DNR revising clean water rules

This was sent by Wisconsin Rep. Jill Billings (D-95):

Step Toward Safer Water in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released a proposal Monday that seeks to address the issue of groundwater contamination by revising some of the DNR's administrative rules. The draft rules would be stricter on large farms whose manure runoff contaminates groundwater. The water quality has been especially poor in Kewaunee County, where dangerous pathogens were found in well over half of the tested drinking wells. However, La Crosse County has seen its share of groundwater pollution, with a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) depositing nitrates in the water near the Town of Hollandale.

In a statement, Clean Wisconsin said the DNR is taking a good  first step toward making water in Wisconsin safer, but warned again the fact that the new administrative rules would not cover all of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, this rule does not cover any karst geology that runs along the western side of Wisconsin, in the La Crosse area. 

As part of revising their rules, the DNR will prepare an economic impact analysis for the proposed rule changes. A preliminary draft of the rule can be found here. The public has an opportunity to give input for the economic impact analysis between July 7 and August 7. A public meeting will also be held on the proposed permanent rule this fall.

SIERRA CLUB POSITION AVAILABLE

SIERRA CLUB SEEKS  Organizing Representative in Milwaukee

The Sierra Club is looking for a top-notch Organizing Representative located in Wisconsin who will be focused upon the goals of the innovative Beyond Coal campaign (www.beyondcoal.org). Primary responsibilities include grassroots and grasstops organizing, partner coordination, and participation in strategy development at the state level in a manner that encompasses and demonstrates the Sierra Club’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion values. Additionally, the Organizing Representative will represent Sierra Club in the media with our Internal Communications department, coordinate outreach and visibility activities, and work closely with existing staff and volunteer leaders. This position may also require some work in other states and some travel.

If you are passionate about building volunteer teams and partnerships, rallying community members and stakeholders around a transition from coal to clean energy, and have 3 years of experience organizing, we want to talk to you! To apply, submit your cover letter and resume to https://chm.tbe.taleo.net/chm01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SIERRACLUB&cws=39&rid=913

 Applications are being considered immediately. Sierra Club offers competitive salary and benefits.

--
Teresa McHugh

Senior Organizing Manager

Sierra Club

131 N. High St., Suite 605

Columbus, OH 43215

614.484.7024

Transportation Budget Actions

from Cassie Steiner, state Sierra Club:

There's some motion in the transportation budget this week. This link is providing to-the-minute updates on this: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article159879204.html

Now more than ever it's time to call your elected officials, email them your photo petition, submit letters to the editor and tweet/facebook post. Below are some resources that can help you. Please share this email with your networks.

1. Calls:
   
   Find your elected official at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-US/MyElectedOfficials
   
   Script:
   Hi, my name is ____ and I’m a constituent from [hometown].
   
   
   I’m calling because I want to encourage the Representative/Senator to focus on meeting important local needs in the transportation budget.
   
   
   Please cut spending on highway mega-projects and invest instead in local needs - like repairing existing roads and funding public transit that connects people to jobs and the places they want to go. I also want to make sure that public transit stays in the segregated transportation fund.
   
   
   Thank you!
   
2. Photo Petitions (use this release form if you have others do photo petitions): Post on social media with #MyTransportationPriorities and email them to your elected officials
   
3. Letters to the Editor: Here are talking points and a fact sheet  to help you write these. If you have any questions about writing or submitting a letter, please feel free to email me at cassandra.steiner@sierraclub.org
   
4. Like and retweet this: https://twitter.com/wiCMRT/status/883021910375890944
   Like and share this: https://www.facebook.com/CMRTWI/photos/a.1596764417217498.1073741828.1595501130677160/2076508292576439/?type=3&theater

Cassie Steiner PR and Outreach Associate Sierra Club - John Muir Chapter 754 Williamson Street (The Council of the Blind Building) Madison, Wisconsin 53703

July Newsletter

Sustainability: Act Locally  A year ago, the eighth largest city in America, San Diego, led by a Republican mayor, committed to getting 100% of the city’s energy from clean and renewable energy sources by 2035. In September, the second largest city in America, Los Angeles, took the next big step by commissioning a study to map its pathway to 100% clean energy. While these U.S. cities may be some of the biggest, they’re certainly not the first, and they won’t be the last. International cities, like Vancouver, Paris, and Sydney, and now more than 30 other U.S. cities, have all made similar commitments. Proving that 100% clean and renewable energy is important for all cities and all communities -- big and small, red and blue, locally and globally.

So far, more than 115 mayors, including La Crosse mayor Tim Kabat, have endorsed the goal of #ReadyFor100, a movement of people working to inspire our leaders to embrace a vision of healthier communities powered by 100% clean energy. The overall goal is to achieve 100% clean, renewable energy across the United States by the year 2050.

Mayor Kabat has also joined more than 340 mayors from around the United States who have vowed to reduce their cities’ greenhouse gas emissions and to support efforts for binding federal and global-level policymaking. The group’s website, climatemayors.org, includes a Climate Action Compendium, a detailed inventory of municipal actions on climate change and other sustainability issues. Concerned citizens can encourage their own municipal leaders to join the effort and sign up at the website for updates on future actions.

And the #WeAreStillIn campaign is a group of more than 1,000 mayors, governors, college and university leaders, businesses, and investors who are joining forces for the first time to declare that they will continue to support climate action to meet the Paris Agreement.

This week the US Conference of Mayors passed the “100% Renewable Energy in American Cities” resolution which could pave the way for cities across the country to adopt 100 percent renewable energy targets within their communities.

These positive actions by elected officials are heartening. We can work to increase the number of civic and business leaders working toward these goals. If your mayor has signed on already, the next step is to organize to help implement them. It’s one thing to sign a document, but it’s another to budget for more mass transit (transportation is now the leading sector for greenhouse gas emissions) or install solar panels on public buildings or support solar roof or net zero retrofit programs in the community. This is where Sierra Club members can make a difference.

A new report by six global experts on climate change warns , “... should emissions continue to rise beyond 2020, or even remain level, the temperature goals set in Paris become almost unattainable. The UN Sustainable Development Goals that were agreed in 2015 would also be at grave risk.”

Learn more from these websites. Ask what your own local government is doing and can do. Push for changes, upgrades, retrofits, programs and policies that will support a swift move to 100% renewable energy. Research what others are doing (inhabitat.com is a great site for this and here’s an article about how a township of about 2,000 people is planning their own 100% renewable future.) We have role models in our own region, too, and we will highlight them next month. If you know of an individual, business, or government project or installation we can include,
please email crsierraclub-at-gmail.com.

Seeking BRF area members to help host Sierra Club display at the September 9 Green Life Xpo in
Black River Falls. Email crsierraclub-at-gmail.com!

Highway Cleanup July 18  The summer highway cleanup on the Coulee Group’s adopted highway
– River Valley Drive in the La Crosse River marsh – will be on Tuesday, July 18 starting at 6:00 p.m. (Contact Pat to confirm if weather conditions are iffy). Meet at the city water well building at the intersection of County Highway B (Gillette Street) and River Valley Drive. Wear old clothes and bring work gloves. Safety vests and bags are provided. We’ll visit Rudy’s Drive-In after the event!
For more info, contact Pat or Bobbie at 608 788-8831 or pbwilson-at-centurytel.net.

Family Friendly Black River Canoe Camping Trip July 15-16   This favorite kid friendly paddling
trip is being resurrected to encourage young families, families with kids and the young-at-heart to join us on the water. We’ll take it slow, stop to play/explore as frequently as desired, cook-out and sleep in tents on a sandbar and engage in creative outdoor play. We’ll paddle from Irving to North Bend. The river is sand bottom with many sandbars for stopping. Contact: Pat or Bobbie Wilson at 608-788-8831 or pbwilson-at-centurytel.net.

Mississippi Valley Conservancy  The Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC) is seeking donations
in order to save the Kickapoo Indian Caverns, a unique 83-acre property located west of Wauzeka and one of Wisconsin’s longest natural cavern systems. The property hosts a large and diverse hibernating bat population as well as native remnant prairie, oak woodland, rock outcrops, sinkholes and part of the Lower Kickapoo River Important Bird Area. The MVC plans to allow limited guided
cavern tours and open the rest of the property for hiking, cross-country skiing, bird-watching, and hunting plus educational events and research opportunities. To learn more and donate, visit tinyurl.com/mvcsavebats. MVC is also promoting health through their Hike to Wellness program and they are hosting Linked to the Land opportunities around the region through the summer and fall

Be a Citizen Scientist  The Crawford Stewardship Project is looking for people to do water quality monitoring around the Wauzeka CAFO, sand mining operations, as well as other threatened waters
in Crawford County. Monitor training is free and provided by Valley Stewardship Network. For more info visit: valleystewardshipnetwork.org/solutions/water-research/

Crowdsource Open Street Map   Make sure others know about your community’s special bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure by using Open Street Map. A recent article by People for Bikes, an industry coalition, highlighted the tool to help communities measure the quality of their “people power” networks. Anyone may edit the map. Free online training is also provided.

Connect with us online at tinyurl.com/crsierra, cr-sierra.blogspot.com, or crsierraclub-at-gmail.com.

June 27 Sierra Club potluck!

Don't forget our annual Coulee Region Sierra Club potluck - Tuesday evening, June 27.

NEXT MEETING: POTLUCK! 6 pm Tuesday, June 27 at Rick & Julia’s: (3703 Brook Lane ONALASKA)  Join Sierra Club friends for food and fun on June 27 at Rick and Julia’s. From La Crosse, drive north past Menards on Hwy 53. Turn right on OT and left (north) onto Sand Lake Rd. Just past Coulee Life Church (on left) turn right onto Hanson Rd and immediately right again onto Brook Ln. Look for two story white house at end of cul-de-sac. Park on the large driveway or along the street.

Please bring a dish to pass and plan to relax on the deck with good conversation and some bird watching. Some wine, tea, and soda will be provided. Please bring a guest! If you can, RSVP (RandJ2010-at-charter.net) to help with food and seating
 

Bring some food to share and be ready to talk, laugh, and share ideas.

For example: La Crosse Mayor, Tim Kabat, has signed on to the Mayors Climate Agreement. How can the Sierra Club help ensure that signature turns into real action? How can we encourage other mayors and municipal officials in our region to sign the agreement? How can Sierra Club members lead the way in demonstrating and encouraging others in sustainable living? We already have many great examples among our members. 

Here are some climate related actions and innovations other cities are doing around the world. And here's the online version of Cities 100 - 2016,  full of ideas from people already showing they can work. Let's share some ideas about how to use the power of our Sierra Club members to push for a positive, sustainable, environmentally sound future.

Help map La Crosse area bike routes

Lewis Kuhlman, City of La Crosse Planning Office, is hosting an event at Big Al's / Carly's Upper Party Room, 115 3rd St S, La Crosse on Thursday, June 29 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Come help us map the low-stress bike network in La Crosse. This will help us identify the gaps in the network. Read more here: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/who-does-your-bike-network-serve-get-free-answers-from-a-new-tool

We will be using OpenStreetMap, but no experience necessary. Bring a laptop – I may be able to wrangle one or two more, so let me know. We’ll get pizza and beverage; it’ll be fun and informal.

Please RSVP if you are interested.

Citizen Climate Lobby Call In Day June 9

[from Peter Gorski with La Crosse Citizens' Climate Lobby]

Citizens' Climate Lobby, or CCL, is the country’s largest volunteer based lobby, with at least one chapter in every congressional district in the country, as well as chapters across the world on every continent. CCL has one goal: to pass a revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend policy. Their policy is a flat tax on carbon at the source, where all money beyond administrative fees is given to the citizens directly, an equal share to every person with half shares to children. CCL’s policy is simple, effective, and thoroughly researched. They have been working on this for over ten years, and they go to Washington DC every year to directly lobby every congressional office, as well as set up various meetings in the home offices of legislators. They were integral in establishing the Climate Solutions Caucus in the House of Representatives, and in all their work they are non-partisan. 

Their policy has been independently studied by Regional Economic Models, Inc (REMI), a reputable Washington-based non-partisan group, which concluded that this policy will result in a 50% carbon emissions decrease, the creation of 2.8 million jobs, and growth to GDP over the first 10 years of implementation.

Please participate in our national call-in day on June 9th. Before over 1,000 volunteer lobbyists go to congress next week, we are asking everyone to call their Congress members and give them your opinions on the climate and that action is needed now. I also encourage you to endorse carbon fee and dividend specifically if you are comfortable with that.

Here is the link to the local Facebook event and here is CCL’s call in tool. I truly believe that CCL’s non-partisan approach and direct dividend approach is the most realistic first step we can take legislatively to save our planet. I hope you will join us in calling this Friday and share with your network.