February Newsletter

Please plan to join fellow Sierra Club members at the PROGRESSTIVAL on Saturday, February 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Concordia Ballroom in La Crosse (1129 La Crosse Street). Entrance is by donation ($0 - $10 - no one turned away for lack of funds). In addition to lots of information and many opportunities to network and share ideas with others in our community, there will be food and music. At 7:30 p.m. Mike McCabe, director of Blue Jean Nation (formerly director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign) will talk about a way forward.

As the Walker and Trump administrations work to remove a century of environmental and civil protections and programs, those of us concerned about a sustainable positive future must come together and plan a united front. For more information, including a list of the many organizations and agencies tabling at the event, please visit tinyurl.com/progresstival.

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Please attend the first annual Citizen Water Lobby Day hosted by the Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network on Wednesday, February 8. The event begins at 11 a.m. in the State Capitol. Organizations and grassroots groups will network and share ideas with others about water quality issues with speakers at 1 p.m. Arrangements are being made to meet with state legislators during the day. According to organizers, “This event could quite possibly be the ‘Game Changer’ for water policy in Wisconsin. It is essential that we leverage this event to the fullest and demand elected officials sit up and take notice.”

FREE buses will transport participants from various WI locations (including La Crosse) but you MUST sign up immediately at tinyurl.com/h2obus. More info at tinyurl.com/wicwld

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January Film and Discussion: DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, WE HAVE SUBSTITUTED A SHORTER FILM FOR THIS EVENT. Sierra Club board member Bill Katra will host a film and  discussion evening on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 6 p.m. We will show the new film from 350.org, DISOBEDIENCE: The Rise of the Global Fossil Fuel Resistance This film is about 40 minutes long. We’ll have discussion and refreshments (provided) after the screening.  The address is 1008 Avon Street, La Crosse. You don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to attend! RSVP please! tinyurl.com/crscrsvp

Disobedience is the story of the struggle to save the world. Disobedience tells the David vs Goliath tales of front line leaders around the world risking life and limb in the fight for a livable climate. Interwoven with this riveting verite´ footage are the most renowned voices in the global conversation around social movements and climate justice for a series that is personal, passionate and powerful. The stakes could not be higher, nor the missions more critical.

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February Tour at UWL:  On Tuesday, February 28, 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. You don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to attend! RSVP by February 20:  tinyurl.com/uwlstutour

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Friends of the Blufflands: Friends of the Blufflands First Annual Meeting is on Wednesday, February 8 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Myrick Park Center.  Come and find out about this newly formed group working with the City and County of La Crosse on implementation of their Bluffland Management Plans.  The goal is to be a voice for people who value area blufflands for their environmental, scenic, and nature based recreation values.

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Transportation Update:  The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau released a State Highway Program report this month that was critical of the Wisconsin DOT in many areas, as documented in the La Crosse Tribune Jan. 27 issue. The full report can be viewed at Legislative Audit Bureau Highway Report.  Some of the criticisms were:

*  The Wisconsin state highway system is deteriorating, and is in far worse condition than our closest six Midwestern states.  Southwest Wisconsin has some of the worst roads in the state.

*  The DOT did not take public opinion into account when determining the community input scores for the six of eleven  potential major projects suggested to the Transportation Projects Commission in 2010 and 2014, though the guidelines require 50% of the score be based on public opinion.

*  The DOT has not updated the cost estimates for Major Highway Projects based on inflation and other changing factors, resulting in estimates that are currently half of what they should be.

*  The DOT has not consistently documented assumptions made when calculating traffic volume projections. 

This report helps justify John Muir Chapter transportation goals of stopping unnecessary highway projects and using the money instead for improving mass transit and for maintenance and repair of our existing roads.

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Welcome New Members!  The Coulee Region Group got 36 new memberships / 41 new members in December, and we hope that rate of new members will continue if President Trump’s environmental policies continue to be as destructive as the first week’s seem to be. Thank you all for joining the Sierra Club!

Megan Bain, Frances Ball, Dale Bernett, Lynette Dettinger, Steven Fisher, Paul & Bonnie Jancik, Heather Jett, JM Johnson & A Wandling, Joshua Krzych, Ed & Luke Schmidt in La Crosse;  Connie Cardy, Susan Chace, Rock Riedle, Jeffrey Rolwes, Wayne Schambow in Platteville; Alex Aakre, Mike Holler, John Knecht, Gerald Weigel in Onalaska;Julie & John Marquardt, Pamela Taliafero, Jennifer Wastlick in Richland Center; Dave & Joy Fossum in Black River Falls; Louise Anderson – Holmen; Isabell Braun - Sparta; Janet Brown – Lone Rock;  Marsha Ellefson – Ferryville; Mary Goodman – Sparta; William Howe – Prairie du Chien; Daniel Icenogle – Readstown; William Kappler – La Farge; Nick Mcaleer – Westby; Lyle Rognholt- Blue River; Sharon Schindler – Trempealeau; Bonnie Staff – Whitehall; Julie Stohr – Viroqua

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Dates to Remember:

Tues., Jan. 31 - FILM & talk - DISOBEDIENCE: Rise of Fossil Fuel Resistance (open to all) - 6 pm Wed., Feb. 1 - Sustainability Showcase - 7:30 to 10 a.m., Western TC
Wed., Feb. 1 - Friends of the LaX Rvr Marsh Annual Meeting, 7 pm, Myrick Park Center
Sat., Feb. 4 - PROGRESSTIVAL! 6 to 10 pm Concordia Ballroom, 1129 La Crosse St
Wed., Feb. 8 - Friends of the Blufflands First Annual Meeting, 7 pm, Myrick Park Center
Thur., Feb 16 - Best Habitat Practices for Driftless Region 6:30 pm Myrick Center
Sat., Feb. 25 - La Crosse Parks & Rec Habitat Improvement Volunteer Day
Tues., Feb. 28 - Club sponsored tour of eco features of UWL Student Center 7 pm
Sat., Mar. 5 -  Coulee Region Climate Alliance 2nd Annual Climate Action Fair
Tues., Mar. 28 - Coulee Region Sierra Club meeting  (board elections) 7 pm, Ho-Chunk House, 8th & Main

JANUARY 31 - FILM CHANGE!

[Cross posted at couleeprogressives.org]

Due to time constraints, the Coulee Region group of the Sierra Club will not show the new Josh Fox film, How to Let Go of the World.

Rather, we will show a new 40 minute film from 350.org, DISOBEDIENCE: The Rise of the Global Fossil Fuel Resistance" TOMORROW EVENING, January 31 at 6 p.m. at a member's home. More details and RSVP (required) at https://goo.gl/forms/aeimZOIjkAYbpQ9g2

Refreshments available. Discussion following film.

Progresstival - February 4!

The Coulee Region group Sierra Club will have a table at the February 4 Progresstival (6 pm, Concordia Ballroom) and we invite you to attend and spread the word. This will be an important opportunity for those who care about our environment and natural resources to come together, share ideas, and plan ways to strengthen protections against increasingly harsh attacks.

Will Governor Walker succeed in ripping apart our state's Department of Natural Resources? Will Republicans in the legislature pass their bill to allow Concentrated Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs) to "regulate" their own water pollution? Will any mention (not to mention plans to address and mitigate) CLIMATE CHANGE ever return to state of Wisconsin web sites?

What about the future of frac sand mining in our area? Will new restrictions be put in place to hinder local communities from regulating this dangerous and polluting industry? Is more mining in our state's future? Will more Wisconsin counties find their well water polluted by giant farms? What about state and national parks and refuges? Will they be sold off to the highest bidder?

Our natural and wild areas, our precious natural resources, our access to public lands are all under attack. Now is the time to connect with others and plan our defenses. Please plan to attend and share this event and flyer with others!

Citizens' Water Lobby Day - February 8!

[UPDATE ON BUSES: THERE *WILL* BE A LA CROSSE BUS! To ensure your spot, you must register via this link. Sign up ASAP! to ensure your space. Glen and Carolyn are local contacts and will keep those who sign up from the La Crosse area informed.]

Citizen’s Water Lobby Day

February 8th in Madison

Here are the basics:

• Event is scheduled from 11AM - 3PM on February 8th
• Information and display area is open to public and representatives 11AM - 3PM
• This will be held in Hearing Rm 425 SW Wing
• All organizations and grassroots groups are encouraged to host a table (free of charge) sharing their group’s information and discussing water concerns with attendees
• Please confirm with us if your group is interested in reserving a table
• Various speakers starting at 1PM
• We are in the process of lining up speakers from various groups (CAFOs, Pipelines, Fracking, etc.)  all sharing the same theme within their individual message relating to clean and abundant water for all.
• Silent Parade following speakers (Approx. 2:30ish)
• We hope to have numerous media outlets lined up to capture the moment as all our unique groups unite over one concern - WATER
• Talking points will be gathered and printed for individuals willing to discuss water issues with State officials on hand or who may be hiding in their offices

Although we will be connecting with all state officials inviting them and encouraging their attendance on February 8th, we strongly encourage each of you to also contact your State Reps and do the same.  Hearing from voting constituents is much more powerful than a random email sent on behalf of an organization.

On the poster provided is a link to reserve a seat on one of 6 charter buses (closest from La Crosse is currently scheduled to leave from Tomah) that will be traveling to Madison on February 8th from various locations around the state.  This is also free of charge thanks to a very generous donor from the Concerned Rome Citizen’s group. WE NEED TO PACK THE BUSES!  

This event could quite possibly be the “Game Changer” for water policy in Wisconsin.  It is essential that we leverage this event to the fullest and demand elected officials sit up and take notice.  We ask that you share the announcements to your group email lists, web pages, facebook accounts, and by any other means in which you communicate.

Below you will find various links to the February event.  Please share far and wide to help us make this a huge success.  I have included not only the direct link but the URL as well if you prefer.

We look forward to hearing from you.   Will you and your organization commit to being a part of Citizen’s Water Lobby Day on February 8th?

Sincerely,

Criste Greening

Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network

PLEASE ATTEND! Alternative Transportation Forum

[Cross posted at couleeprogressives.org]

Here's a great opportunity to get involved in the discussion about what we want for our region's transportation future - more roads, more spending on car infrastructure, more pollution, more congestion, more fossil fuel dependence? Or more alternatives including public transportation, high occupancy vehicle lanes, bike infrastructure, etc.

SUSTAINABLE LA CROSSE COMMISSION TO HOST ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION FORUM

Cities-County Group’s first of two public discussions for January, February

(LA CROSSE, Wis. – January 5, 2017) – The Sustainable La Crosse Commission (SLC) will be hosting a forum on the sustainability of transportation modes in the La Crosse area. The forum will be open to the public and is intended to encourage discussion about environmental, economic, and social impacts and alternatives of getting around by car, bus, walking, and biking. Individuals representing the La Crosse transit utility, biking community, the Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT), and the State Dept. of Transportation (DOT) have been invited to participate. Here are the details:

Sustainable La Crosse Commission - Forum on Alternative Transportation

January 18, 2017, 5:30- 6:30pm

La Crosse City Hall 3rd floor Conference Room

400 La Crosse Street, La Crosse, WI 54601

The State DOT is currently studying how to address traffic in the region. The proposed timeline for this project has been extended and State budget constraints have allowed for more discussion about how to best address regional transportation issues.  This forum will help guide future deliberations by the Commission regarding sustainable transportation options for the region.

For additional information, please contact Mike Giese at mgiese@lacrossecounty.org or at 608 317-5507.

From the board president

It’s January 1st  – time to look back at 2016 accomplishments and plan 2017 goals for the Coulee Region Group.  The major areas of activities in 2016 were:

Transportation
*   Coulee Region Group Board members Maureen Kinney, Cathy Van Maren, and Pat Wilson were members of the Community Advisory Group to the DOT’s La Crosse North-South Transportation Study, which is evaluating changes, including possible new roads in the La Crosse River Marsh, to improve transportation efficiency. The Coulee Region Group recommended  a no-build strategy that improves mass transit, bike-pedestrian
improvements, smart traffic signals, carpooling, and improvements to intersections.  The planning process will continue in 2017. We go to La Crosse Area Planning Committee meetings to monitor progress.
*  Our March meeting included a presentation by Mayor Tim Kabat on his transportation vision, along with "The City of La Crosse Transportation Vision: A Plan of Action" by Chuck Lee and James Longhurst
*  Board Member Cathy Van Maren worked with state Sierra Club to set up the La Crosse Area Transportation Forum at the La Crosse South Side Neighborhood Center in October. This event advocated improved mass transit and provided information on transportation alternatives to the single occupant automobile.
*  The Coulee Region group helped publicize the availability of the Enterprise Car Share program to La Crosse area community members. The car share program provides simple car rental by the hour, providing an alternative to car ownership. Programs like this have been shown to decrease miles driven.
*   We continued road cleanups on River Valley Drive, the Coulee Groups adopted highway, with three cleanups this year.

Frac Sand Mining
*  Pat Wilson represented the Coulee Region Group and made a public statement at the Rally to  Ban Frac Sand Mining in May at the La Crosse Center. The Coulee Region Group was a co-sponsor of the rally

Water Quality
*  Pat Wilson represented the Coulee Region Group in planning for November EPA Listening Session in Eau Claire with the Regional EPA Administrator.  Pat attended the listening session and gave a report on problems with the Wisconsin DNR enforcement of the Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits in La Crosse County.

Environmental Education
*  The Coulee Region Group supported and had a booth at the La Crosse Earth Fair in April.
*  The Coulee Region Group continued our environmental grant program, providing three grants totaling $600 to elementary and middle schools in Holmen, La Crosse, and Cuba City. These grants support environmental education projects in the schools.

Climate Change/Renewable Energy
*  The Coulee Region Group supported and had a booth at the Acting Locally for Climate Sustainability Climate Action Festival sponsored by the Coulee Region Climate Alliance in March.
*  The September program was RENEW Wisconsin on the continually improving prospects and progress for solar energy in the state.  Following the meeting, the Coulee Region Group helped introduce RENEW Wisconsin the La Crosse City-County Joint Commission in Sustainability, with the goal of increased use of solar in city and county buildings.

Green Spaces
*  The Coulee Region Group co-sponsored a canoe outing on the Kickapoo River in September to
get people out and enjoying the beautiful green spaces in our area.
*  The Coulee Region Group is represented by Pat Wilson on the La Crosse Park Department Environmental Leadership Forum. The Environmental Leadership Forum advises the Park Department on the acquisition, management, and use of the park department lands intended to be left in their natural state.

- Pat Wilson, Board President, Coulee Region Group, John Muir Chapter, Sierra Club, January 1, 2017

January 2017 Newsletter

If you can, view our newsletter at the Issuu.com site.

HELP US PLAN FOR 2017! With the new climate change-denying Trump administration set to make “bold” changes to the agencies and laws that are supposed to protect our environment in 2017 and stronger Republican control of our state government, now is the time to come together with other like-minded organizations and individuals to identify the most vulnerable populations, habitats, and programs and make plans to support and protect them and to resist destructive change.

How can our club welcome more people, energy, and ideas? How can we connect with Coulee Region group members who live outside of the city of La Crosse area? 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? WE WELCOME YOUR IDEAS, INPUT, AND ENERGY. PLEASE come with ideas to our winter gathering, email us, or mail your suggestions to Coulee Region Sierra Club c/o 620 South 23rd Street, La Crosse, WI 54601. We will share ideas on our blog (cr-sierra.blogspot.com) and in future newsletters.

RUN FOR THE BOARD! Three of our seven board members have terms expiring this spring. Please consider running for the Sierra Club board to help keep this important organization going in the Coulee Region! Board members meet monthly, sometimes via email. Email us BY FEBRUARY 20 to nominate yourself or someone else. We will hold board elections at our March 28 meeting.

RESOLVE TO RESIST, ORGANIZE, GET INVOLVED! Greepeace International has offered up a great list of 2017 resolutions for climate and environmental activists. Just as the original Sierra Club members organized to enjoy, make more accessible, and, later, to save beautiful and wild places for future generations, so now we must re-commit to their and our love for the environment. It will not be easy.

Here are their suggestions. What can you add? Discuss at cr-sierra.blogspot.com:
Resolve to ...

• tackle our own over consumption
• fight for justice 
• hold those in power accountable
• spread the word 
• get involved in our community
• get trained on making change
• make space to enjoy the most important things

View the full article at tinyurl.com/2017climateres

JANUARY FILM AND DISCUSSION:  Sierra Club board member Bill Katra will host a film and discussion evening on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 6 p.m. (note new time!) We will show the new film from Academy Award nominated director (Gasland), Josh Fox followed by discussion. Refreshments will be available, too (bring a snack to share if you wish). The address is 1008 Avon Street, La Crosse. You don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to attend! RSVP by January 30 if possible

In How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can't Change, OscarNominated director Josh Fox (GASLAND) continues in his deeply personal style,investigating climate change – the greatest threat our world has ever known. Travelingto 12 countries on 6 continents, the film acknowledges that it may be too late tostop some of the worst consequences and asks, what is it that climate change can’tdestroy? What is so deep within us that no calamity can take it away?

THANK YOU, BARB & DON FRANK, FOR HOSTING OUR DEC. 20 WINTER GATHERING!

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS AWARDED! All three applicants for our second semester environmental education grants will receive funds!

Holmen’s Evergreen Elementary Environmental Education Day Committee will use grant funds to help pay for a speaker and materials for a full day of hands-on environmental education that will help 500 elementary students learn about forests and conservation.

Lincoln Middle School seventh graders’ grant funds will pay for a bus for a camping overnight and learning experience in Jackson County. Students will band and observe birds, help remove invasive buckthorn, and monitor water quality at Clear Creek, a Jackson County classified trout stream.

Pre-K four and five year olds at St. Rose of Lima School in Cuba City will set up, stock, and monitor a bird observation station with their grant funds. The station will include several bird and  humming- bird feeders and baths and will help current and future students learn about birds.

Congratulations to our grant recipients! We hope to report on the outcomes of their projects this fall. Stay tuned!

FEBRUARY TOUR OF UWL STUDENT CENTER [UPDATE]  On Tuesday, February 28 [NOTE NEW DATE!], Sierra Club members and friends will have the chance to tour UWL’snew 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. You don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to attend! RSVP by February 20.