Conservation Congress county meetings April 9

Just a reminder that Wisconsin's annual Conservation Congress hearings are coming up on April 9. There are several questions this year of interest to the Sierra Club - you can find these and how the organization recommends its members vote in the latest edition of the John Muir chapter's newsletter, which just came out. To find the location of the hearing in your county or to view the questionnaire in advance, check this link. Also, if you've never been to a hearing before, you should know that you don't have to stay the whole time - you can complete your questionnaire and leave if you're pressed for time. If you have any other questions, please feel free to send us a message!

Kathy Allen

Eau Claire hosts April conference on renewable communities

Last week the City of Eau Claire made a historic commitment to take action on climate change, by committing to 100% renewable energy and climate neutrality on both the municipal and community level by 2050.

There is a lot of work ahead, as the city needs to create a Climate & Energy Action Plan to get us there, AND we need to inspire other communities to follow our lead.

The best opportunity to jump in right away is to attend the 2018 Local Government Summit in Eau Claire this April 23-24th, hosted by the Wisconsin Academy for Sciences, Arts, and Letters. "Leading the Charge," is a two-day summit where we will share practical resources and explore emerging issues around local energy planning and resilience in Wisconsin communities.

Right now in Wisconsin, much of the meaningful and groundbreaking work in energy planning and climate change mitigation is happening through local governments and the businesses and organizations supporting their efforts. The Eau Claire region is #leadingthecharge and is poised to offer fresh perspectives on tangible and measurable ways that local municipalities can move forward to foster community well-being and energy resilience. This summit will highlight regional successes and inspire leading-edge thinking on local energy topics. Networking, collaboration, and new connections will help us move forward more quickly and efficiently in our respective communities towards a more equitable and sustainable future. The summit will offer resources and tools to:

• Grow the workforce in your community around renewable energy
• Connect with financing opportunities to launch your clean energy projects
• Provide managers with practical and effective tools to measure efficiency
• Prepare for community self-sufficiency and resilience
• Learn from other communities how to write and implement robust energy resolutions
• Explore city-wide transportation strategies such as efficient fleets and electric vehicle purchasing
• Get a head start on planning for energy systems of the future

The Local Government Summit will take place on April 23-24th in Eau Claire at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s W.R. Davies Center. Registration and additional details are available at the Wisconsin Academy website. 

There are discounted rates for local government employees. Early bird pricing ends on March 31; regular registration closes on April 15. We hope to see many local government leaders at the summit who will lead the charge and spark a collaborative regional response to climate change that other regions of Wisconsin can build upon!

For additional information please contact:
Chelsea Chandler, Environmental Initiatives Director
cchandler@wisconsinacademy.org or (608)263-1692 x20
Kelly Hilyard, Environmental Initiatives Program Assistant
khilyard@wisconsinacademy.org or (608)263-1692 x15

Reminder - meeting on TUESDAY, March 27

Our next member meeting will be on TUESDAY, MARCH 27 at 7:00 p.m. This month we are meeting at the PEOPLE'S FOOD CO-OP COMMUNITY ROOM (315 Fifth Avenue South). Please join us for this program:

From Copper to Conservation in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
by Margot Higgins, PhD

Margot Higgins is a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Program and is currently an associate lecturer in the Environmental Studies Program at UWL. She has lived and conducted research in Wrangell-St. Elias Park for the last decade. This area was and is home to the Ahtna, Upper Tanana, Eyak, and Tlingit people. US Army exploration and mapping of the area which identified gold and copper deposits led to a mining rush that lasted for nearly forty years. In 1971, passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act led to a study of future use of the area. President Jimmy Carter declared the area a National Monument in 1978 and in 1980, it became the largest national park in the country.

The meeting will also include updates on recent state and local Sierra Club activities and refreshments. Everyone is welcome to attend. You need not be a Sierra Club member.

 

Making sure you know of this invitation to a public talk on Cycling for Change: Building a Diverse and Empowered Community of Bicyclists.

The event will take place this Wednesday, March 7 at 6:30 pm in room 2201 of Centennial Hall on the UW La Crosse campus.