October newsletter

 

October 19 at 7 p.m. Coal, Gas, and Public Health: The Electric Sector and Public Health. Burning coal to generate electricity is bad for healtha nd the environment. As utilities try to make the case for switching to fossil gas, health and climate advocatesr are pushing back to stop another harmful wave of fossilf uel infrastructure. Join this event to learn about the connections between our electric sector, justice and equity, and public health. RSVP at tinyurl.com/WISC-1019Electricity

 

This program is part of the Sierra Club of Wisconsin’s Environmental Justice series. Learn more at sierraclub.org/wisconsin/blog/2021/08/introducing-environmental-justice-event-series

 

Environmental Education Grants and Awards    For spring 2022, CRSC will offer grants of up to $200 each for environmental education projects to schools or community organizations involving young people at the elementary and middle school level within the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties.

Applications may be completed online, emailed or mailed. The deadline for applications is December 10, 2021. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or tinyurl.com/CRSC-Students

 

The Coulee Region Sierra Club also seeks to promote environmental stewardship through

enduring, fair, and equitable action. Protection of air, water, land, wildlife habitats, and

the climate is a primary goal. New for 2021-2022, CRSC will recognize the achievements

of and award $150 to a high school senior who demonstrates leadership, action, and environmental stewardship, and who understands the importance of civic engagement in protecting our environment. 

 

Eligible students are those graduating from high school in 2022 who reside in the

CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau,

and Vernon counties. The application includes essays and submission of a portfolio.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2022 with the award to be given by the end

of April, 2022. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or tinyurl.com/CRSC-Students 

 

Funding for these environmental grants and awards is possible thanks to an annual

grant from the Paul E. Stry Foundation, shared dues from Sierra Club memberships,

and donations made by community members. To learn more about donating, please

email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

 

Sierra Club Calendars Available Now!   Sales of Sierra Club calendars help support our environmental education grants. Wall and engagement calendars for 2022 are available. Call  608-315-2693, or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com. Engagement calendars are $16 and wall calendars cost $15. Find other Sierra Club merchandise, including apparel, gifts, things for kids, cards, and outdoor items at store.sierraclub.org/storefront.aspx

 

CRSC Board Nominations     The Coulee Region Sierra Club will hold elections for its board of directors in December. The board meets monthly to plan events, coordinate with the state Sierra Club, and network with local and regional partners and allies on Sierra Club issues.

If you would like to nominate someone, including yourself, please email the name and contact information for the nominee along with a paragraph describing the nominee’s qualifications for the board to CRSierraClub@gmail.com by November 20, 2021.

Qualifications including Sierra Club membership and past work or interest in outdoor activities and/or environmental issues. The board is especially interested in adding members who live outside of the La Crosse area, but anyone is welcome to nominate. If you have questions, please email or call 608-315-2693.

 

Fall Highway Clean Up     Calling all CRSC members wishing to help clean up our adopted portion of River Valley Drive!  Meet up at the La Crosse Pumping Station just northwest of the intersection of River Valley Drive and Gillette Street (Highway B) at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11 to get gloves, vests, and bags. Bring your camera! Not only is this section of roadway near the beautiful marsh but you might find something interesting during the clean up. This is a fun distanced outdoor activity that helps keep our local environment clean. Call Pat with questions: 608-788-8831.

 

October Events     

Now through November: Waking Up White Regional Read. www.laxwakingupwhite.com/waking-up-white-regional-read.html

Now through October 25: Western TC Drawdown Challenge. Register at: www.sustaininstitute.com/drawdownchallenge2021

Monday, October 11: Indigenous Peoples Day

Tuesday, October 12: Local and Global Climate Action. Noon. Register at: www.fspa.org/content/ministries/ecological-advocacy/resources-and-events2

Wednesday, October 13: Sierra Club of Wisconsin Virtual Volunteer Night. 6:30 p.m. tinyurl.com/WISC-1013Vol

Saturday, October 23: Autumn Mushroom Foray in Crawford County from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration required: mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/autumn-mushroom-foray

Wednesday, October 27: Advocate for wolves at Natural Resources Board. 8:30 a.m. Register for training and link at tinyurl.com/WISC-4Wolves

Saturday, October 30: League of Women Voters - Empowering the Wisconsin Vote Virtual Issues Briefing from 9 a.m. to noon ONLINE. Learn more and register at: tinyurl.com/1030-WILWVIssues

 

Rail Passengers Meet 10/23     The Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers (WisARP) will hold its fall meeting on Saturday, October 23 at the Black River Beach Neighbor-hood Center in La Crosse and via Zoom. The main focus will be the second daily passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Paul expected to begin in 2023. Register for the WisARP meeting at tinyurl.com/WISARP102321

A Union of Concerned Scientists study concluded that, for individuals or couples traveling fewer than 1,000 miles, a bus or train is the cleanest option.  

 

WisCorps Grant     CRSC environmental education grant recipients for 2020 had to navigate COVID-19, school closing, schedule disruptions, and program cancellations. Our club relaxed the schedule and asked for reports when projects were finished. Justin Holten, AmeriCorps volunteer with WisCorps, Inc., one of the grant recipients, wrote:

WisCorps used the grant money to purchase Leave No Trace education materials. The resources include guides for teachers to incorporate LNT in lessons and activities for children of all ages. LNT materials will provide ongoing training and resources for teachers and activity leaders.

The  guide, “Teaching LNT,” has great ways for teachers to learn best practices. This general guide is focused on activities for people of all ages, and pairs well with the book “101 Ways to Teach LNT.”

“Bigfoot’s Playbook,” contains easy, quicker games focused on younger kids that require minimal resources to run. These activities integrate into our school programs. WisCorps runs two different types of school programs: field trips and outreach. Our field trips are generally focused on elementary aged students, as well as a few middle school groups. Our outreach program allows us to travel to schools that may have a hard time traveling to our facility. We had only a few lessons built for this program, so adding in our LNT lessons through the resources bought will help this program grow a lot. Adding in Leave No Trace education to these programs will also help add to the reinforcement of how to better care for our world.

The “Peak Pack” resources can also be used for varying school programs but especially help grow our Camp programs. Given the longer duration and flexibility of these programs, the Peak Pack’s pre-built flexible programs are perfect and reinforce LNT teachings with more in depth and thoughtful activities, as well as more hands on games and learning objectives.

WisCorps is very grateful to be able to buy these activities which have already been immensely helpful in giving us the ability to grow our programs to be stronger in Leave No Trace education.
 

The Kinnard Farms Decision: What does it mean for Wisconsin's Clean Water Future?  This summer the Wisconsin Supreme Court handed clean water advocates  a hard-fought victory with a decision confirming the authority of the Wisconsin DNR to protect water resources from manure pollution. MEA attorneys worked with Kewaunee residents for eight years on this case. Join Midwest Environmental Advocates on Wednesday, October 6 at 6 p.m.  for a presentation and discussion of this important decision. Zoom in: us02web.zoom.us/j/86220043378 or view the program at  facebook.com/MidwestEnvironmentalAdvocates 

 

City Hike for Sierra Club

 

City Hike is a unique local hiking experience. It combines raising funds to support Sierra Club’s climate and environmental justice initiatives with an accessible way for YOU (and your friends and family) to enjoy nearby nature and be inspired.

This fall, between September 19 and October 9, you can take action and participate in City Hike in your hometown, a neighboring city, or a place you've always wanted to visit.

We believe that climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. The Sierra Club is powered by millions of members and supporters across the country. We believe in the power of collective action and the power of grassroots fundraising.

To sign up for this event, you must be at least 18 years of age or have a parent/guardian sign up for you and accompany you on your hike. Everyone that participates must check the below box and agree to our Activities Waiver.

Read FAQs here.  
 

September newsletter

 

September 26, 1-5 p.m. ASK ME ABOUT MY EV: A National Drive Electric Week Event at Copeland Park in La Crosse (Oktoberfest Shelter)   In their latest report on the climate crisis, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we have a relatively short window of opportunity to make major changes in our fossil fuel-based systems. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who calls the report Code Red for Humanity, says, “This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels before they destroy our planet.” Electric vehicles are available and affordable now. What are we waiting for?

National Drive Electric Week will sponsor hundreds of events around the country to give people the chance to see electric vehicles and talk with their owners and dealers about them. Learn how to choose an EV, get the truth about charging and “range anxiety,” learn about utility incentives, and more. The event is free and open to the public, rain or shine.  If you are the owner of a plug-in electric vehicle (bicycle to car), please consider bringing and showing your vehicle. To register as a participant, attendee, or volunteer, please visit the event site: tinyurl.com/DriveEVLaX. National Drive Electric Week is presented by Plug-In America, Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association.

Register to volunteer, participate, or attend at tinyurl.com/DriveEVLaX

September 28, 6 p.m. ONLINE Film and Discussion: FAMILY (by the Global Indigenous Council) RSVP: tinyurl.com/WISC-FamilyFilm    Join with fellow Sierra Club members from around the state in viewing the film, FAMILY, by the Global Indigenous Council, that highlights the deep connection Indigenous Nations share with wolves, and the major threats currently facing imperiled populations in the lower 48 states. Following the film, a panel will discuss updates on work to protect Wisconsin wolves. The world is facing a mass extinction and biodiversity crisis. Wolves need us now.

FAMILY is an appeal to reverse the Trump administration’s removal of the wolf from the Endangered Species list. Retaining the de-listing contradicts President Biden’s January 2021 “Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationship.”

This is the first in the Wisconsin Sierra Club’s Environmental Justice series that will examine issues of accessibility, health, and environmental injustice. For more information on the series, visit the event site at tinyurl.com/WISC-EnvJusticeSeries

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS AND AWARDS     For spring 2022, CRSC will offer grants of up to $200 each for environmental education projects to schools or community organizations involving young people at the elementary and middle school level within the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties.

Applications may be completed online, emailed or mailed. The deadline for applications is December 10, 2021. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or tinyurl.com/CRSC-Students

The Coulee Region Sierra Club also seeks to promote environmental stewardship through enduring, fair, and equitable action. Protection of air, water, land, wildlife habitats, and the climate is a primary goal. New for 2021-2022, CRSC will recognize the achievements of and award $150 to a high school senior who demonstrates leadership, action, and environmental stewardship, and who understands the importance of civic engagement in protecting our environment.

Eligible students are those graduating from high school in 2022 who reside in the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties. The application includes essays and submission of a portfolio. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2022 with the award to be given by the end of April, 2022.  For more information, visit sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or tinyurl.com/CRSC-Students

 
Funding for these environmental grants and awards is possible thanks to an annual grant from the Paul E. Stry Foundation, shared dues from Sierra Club memberships, and donations made by community members. To learn more about donating, please email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

SIERRA CLUB CALENDARS     Sales of Sierra Club calendars help support our environmental education grants. Wall and engagement calendars for 2022 are available. Call Maureen Kinney, 608-784-5678, or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com. Engagement calendars are $16 and wall calendars cost $15. Find other Sierra Club merchandise, including apparel, gifts, things for kids, cards, and outdoor items at store.sierraclub.org/storefront.aspx

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Now through November: Regional community read of the book Waking Up White - book chats and related programs. www.laxwakingupwhite.com/waking-up-white-regional-read.html

Saturday, September 11: Karst Exploration, Eagle Cave, Blue River (near Boscobel) from 1 to 4:30 p.m. www.crawfordstewardship.org

Saturday, September 18: Jackson County Pace & Pedal, Wazee Lake Recreation Area, Jackson County. www.jacksoninaction.org/pace-and-pedal

Saturday, September 18: Botany & Beer - Hogback Prairie hike in Gays Mills at 10 a.m. Get more details at the calendar, www.crawfordstewardship.org, or email hike@botanyandbeer.com,

Tuesday, September 21: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer book discussion. 6 p.m. online. RSVP www.fspa.org/event/braiding-sweetgrass-book-discussion-zoom

Saturday, September 25: Evening Sky Prairie Walk, 7 p.m., Tunnelville Cliffs State Natural Area, Vernon County. mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/evening-sky-prairie-walk

JOBS, JUSTICE, CLIMATE!     On Thursday, August 26, members of the Coulee Region Sierra Club, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Conservation Voters gathered at Western Technical College to urge U.S. Representative Ron Kind and other elected leaders to ACT NOW on Climate.

Kids and adults made a banner and wrote personal messages for Rep. Kind before the 1 p.m. press event which featured local citizens who spoke in support of strong climate action.

Speakers included La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds who noted that the city needs strong policy and financial support from the federal government in order to maintain its ongoing commitments and address increasingly expensive and extensive problems caused by climate change. He also noted that La Crosse is moving forward on its own and highlighted the upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant which, once completed, will completely power itself and eventually provide power to help charge La Crosse’s coming electric buses.

Casey Meehan, Director of Sustainability and Resilience at Western Technical College noted, “I’m proud of what Western’s done, but like everyone else we need to be doing more. We need to be doing a lot more, and to do more our communities need more support from our elected officials in order to mitigate and adapt to the crisis that we’re up against here. And we need that support now.”

Abby Siakpere, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student said, “Some of the world’s leading climate change scientists have now confirmed that humans are making irreversible changes to our planet, and extreme weather will only become more severe. They have made it clear that the time is now, when we must act urgently to avoid the worst possible consequences.”

Following the press event, participants carried their banner and messages to the King Street office of Representative Kind.

View news reports about the event at www.news8000.com/activists-hold-art-gathering-for-climate-action/ and wxow.com/2021/08/26/wisconsin-conservation-voters-have-a-message-for-rep-ron-kind/ 

INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE   The Wisconsin Sierra Club is recruiting for the fall 2021 project aide and internship program. These volunteer positions are entirely remote and can be filled by anyone in the state. Anyone may apply; college students may be able to earn course credit. Explore a non-profit environmental career or get more hands-on experience with grassroots organizing and activism, including working with Sierra Club teams, digital communication, administration, finance, and legislative and electoral initiatives. PA's work four to nine hours per week. Scheduling and hours are flexible. Learn more at tinyurl.com/WISC-PAs  

 

HURRICANE IDA RELIEF     Louisiana coastal communities were already on the front lines of the oil-and-gas-industry fueled coastal land loss and petrochemical pollution crisis. The national Sierra Club recommends sending donations to the following organizations United Houma Nation, Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy, Foundation for Louisiana, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and Louisiana Environmental Action Network.

A LIVABLE FUTURE RESTS ON A CLIMATE-FOCUSED RECONCILIATION BILL

On August 16, Sierra Magazine published an article by James Steinbauer about the need for a climate-focused reconcilliation bill. Here are important excerpts; you are encouraged to read the entire article at www.sierraclub.org/sierra/livable-future-rests-congress-passing-climate-focused-reconciliation-bill

Last week, just one day after a major United Nations scientific report concluded that human activity has locked the planet in an intensifying climate crisis for at least the next 30 years, the US Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill aimed, in part, at combating climate change. The bill is more than just a day late and many, many dollars short.

[M]any of the ambitious ideas that Biden proposed to cut the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change were whittled down to ensure the bill got enough votes from Republicans. Biden wanted $100 billion to modernize the nation’s electricity grid. He got $73 billion. He wanted $15 billion to construct a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations. He got $7.5 billion. He wanted $378 billion to upgrade buildings to be more sustainable. He got a little over $5 billion. Two of the most meaningful policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions—a clean energy standard that would require power companies to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, and clean energy tax credits—were left out entirely.

“Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is within reach, but it requires really transformational change. The bipartisan bill is not transformational,” Jillian Neuberger, the legislative engagement associate for the World Resources Institute, told Sierra. “It will make some of the improvements to the grid that are necessary for the green energy transition, but the most important thing is that we actually get green energy on that grid. We need a climate bill that incentivizes renewables.”

Democrats hope to pass both provisions—and more—in a second $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill. Last Wednesday morning, Senate Democrats took the first step down that path, voting to approve a budget blueprint that allows them to shield the larger bill from a Republican filibuster under the Senate’s complicated budget reconciliation process.

In its current formulation, the second, more robust legislative package would create a new Clean Electricity Payment Program that would incentivize power companies to increase their renewable sources of energy. (This is essentially a clean energy standard designed to meet the strict rules that govern budget reconciliation.) It would impose fees on methane and carbon polluters, provide new consumer rebates to help electrify and weatherize homes, and electrify the federal vehicle fleet and buildings. It would also create a New Deal–style Civilian Climate Corps that would put Americans to work building climate-resilient infra-structure, reducing carbon emissions through renewable energy and conservation projects, and helping communities recover from climate disasters.

If the reconciliation bill is passed, Democrats say it would put the United States on track to meet Biden’s commitment to halve greenhouse gas emissions and create an 80 percent clean energy grid by 2030.

“We have a really small window here, both legislatively and in the context of global warming, to do something,” Marcela Mulholland, the political director for Data for Progress, told Sierra. “We’re one #MeToo scandal or car accident from losing our majority. It’s critical that we make the most of this time while we have it.”

The budget resolution is only the outline of a bill—not a bill itself. And it still faces significant hurdles to make it out of the Senate. Hours after providing a key vote to approve the budget blueprint, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a moderate Democrat, issued a statement declaring that he has “serious concerns” about the impact of the budget’s price tag on “our children and grandchildren.”

Climate-action advocates say that the cost of inaction is even higher.

“We need to think about the impact that not passing a climate bill will have for future generations—and, let’s not kid ourselves, this current generation,” Neuberger said. “We’ll be leaving a lot of opportunities on the table. The opportunity to create good jobs. The opportunity to clean our air. The opportunity to make a lot of things more affordable. The loss of not taking those opportunities will be felt for a very long time.”                    
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Newsletter

 

THE NEXT GENERATION    The Coulee Region Sierra Club (CRSC) aims to involve tomorrow’s decision-makers in better understanding the natural environment and our connection to it. The goal of the grants are to promote exploration, enjoyment, under-standing, and protection of the natural environment (land, water, air, wildlife, etc.)

For spring 2022, CRSC will offer grants of up to $200 each for environmental education projects to schools or community organizations involving young people at the elementary and middle school level within the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties.

Applications may be completed online, emailed or mailed. The deadline for applications is December 10, 2021. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or tinyurl.com/CRSC-Students

The Coulee Region Sierra Club also seeks to promote environmental stewardship through enduring, fair, and equitable action. Protection of air, water, land, wildlife habitats, and the climate is a primary goal. CRSC believes that all people of all ages can help protect the natural environment for present and future generations through active engagement.

New for 2021-2022, CRSC will recognize the achievements of and award $150 to a high school senior who demonstrates leadership, action, and environmental stewardship, and who understands the importance of civic engagement in protecting our environment.

Eligible students are those graduating from high school in 2022 who reside in the CRSC region: Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties. The application includes essays and submission of a portfolio. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2022 with the award to be given by the end of April, 2022.  For more information, visit sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/Education or tinyurl.com/CRSC-Students

Funding for these environmental grants and awards is possible thanks to an annual grant from the Paul E. Stry Foundation, shared dues from Sierra Club memberships, and donations made by community members. To learn more about donating, please email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

SUMMER ON THE RIVER    Great fun was had by all on the Black River family canoe camping trip July 24-25.  The hot sunny weather was great for a trip like this.  If we weren’t swimming we were dousing each other with water guns while paddling.  It’s amazing how much energy kids demonstrate on trips like this.  We camped on a sand bar.  This was the first experience with canoeing or primitive camping for some of the people on the trip.  While paddling 24 miles on the Black River, we experienced the river’s recreational and ecological value.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT    The City of La Crosse anticipates receiving nearly $22 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and they have created a public input tool for city residents to provide ideas and examples. The funds will be distributed over the next few years and are to be used for revenue replacement for certain specific payments and projects (see https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/FRF-Interim-Final-Rule.pdf) including water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure; public health; payments to essential workers; and payments to individuals and businesses hard-hit by COVID.

If you are a City of La Crosse resident, please take this opportunity to share your priorities and ideas. Visit https://bit.ly/2UyQTMZ

The County of La Crosse is also seeking input: “As part of our Envision 2050 Comprehensive Plan process, we have launched a new survey on the future of rural La Crosse County. To participate, please go to publicinput.com/envision2050. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. What happens to our agricultural land over the next decade and beyond matters to everyone, so we encourage all La Crosse County residents to participate.”

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee is still seeking public input as it updates its Regional Transit Development Plan. The online survey is closed, but you may still provide comments through the online mapping site. Learn more at tinyurl.com/LAPC-RTDP

CAFO NEWS AND ACTION    On July 8, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the state Department of Natural Resources has the authority to place permit restrictions on large livestock farms and high-capacity wells to protect the state’s water. Please take advantage of this ruling! The Crawford County Roth Feeder Pig II  permit is still being evaluated, and  concerned citizens are encouraged to continue to request an Environmental Impact Statement. Learn how and where to send requests at crawfordstewardship.org

The Real News Network and In These Times have produced an excellent documentary about the fight against CAFOs in Crawford, Polk and Burnett counties. Watch the film at youtu.be/Cs7WfJKMfaY and share with others. (Caution: some profanity.) 

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS    On Sunday, September 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. several groups, including the Coulee Region Sierra Club, will host a National Drive Electric Week event at the Copeland Park Oktoberfest Shelter in La Crosse. At this event, local electric vehicle (cars to bikes) owners and dealers will show and talk about their experiences. We are seeking volunteers to help with the event, including setting up, welcoming and placing participants, helping tablers, guiding visitors, and cleaning up. If you are interested in helping with this free and open to the public event, please sign up at tinyurl.com/DriveEVLaX-092621 or call 608-315-2693. Masks may be required depending upon conditions at the time. 

BUILD BACK BETTER FOR CLEAN ENERGY, JUSTICE, AND JOBS!    Wisconsin Sierra Club, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, Wisconsin Environment and other groups are encouraging all of us to keep pressing our elected representatives to take bold steps in addressing the climate crisis. Per WCV: “Congress must invest in climate, clean energy, justice, and jobs at the scale that science demands. We must take action to get millions of people back to work in new, good-paying jobs in the clean energy economy while tackling climate change and environmental racism. Clean energy is the fastest-growing industry in America and provides a huge opportunity for high-quality union jobs that help rebuild the middle class. We have to meet the scale of the crises we face with the big investments needed to build back better with justice and equity.

Congress will be on recess during August, so we are urging people to call, email, and attend events when members are in their home districts. We want:

CLEAN ENERGY: Put the U.S. on the path to 100 percent clean energy powering our electricity grid, the transportation sector and our buildings – including homes, businesses, and schools.

JUSTICE: Prioritize the just and equitable solutions that the communities most harmed by toxic pollution--low-income and communities of color--are leading, and ensure that at least 40% of benefits go to the communities who need it most.

JOBS: Support the preservation and creation of high-quality, good-paying union jobs across the economy, like builders, roofers, pipefitters, engineers, electricians, accountants, researchers, teachers and more.

Use this link (bit.ly/3hrLJd3) to tell your member of Congress to support investments in clean energy, justice and jobs. If you live in the La Crosse area, visit the Sierra Club/WI Environment Photo Petition table on August 13 at the Cameron Park Farmers’ Market, 400 King St., beginning at 4 p.m. Sign up here: tinyurl.com/0813PhotoPetition

AUGUST EVENTS

Thursday, August 5: Wisconsin League of Women Voters hosts an online program on Drinking Water and Wastewater from 3 to 5 p.m. online. Learn more and register at tinyurl.com/WILWV-Water

Tuesday, August 10: Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration host Karl Green, Community Development Education, UW-Extension, for an online talk about Water Resources in the Driftless Area (La Crosse County). Noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom. fspa.org/EcoAction.

Saturday, August 14: Mississippi Valley Conservancy hosts Canoeing and Kayaking Basics from 10 to 11:30 a.m. mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/canoeing-kayaking-basics

Tuesday, August 17: Botany & Beer community hike at Duck Egg County Forest, Irish Ridge Road, Viroqua, Masking and distancing required. BYOB. Meet at 5:30 p.m. Email for info:  hike@botanyandbeer.com

Tuesday, August 24: JacksonInAction Hunter/Hiker Fitness experiences. Hike area trails and learn about health and fitness.  www.blackrivercountry.net/event/hunter-hiker-fitness/2021-08-24/

WAKING UP WHITE REGIONAL COMMUNITY READ    The La Crosse Public Library and the Waking Up White Collaborative invites everyone to join the La Crosse regional community read of Debby Irving’s best selling book, Waking Up White. The event includes public presentations and small group book chats, in addition to conversations about ways to create a more welcoming and inclusive multicultural community.

Beginning August 16, the book will be available, free, at La Crosse area libraries and businesses. Sign up to participate in Book Chats--small, in-person, theme-based, facilitated discussions. Starting September 12, free, public programs will look at antiracism topics. Visit www.laxwakingupwhite.com/waking-up-white-regional-read.html for more information.

COULEE REGION PEOPLE    This month we talk with Beth Piggush, Integral Ecology Director and Laudato Si Promoter with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse.

What got you interested in the environment and outdoors activities?

My personal interest in the environment and outdoors stems from time at my house as a child in southern Minnesota. I spent as many hours as I could outside climbing trees, catching frogs in the ditch and building snow forts in the winter. I was also lucky to live near the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center in Austin. It had a terrific Director and Naturalist, named Larry Dolphin leading summer camps, maple syruping tours, snowshoe hikes and canoe trips down the Cedar River. The experiences I had as a child exposed me to love the places around me, no matter the season there was always something to do.

Now, as an adult, my interests have grown to more advocacy for what I love in nature as well as taking time to play and find peace with my surrounding environments. Plus it doesn't hurt that professionally I get to tie in my interests of caring for the environment and outdoor activities too.  

What kinds of activities are your favorites? Do you have favorite outdoor spots?

Depending on the season (and there are more than 4 seasons), I like to be outside on a trail with my family. It could be a hiking trail, water trail, cross-country ski trail, or random deer trail (when I get lost). I like to be on the ground, to enjoy nature up close and personal. My favorite spots at the moment are the City of La Crosse trails, specifically the Hass Tract right now. I have enjoyed the Bittersweet Lakes State Natural Area in northern Wisconsin. I also enjoy a quick canoe or bike ride around Lytle's Landing or a winter or spring hike along Seven Bridges (avoiding the muddy or mosquito seasons of course).

What got you involved in the Sierra Club?

I have known about the Sierra Club for a long time, since I worked with them in Connecticut on advocacy campaigns back at 2007. My family officially joined the Sierra Club when we were able to enjoy the Black River canoe trip a couple of years ago. That was a great experience, which we just repeated this month. We joined shortly after our initial canoe trip and made it official.

What are your main environmental interests and how did you come by them?

I am genuinely interested in many topics from renewable energy and energy efficiency to clean water to climate justice. I am interested in working to mitigate the impacts of climate change, so my children and future generations can enjoy what I love and enjoy within nature. I also have a strong interest in learning from the landscape and understanding indigenous uses of plants as medicine and food. Being up close and personal on a trail allows me to notice the details of a plant through its whole growth cycle or learning the “season” when different mushrooms pop.

How have you worked on those interests?

My work on climate is constant; it involves conversations at the dinner table with my family and making everyday choices of a want vs. a need. I have participated in strikes, petitions and presentations about climate change. I am learning more about the public health and social impacts of climate change, too--how racism and migration are part of the climate crisis, as we are all interconnected. I work every day to make better choices and I share what I learn and know with others.

With regards to the landscape, this is a hobby that keeps me motivated to learn more about each place I visit. Whose land was it? How is it being managed now? What can I learn from the prairie, forest or stream? Can I offer anything to the prairie, forest or stream?

Do you have an environmental wish for 2021?

My wish would be for people to understand the true cost of purchasing an item from a store or online. Knowing this “cost” could help people understand many more environmental issues and possibly stop some awful behaviors.
What got you interested in the environment and outdoors activities?

My personal interest in the environment and outdoors stems from time at my house as a child in southern Minnesota. I spent as many hours as I could outside climbing trees, catching frogs in the ditch and building snow forts in the winter. I was also lucky to live near the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center in Austin. It had a terrific Director and Naturalist, named Larry Dolphin leading summer camps, maple syruping tours, snowshoe hikes and canoe trips down the Cedar River. The experiences I had as a child exposed me to love the places around me, no matter the season there was always something to do.

Now, as an adult, my interests have grown to more advocacy for what I love in nature as well as taking time to play and find peace with my surrounding environments. Plus it doesn't hurt that professionally I get to tie in my interests of caring for the environment and outdoor activities too.  

What kinds of activities are your favorites? Do you have favorite outdoor spots?

Depending on the season (and there are more than 4 seasons), I like to be outside on a trail with my family. It could be a hiking trail, water trail, cross-country ski trail, or random deer trail (when I get lost). I like to be on the ground, to enjoy nature up close and personal. My favorite spots at the moment are the City of La Crosse trails, specifically the Hass Tract right now. I have enjoyed the Bittersweet Lakes State Natural Area in northern Wisconsin. I also enjoy a quick canoe or bike ride around Lytle's Landing or a winter or spring hike along Seven Bridges (avoiding the muddy or mosquito seasons of course).

What got you involved in the Sierra Club?

I have known about the Sierra Club for a long time, since I worked with them in Connecticut on advocacy campaigns back at 2007. My family officially joined the Sierra Club when we were able to enjoy the Black River canoe trip a couple of years ago. That was a great experience, which we just repeated this month. We joined shortly after our initial canoe trip and made it official.

What are your main environmental interests and how did you come by them?

I am genuinely interested in many topics from renewable energy and energy efficiency to clean water to climate justice. I am interested in working to mitigate the impacts of climate change, so my children and future generations can enjoy what I love and enjoy within nature. I also have a strong interest in learning from the landscape and understanding indigenous uses of plants as medicine and food. Being up close and personal on a trail allows me to notice the details of a plant through its whole growth cycle or learning the “season” when different mushrooms pop.

How have you worked on those interests?

My work on climate is constant; it involves conversations at the dinner table with my family and making everyday choices of a want vs. a need. I have participated in strikes, petitions and presentations about climate change. I am learning more about the public health and social impacts of climate change, too--how racism and migration are part of the climate crisis, as we are all interconnected. I work every day to make better choices and I share what I learn and know with others.

With regards to the landscape, this is a hobby that keeps me motivated to learn more about each place I visit. Whose land was it? How is it being managed now? What can I learn from the prairie, forest or stream? Can I offer anything to the prairie, forest or stream?

Do you have an environmental wish for 2021?

My wish would be for people to understand the true cost of purchasing an item from a store or online. Knowing this “cost” could help people understand many more environmental issues and possibly stop some awful behaviors.


 



 




 

Worst budget in a decade

For Immediate Release: July 9, 2021

Media contact: Gregg May, 1000 Friends of WI - Transportation Policy Director, 402-707-7379, gregg@1kfriends.org

State transportation budget is most harmful in a decade

Transportation advocates condemn unprecedented cuts to Milwaukee and Madison transits stems while green-lighting the unnecessary I-94 E/W highway expansion project Governor Evers signed the 2021-23 biennial budget (2021 Wisconsin Act 58) on Thursday, which included a one-time 50% cut to the transit systems in Milwaukee and Madison over the next two years. 

While the shortfall in transit funding may be filled by federal COVID relief funds, it is not guaranteed. 

Additionally, the budget also funded the proposed $1.1 billion I-94 highway expansion in Milwaukee. This project will have significant impacts on the region’s population by creating new congestion and adding air pollution, while failing to help those who do not own a personal automobile or who are unable to drive.

Organizations from the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation (CMRT) issued the following statements:

“This transportation budget is devastating for all Wisconsinites,” said Gregg May, Transportation Policy Director at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. “Wisconsin cannot continue to expand highways while gutting public transportation. It is bad for the environment, bad for transit riders, and bad for Wisconsin’s economic recovery. At a time when we should be making historic investments in transit to get people too jobs, we are doing the opposite. If these cuts cannot be filled with federal funds, it will lead to the largest disinvestment in public transit in a generation.”

“The majority of this budget maintains the status quo, which means lead in drinking water, public lands strapped for funding, air pollution, barriers to clean energy and energy efficiency, and a transportation system that is not working for Wisconsin residents. However, the budget does even more damage than inaction. The transportation budget in particular is adding insult to injury,” said Elizabeth Ward, Chapter Director at Sierra Club - Wisconsin. “Public transportation is critical for stopping a climate catastrophe and is an essential form of transportation that provides access to jobs, recreation and other opportunities.”

“The budget signed yesterday will slash transit funding in Milwaukee by 50% and fully fund a $1 billion, unnecessary highway expansion of I-94 (from 16th to 70th Streets). This budget is contrary to public opinion, damaging to the climate, and exposes our communities and environment to increased air and water pollution,” said Cheryl Nenn, Riverkeeper with Milwaukee Riverkeeper. “We should be working toward a greener, healthier, and more climate resilient future; this budget takes us backwards.”

“The cuts to transit are a devastating blow to people of color, low-income people, the elderly, the disabled, and anyone who, for whatever reason, does not drive”, said Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Executive Director of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice. “Cutting transportation funding is short-sighted, as access to public transportation is one of the determinants of access to jobs, education, health care, and recreation, and therefore is a key driver of a robust economy. It is further short-sighted in reducing efforts to deal with climate change.”

“Wisconsin needs better public transit, not bigger highways," said Tony Wilkin Gibart, Executive Director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, "The new transportation budget cuts public transit funding in Milwaukee and Madison and, instead, funds the I-94 highway expansion project which has not yet been thoroughly reviewed, updated to reflect recent data, or subject to meaningful public input. This proposal would increase our dependence on cars, add to greenhouse gas emissions, disproportionately hurt Milwaukeeans of color and cause significant harm to surrounding neighborhoods. We are disappointed that the biennial budget misses an important opportunity to prioritize climate-friendly solutions.”

“Global warming is the most important challenge of our time and no investment should be made without considering it,” said Megan Severson, State Director for Wisconsin Environment. “Transportation is now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in our country, and we need a comprehensive approach to reducing transportation’s impact on the global climate crisis. We can only do this by getting people out of their cars and onto cleaner options, like public transit or a bicycle.”

“It’s clear from this latest budget that Wisconsin still has a misplaced appetite for costly, polluting and ineffective highway expansion projects,” said Susanna Cain, Transform Transportation Associate for WISPIRG. “COVID-19 has highlighted how stark our transportation needs truly are, especially for essential workers and low-income households without access to a car. Rather than cutting funding for public transportation and wasting money on highway boondoggles, we need to start using our taxpayer dollars more wisely by investing in public transit, walking and biking instead.”

July Newsletter

 

Kid-Friendly Black River Paddling Weekend is BACK! July 24-25    After a hiatus last year due to COVID restrictions, the local Black River family paddling/camping trip is back! This kid-focused trip is offered to encourage young families, adults with kids, and the young-at-heart to join us on the water. We’ll stop to play and explore, hike up a hidden waterfall, cook-out and sleep in tents on a sandbar. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/SCBlkRvrTrp21

July 20: Highway Cleanup    Please join us on July 20 at 6 p.m. for our first IN PERSON highway cleanup in more than a year! We’ll meet at the pumping station just northwest of the
intersection of Gillette Street and River Valley Drive. There, you will get gloves, bags, and
vests. We’ll pick up trash along the roadway and then, meet up at Rudy’s Drive-In on La Crosse Street for some post-cleanup refreshments! If you have questions, please call Pat at 608-788-8831.

July 27: Farming While Black   The Wisconsin Sierra Club Water Team is hosting an important online discussion on Tuesday, July 27 at 7 p.m. about Sustainable Farming. The evening will begin with “Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty,” a keynote address delivered by Soul Fire Farm’s Co-Founder and Farm Manager, Leah Penniman. Her book, Farming
While Black, is, “the first comprehensive manual for African-heritage people ready to reclaim their rightful place of dignified agency in the food system.” Read more at www.farmingwhileblack.org and sign up for the screening and discussion at tinyurl.com/
WSCFarmingProg 

CAFO Updates and Actions   If you missed the excellent June 5 Farm/Factories/Future program, you can watch online at https://youtu.be/TadukhpIGwE

From Crawford Stewardship Project: Nearly 100 people made their voices heard on June 10th at the Wisconsin DNR hearing regarding the Roth Feeder Pig II operation in Crawford County. Many more have written in to the DNR directly. Noted concerns mentioned in the hearing
included water quality, water quantity, air quality, tourism, property values, and much more. There was only one person in favor of the factory farm, the operator himself.

We’re expecting the DNR to make a decision in the next couple weeks on whether they’ll be conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which has been widely called for, or if they continue to move forward with the permitting of this facility. Despite the comment period officially ending for the permitting of the facility on June 17th, because the EIS request is a distinct determination, there should be continued requests to the DNR to complete an EIS. The Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA), a foundational environmental statute, mandates a broader scope than what’s being reviewed through the Roth permitting documents. 

Currently, topics like odor, air quality and socioeconomic effects would only be reviewed through an EIS, and is not something the DNR has considered up to this point. To ensure the DNR is reviewing the proposal holistically, please write to the below individuals to request an EIS. Let them know that they cannot permit Roth Feeder Pig to grow into the largest hog CAFO in the state on one of the most sensitive landscapes in the state, without a more thorough study and analysis to inform their decision, and add conditions to protect water, air,
soil, and our communities. If the DNR does not have the resources to adequately study potential impacts, they should simply not permit this operation.

Find the original request for an EIS, submitted in November by Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of CSP and over 200 local landowners and residents, and supported by many environmental, agricultural, good governance, and hunting/fishing organizations at https://crawfordstewardship.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Roth-EIS-Request.pdf Email your request for an EIS to David.Siebert@wisconsin.gov, Todd.Ambs@wisconsin.gov and
Preston.Cole@wisconsin.gov. 

GRANTS FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS   CRSC will again award grants for environmental
education projects involving young people at the elementary and middle school level to school or community organizations. In addition, a new Stewardship Grant, will be added for high school seniors who demonstrate leadership, action, public engagement and understanding of the importance of environmental stewardship
.
Those in Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau and Vernon
counties are eligible to apply. Watch for application information and links in our August and fall newsletters! 

JULY EVENTS
July 20 - The Sustainability Institute will host an online Sustainability Chat at 3 p.m. featuring a virtual tour of sustainability projects at La Crosse’s Hamilton Early Learning Center/SOTA I, which include a solar array and food forest. Ben Burns, Hamilton-SOTA principal, and community partner, SOLS, will share their stories. Register (free) at tinyurl.com/SusChat0721

July 22 - La Crosse Area Transit Advocates will host a Ride SMRT to Viroqua day trip. Participants will ride the mid-morning Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit bus from La Crosse to Viroqua, spend the day seeing the sights, and return via SMRT to La Crosse in late afternoon. Jackie Eastwood, Transportation Planner with the La Crosse Area Planning Committee, will talk about the SMRT program during the morning ride. Read more: LaCrosseTransitAdvocates.org

The La Crosse County Comprehensive Planning Committee will focus on Farmland Preservation in July and plans a public event with area farmers to hear of their concerns and ideas. We will post the date on our social media as soon as it’s available. 

PFAS   Many communities across the country, including La Crosse, are dealing with PFAS contamination in drinking water. But PFAS are found in many more things from makeup to househood goods to bottled water to compost. The Center for Environmental Health has a single use foodware database at ceh.org/products/single-use-containers/ and Consumer Reports talks about bottled water PFAS at tinyurl.com/CRPFASWater.

Kid-Friendly Black River outing! July 24-25!

 We're BAAAAAACK!!!!

Get the kids! Pack the gear! Summer on the Black River is here!Saturday, July 24 (9 a.m.) to Sunday, July 25 (about 4:30 p.m) 

This kid-focused overnight paddling trip is for young families, adults with kids and the young at heart. We'll stop to play and explore, hike up a hidden waterfall, cook out and sleep in a tent on a sandbar. Must provide own boat, tent, gear, food and drinking water. Life jackets required. No fee. 

Event Organizers: 

• Patrick Wilson and Kevin Olson

Level: Easy (moving water-no rapids)

Cost: NO COST - but must provide own boat, tent, gear, food, transportation and drinking water.

Sign up Instructions: To learn more and/or register, contact Pat or Bobbie Wilson at pbwilson@centurytel.net OR (608) 788-8831

Bring: Everything you need for paddling, camping, eating, drinking, toileting, swimming, mosquitoes, sun/weather, health/medications. Feel free to ask the trip leaders for guidance. Water guns are fun for the kids...

Carpool: A carpool will be arranged just prior to the start of the trip so that most cars will be at the take-out prior to the start of paddling.

Note: Carpool transportation is at the sole risk of the participants.

Cancellation Policy: After registering in advance for this trip, you will be notified if the trip needs to be cancelled or if it's moved due to low water levels.