For clean air and water. For the Endangered Species Act. For work on the climate crisis. For protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Tongass National Forest. For protections for workers from dangerous pesticides and for communities from oil spills, oil bomb trains, and PFAS. For science-based policies. For professional, nonpartisan public servants. For independent judges. For compassion and care for the Earth and its creatures, For us.
If you still have an absentee ballot, DO NOT MAIL IT. You are able to drop it off at your municipal clerk’s office until 8 p.m. on November 3. If you plan to vote in person, be prepared to wait. Dress for the weather. Take your MASK and take your voter ID. if you have questions about what is an acceptable ID, see bringit.wi.gov.
DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER: PUBLIC TRUST Our public lands and waters are under threat. As the extinction crisis looms and climate change continues to be one of the greatest threats that our planet has ever faced, America’s 640 million acres of public lands support biodiversity and carbon sequestration. It’s essential that we fight for their protection by preventing the slashing of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, fighting the potential permanent destruction of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, and stopping the de facto sale of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge--one of the last wild places in America. This film, from producers Robert Redford and Yvon Chouinard, reminds us that, “all US public lands are the ancestral lands of Indigenous people and tribal nations, who managed
them sustainably for thousands of years. Today, many of these lands are at risk from unwise development and extraction, but local people are leading the movement to protect them. It’s up to us to hold our government responsible—here are the agencies that we need to work with to make this happen.” Watch the film free. If you are interested in a group discussion in December, please email crsierraclub@gmail.com and we can set one up.
NOW HIRING - SIERRA CLUB WESTERN WISCONSIN CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR The Sierra Club’s John Muir (Wisconsin) Chapter is looking for the right person to be the Western Wisconsin Campaign Coordinator. This person will work with Chapter staff, partners, and volunteers to accomplish Beyond Coal and clean energy campaign goals, improve our communications and outreach, and enhance our Equity, Inclusion and Justice (EIJ) efforts. Activities include campaign implementation; communication; promoting equity, inclusion & justice; community outreach and volunteer support. This position is located in La Crosse. Please help us find the right person for this position. Having a Sierra Club staff member in La
Crosse will increase our effectiveness in promoting clean energy in the Coulee Region. For more information, go to tiny.cc/laxscjob
defeated once before under Scott Walker but has come back to life under Governor Tony Evers. This proposed expansion will cost a frightening $1.1 billion taxpayer dollars and threaten the health and well-being of many.
Most highway expansions do not reduce traffic congestion but, by inviting more cars to the roadway, increase it. And more drivers mean more air, noise, and light pollution;more greenhouse gas emissions; more microplastics; and more illnesses like asthma and cardiovascular disease.
This highway is a social justice issue, too. It will exacerbate race and class challenges by further segregating Milwaukee neighborhoods and reducing funds available for public transportation and local road projects around the state. It will also take us further away from the people’s transportation budget most Wisconsinites want with much more emphasis on
local roads, public transportation and bike/ped projects.
Harm to the climate affects everyone. A climate-friendly governor would not expand highways. Governor Evers should withdraw the I-94 expansion project and not include it in the budget. Join Sierra Club members around the state in opposing this project. Learn more at tiny.cc/ZombieHiway. Share on social media. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Send a message to the Governor. Say NO to the Zombie Highway! Sign the petition at tiny.cc/XZombieHiway
AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES Our October 27 program. led by Ellen Voss, Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Director with River Alliance of Wisconsin, was very informative and colorful. Ellen
included great pictures of many of the species including some, like flowering rush and water hyacinth, that are very beautiful. In addition to plants, Ellen talked about invasive animals like the zebra mussel, Asian carp, and New Zealand mud snails.
After identifying and discussing some of the target species and why they are so dangerous to the health of our waterways, Ellen talked about Project RED (Riverine Early Detectors), a program that has provided 10 years of invasives monitoring on rivers. The program provides
training and resources so paddlers can report AIS they see them.
She also talked about the measures recommended for anyone using a water craft to stop the spread of invasive species. It’s very important to make sure boats, equipment, and even shoes, are cleaned thoroughly. It’s recommended that boats be out of one body of water at least five days before putting in somewhere else. Some species can live for weeks out of water!
Ellen ended her presentation with some good news about measures and methods being developed to fight the spread of invasive species. But, in the end, it is up to all of us to be vigilant and help by being responsible and reporting any invasives we find. A question and answer session followed the formal program. If you have questions or would like more information about the presentation, please contact Ellen Voss at evoss@wisconsinrivers.org
(608-257-2424 x111) or visit the River Alliance of Wisconsin online: wisconsinrivers.org
NOVEMBER 10 - ONLINE FILM FEST Western Technical College will host the Make Change Film Fest online at 4 p.m. on November 10. Creating a Healthier Multicultural Community (CHMC) La Crosse facilitator Dillon Mader will lead a discussion after the films. Both - The Cyclist (El Ciclista) and TedxHabana - highlight the complicated lives of the Cuban people through the eyes of Eugene Jarecki who went to Havana to give a TED talk but accidentally became a criminal.
Watch the films and participate in the discussion. Read more about the program and get access information at explorelacrosse. com/event/make-change-fi lmseries/
CALL FOR EIS ON CRAWFORD CAFO Residents and land owners in Crawford County are being asked to sign a petition to the DNR asking them to require a full Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed expansion of the Roth Feeder Pig CAFO. The new operation plans to house 8,000 sows and store 9.4 million gallons of liquid manure per year.
The Crawford Stewardship Project is also leading an effort to have the one-year Crawford County CAFO moratorium, passed in December 2019, extended for another year. They are asking people to contact their County Board representatives. Find more information
at www.crawfordstewardship.org/eis-petition/
NOVEMBER 14 - DISCOVER LITTLE BLUFF The Mississippi Valley Conservancy will host an online program at 10 a.m. on November 14 to help people discover Trempealeau’s Little Bluff. Register for the Zoom program led by archaeologist Ernie Boszhardt who will share
insights and information about the settlement of Cahokia Mississippians who once inhabited the site, now permanently protected by Mississippi Valley Conservancy. With highlights from
research conducted at Little Bluff, he'll help you imagine what was once at the site before you visit. For more information and to register, visit mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/discover-little-bluff
CRSC BOARD NOMINATIONS If you are interested in serving on the Coulee Region Sierra Club Board, please email your interest to CRSierraClub@gmail.com. Include your name, contact information (email/phone) and place of residence. Also, please include a paragraph about your past experience with the Sierra Club OR similar environmental/outdoors organizations or activities and why you would like to serve on the board. In December, we will highlight Board candidates and provide ballots.Younger members and those who live outside of La Crosse county are encouraged to apply. But all current members are welcome to self-nominate!
2021 CALENDARS Annual calendar sales help us pay for CRSC programs and grants.
Please order from Maureen: 608-784-9324 or maureen@johnsflaherty.com. Get more details about calendars and other Sierra Club items at store.sierraclub.org/calendars--cards-c28.aspx Please order by NOVEMBER 30.
MONROE COUNTY CLIMATE CHANGE TASK FORCE The October meeting of the Monroe County Climate Change Task Force featured a presentation by Fred Clark, Executive Director of Wisconsin’s Green Fire. “Addressing Climate Change with Natural and Working Lands” centered on the potential of lands with permanent vegetative cover and root mass to sequester carbon which could reduce Wisconsin greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.
Agriculture can be a primary player in this process as well as forest and native grasslands. Staff also reported on the purchase of the first round of stream level sensors, soil moisture sensors, and weather monitoring stations for strategic placement in the Little La Crosse and West Fork Kickapoo River watersheds. More installations are planned as funding becomes
available.
This is the first priority objective of the Task Force and a significant accomplishment to date. - Ned Gatzke
FAREWELL, COAL! Alliant Energy plans to close two coal-fired plants in northeast Iowa by the end of 2022 as part of its overall goal to be coal-free by 2040. At least 13 coal plant closings have been announced in 2020, including another Alliant coal-fired plant near Sheboygan. “Coal retirements are the primary driver behind U.S. carbon dioxide emissions reductions,” reports Scientific American.Some may be replaced by new gas-fired plants which
defeats the purpose of eliminating generation emissions. But Alliant plans to add 400 megawatts of solar generation to complement its 1,300 MW of wind and, by 2026, up to 100 MW of battery storage.
WILDLIFE WEB CAMS With COVID-19 cases spiking in our state and travel restrictions recommended to stop the spread, we are still able to virtually visit Wisconsin wildlife through the many webcams set up in our area.
The website for EEK (Environmental Education for Kids in Wisconsin) offers a wildlife web cam portal. The Upper Mississippi Wildlife and Fish Refuge links to several webcams at their site. Discover Wildlife offers a huge list of bird and mammal sites. And don’t forget the Decorah Eagle Cam, now in its tenth year.
Wildlife webcams are more affordable and easy to install by a bird feeder or in a back
yard, too. Explore!
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