We have over 2,000 members located in the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and Arlington County. The Group's elected volunteer leaders work with interested Group members and state and national Sierra Club staffers to organize campaigns for clean energy, smart growth, public transportation, open space conservation and more. Join us!

 

Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Announces Endorsements for Mayor and City Council in Alexandria Democratic Primary

Alexandria, VA, May 10, 2024 – Sierra Club’s Virginia Chapter has made the following endorsements in Alexandria’s Democratic Primary:

For Mayor:  Alyia Gaskins

For City Council:  Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley, John Chapman, James “Jimmy” Lewis, Kirk McPike, and Jesse O’Connell

The Sierra Club’s endorsement process included a detailed questionnaire, analysis of incumbents’ record in office, in-person interviews of first-time candidates, and voting by the local Executive Committee and state Political Committee.

“Alyia Gaskins has been a strong ally and leader on climate and environmental justice issues as a City Council member,” said Dean Amel, chair of the Sierra Club’s Potomac River Group, which includes Alexandria. “She will be a superb mayor.”

“The four incumbents we have endorsed – Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley, John Chapman and Kirk McPike – have shown commitment, knowledge and leadership on environmental issues and have earned our support,” Amel said.

“Jimmy Lewis and Jesse O’Connell impressed us with their climate change policy expertise and their record of public service,” Amel said. “They committed to be advocates for the environment and we look forward to working with them.”

The Democratic Primary will be held on June 18. In-person early voting, voting by mail, and voting by mail ballot drop box are available now.

Members and friends can join the Sierra Club’s Potomac River Group at the covered pavilion in Chinquapin Park (Chinquapin Dr., Alexandria) for healthy picnic food and drinks at this zero-waste event. This is a great opportunity to informally meet fellow environmentalists from Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church. 

• Ryan Freed, Alexandria’s Climate Action Officer, will introduce himself and be available for informal discussion. 

• Potomac River Group Executive Committee members will answer questions about what the Sierra Club is up to and how to get involved. 

• A walking tour along the Taylor Run Chinquapin Walking Trail will be led by Russell Bailey. Russell was part of a group of citizen scientists who saved this section of Taylor Run from a stream restoration that would have removed about 200 trees.

Registration is requested to help with food planning. Hope to see you there, rain or shine. 

Arlington, VA, April 22, 2024 – Sierra Club’s Virginia Chapter announces its endorsements of Zuraya Tapia-Hadley and Kathleen Clark in the Democratic Caucus for Arlington School Board. Tapia-Hadley and Clark are candidates for two open seats in a ranked-choice contest. Tapia-Hadley and Clark were ranked first and second, respectively, in the process.

 

The Sierra Club’s endorsement process included a detailed questionnaire and in-person interviews, followed by discussion and voting at the local and state level.

 

“Both candidates understand that our children’s future depends on effective action to address the climate crisis. They favor more aggressive steps by Arlington Public Schools to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions and for schools to play a leadership role helping the community reach its climate goals,” said Dean Amel, chair of the Potomac River Group of the Sierra Club, which includes Arlington. “They committed to be advocates for the environment on the School Board and we look forward to working with them” said Amel.

 

Tapia-Hadley showed extensive knowledge of climate change and environmental issues at all levels of government. As a government relations professional, she brings strong advocacy and coalition-building skills to her work.

 

In addition to her environmental commitment, Clark impressed the Sierra Club with her advocacy skills, her deep community relationships, and her understanding of APS policies and practices.

There are arguments in favor of building a new arena for professional hockey and basketball  teams in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood, but we judge them to be weak. The  proposed location is very close to a new Metro station. The site is somewhat centrally located in  the DMV region and definitely would be a better location than a site outside the Beltway. The  arena and related businesses would bring Alexandria a substantial increase in tax revenue,  although the use of these revenues is currently in flux as the General Assembly considers and  amends the governor’s proposal. It’s clear that most tax revenue from the arena complex would  go to repaying bonds guaranteed by the state of Virginia. 

There are more arguments against building an arena in Potomac Yard. Similar to the experience  in other cities, the existing Capital One Arena likely would be razed within a few years after  losing its two main professional teams, resulting in a loss of a substantial amount of embedded  carbon. This existing embedded carbon would be replaced by the materials needed to build the  new arena. The current arena is more centrally located and has better Metro connections (six  lines at two stations) to all parts of the DMV region than the Potomac Yard location (two lines at  one station). While the capacity of the Potomac Yard station can be increased, current evidence  suggests that the lengthy time to wait for a Metro train after a game at Potomac Yard would  discourage many fans from using Metro. Most Maryland/DC fans would have a longer Metro  ride to Potomac Yard compared to downtown DC stations, likely leading to increased use of cars  causing more traffic than is generated at Capital One Arena games.  

The Potomac River Group believes that renovation of the existing arena would be initially less  carbon-intensive than building a second arena and result in lower GHG emissions in the long  term due to better transportation alternatives for event audiences. The Potomac Yard site would  be better suited for high-density residential development with some retail to serve additional  residents.

Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Endorses Letty Hardi, Tim Stevens, and Justine Underhill for Election to the City of Falls Church City Council

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Sept. 12, 2023 - The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter announced today that it is endorsing Letty Hardi, Tim Stevens, and Justine Underhill for election to the City of Falls Church City Council. “Of the candidates seeking election, Letty Hardi, Tim Stevens, and Justine Underhill stand out for their support of policies that promote environmental stewardship, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, a transition to renewable energy, and a sustainable future,” said Dean Amel, Political Chair of the Sierra Club Potomac River Group, which includes Falls Church.

“In responses to our candidate questionnaire and in interviews, Hardi, Stevens and Underhill demonstrate a clear understanding that climate change is our top environmental challenge. They agree that the City government and the Falls Church community must do their share to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” added Michael Trauberman, a member of the Sierra Club Potomac River Group Executive Committee.

Hardi is a two-term incumbent and the City’s Vice Mayor. A sustainable city is a core component of Hardi’s vision for Falls Church, and she has a strong and consistent voting record in support of smart growth, density, and transit-oriented development. Hardi highlights that reducing energy use and transitioning to renewable energy sources will be top environmental priorities if reelected for a third term.

Stevens, Chair of the City’s Planning Commission and former Chair of its Environmental Sustainability Council, is a long-time leader in local, regional, and state-wide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability. He emphasizes that emissions reduction will be his top environmental goal while serving on the Council. Stevens also supports urban designs that make it easier for residents to live their lives with reduced reliance on vehicles.

Underhill is a member of the City’s Housing Commission, where she works to maintain and expand affordable housing and encourage a diversity of housing options. Underhill is also active in several citizen-led organizations including leadership roles with Falls Church Forward and Bike Falls Church, and as a member of the Falls Church Climate Action Network (FCCAN). She indicates that her top environmental priorities on City Council will be housing and land-use, transportation and pedestrian-friendly design, and greenhouse gas emission reductions.

See the candidate statements below for more infomation!

Tim Stevens 2023 Sierra Club Falls Church City Council Candidate Questionnaire.pdf83.73 KB

 

Letty Hardi Sierra Club 2023 Falls Church City Council Candidate Questionnaire.pdf159.24 KB

 

Justine Underhill Sierra Club 2023 Falls Church City Council Candidate Questionnaire.pdf271.95 KB

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