Safety vests and bags provided. For more information, please contact Pat or Bobbie Wilson, 608 788 8831 or pbwilson@centurytel.net.

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Canoe/Kayak Outing
On Saturday, Sept. 10, paddle through the sandstone cliffs of the Kickapoo Valley in the heart of the driftless area. We’ll also discuss the history of the Corps of Engineers Dam Project that was halted on this river with help from Sierra Club and other local efforts. Quiet water, with lots of turns and the ever-present possibility a downed tree. Contact Meg Nelson - prairiesmoke2[at]gmail.com or Carol Olson - olsonfam44[at]centurytel.net

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Transportation Forum
Please join us at a La Crosse Area Transportation Forum on Wednesday, October 5 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Southside Neighborhood Center, 1300 South 6th Street. Information about transportation options in our area will be available. In addition, we’ll discuss issues of transportation equity: how our transportation dollars - federal, state and local - are spent and how spending decisions affect different communities in our area. This is part of a statewide Sierra Club effort to address transportation planning and funding issues and empower people to advocate for more equitable and sustainable solutions.

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State Council Representative Wanted
We are seeking a Coulee Region Sierra Club member to represent our group at the John Muir Chapter state council. The council meets every other month, sometimes online, to discuss national and state plans and programs. If interested, email pbwilson[at]centurytel.net.

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2017 Sierra Club Calendars Available
Get your calendars at our next meeting!