In this issue, we have several actions you can take today to help protect our forests and move our state towards renewable energy, plus our regular features - like photos from you, our readers - and much more!
Rebecca Dien-Johns
Chapter Coordinator.
Stop Duke’s Dirty Rate Increase
Duke is our state’s largest utility and the furthest behind in transitioning to renewable energy - still generating around 95% of its power with fossil fuels. Duke’s 2024 rate case proposes dumping hundreds of millions of dollars to prop up coal.
According to Citizens Action Coalition, Duke wants to raise the average residential customer's bills by $42 a month by 2026 (a 33% increase). Duke’s greed is obvious - Duke earned $497 million in profit in 2023.
It’s time for our communities to rise up and demand Duke’s rate increase be OPPOSED. Oppose the increase now at sc.org/dukeistheworst.
The Hoosier Chapter is planning on updating its structure, which will formally remove the Dunelands Group and the North East Indiana Network as sub-entities of the Hoosier Chapter. Members are welcome to comment at our online Chapter ExCom meeting on July 13 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time before a final vote is taken. Register here: ExComm: Listening Session (Dunelands Group and NE Network).
Act Now to Protect Public Forests
The Indiana Division of Forestry recently denied a High Conservation Value Forest Area (HCVF) designation for the Jordan Creek Area in the Owen-Putnam State Forest and they denied the HCVF for the Yellowwood BackCountry Area. In its decision the Indiana Division of Forestry said there are no special areas worth saving for rare and endangered species both flora and fauna.
Help us protect our forests and call the forest office at 812-829-2462 or the Governor’s office at 317-232-4567. You can also submit written comments online by visiting Indiana’s Division of Forestry public comment page. Let them know, “Logging has its place, just not every place. All public recreation areas should be protected from logging that reduces Hoosiers enjoyment of our public forests”.
Lora Kemp
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Executive Committee
The Hoosier Chapter Climbs the Hill
May 13-15 was the Sierra Club's Wildlands Lobby Week in Washington D.C. Two Hoosier Chapter Executive Committee Members, Neil Goswami (Political Committee Chair) and Jesse Kirkham (Heartlands Group Chair) went to D.C. to work with Sierra Club’s D.C. Staff and Sierra Club Volunteers from around the country.
They lobbied the Senate to support the bipartisan H.R. 6492, (The Explore Act). This legislation will revolutionize and improve access for everyone to America's Public Lands. They lobbied Congress to pass the bipartisan version of the Senate Farm Bill, which protects IRA investments of $20 billion for agriculture & conservation assistance and $9.7 billion for rural clean energy programs. It also provides protection for wilderness designations and other land protection.
Neil and Jesse were able to meet with both Senator Braun and Young's Office staff as well as with every Indiana Congressional Office. They even met with House Speaker Mike Johnson's Office.
On behalf of the Hoosier Chapter and the Indiana Forest Alliance they lobbied specifically for S.2990 (Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Addition Act) which would double the Deam Wilderness in Indiana. This is presently in the Senate version of the Farm Bill.
Jesse Kirkham
Heartlands Group Chair
Volunteer leaders Neil Goswami (L) and Jesse Kirkham (R) in D.C.
CALL TO ACTION TO DOUBLE THE DEAM WILDERNESS
The Hoosier Chapter and the Indiana Forest Alliance along with several organizations are working to designate 15,300 acres of Hoosier National Forest as wilderness through the passage of S. 2990, the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Establishment Act of 2023. The Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Indiana Congresswoman Erin Houchin. U.S. Senator Mike Braun also re-introduced the Bill in the U.S. Senate and it is now S.4402.
If passed, S.4402 would add 15,300 acres to the Charles C. Deam Wilderness, more than doubling its size and create the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area (NRA) on an additional 29,382 acres. This legislation will serve to protect the drinking water of Lake Monroe and add further recreational, scenic value and biodiversity to this protected land.
Please contact U.S. Senator Todd Young and ask him to cosponsor S.4402 along with Senator Braun. Email Senator Todd Young via young.senate.gov/contact/email-todd or call 317-226-6700 and ask him to cosponsor S.4402! You can contact your U.S. Representative to cosponsor it in the House.
Throwback Thursday
Welcome to this occasional feature, where we look back and share a photo from our past!
This month, we travel back to London in May 2015. This photo shows me (Rebecca Dien-Johns) with my mother Ceris Dien, at an anti-racist march. The march was organized as a counter-protest to a racist group who brought in people from an outside area to march in a multicultural part of London, where I lived at the time. The fact they had to scramble to bus people in and were still vastly outnumbered by anti-racist protestors says it all! My Facebook post from the day notes, 'saw an anarchist hug a vicar' and that once the racist group left, the sun started shining.
Rebecca Dien-Johns (R) and her mother Ceris Dien (L) at an anti-racist march in London E17, May 2015. Photo: Rebecca Dien-Johns.
Since joining Sierra Club in 2016, I've appreciated that Sierra Club is committed to an anti-racist stance. As noted in the seminal piece by Hop Hopkins, Racism Is Killing the Planet : "You can’t have climate change without sacrifice zones, and you can’t have sacrifice zones without disposable people, and you can't have disposable people without racism."
Rebecca Dien-Johns
Chapter Coordinator.
Spotted!
Sierra Club staff and volunteer leaders are passionate about getting out there and spreading the word about issues that matter to Hoosiers!
Photo supplied by Tyler Moore. Photo includes Sierra Club Chapter Director Robyn Skuya-Boss (on the far left), Queer Indiana founder Tyler Moore (next to Robyn), and Sierra Club volunteer leader Julie Lowe (next to Tyler). Sierra Club outings leader, Mary Carol Reardon is sitting down on the right with a white hat and sunglasses.
Above - Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter partnered with Queer Indiana for a beautiful sunny spring flora hike at Green's Bluff Nature Preserve in April.
Below - Student Climate Film Festival Kicks Off Earth Week
On Friday, April 19th the Dubois County Green Drinks Chapter led by Sierra Club volunteer leader Mark Nowotarski held the first ever Dubois County Student Climate Film Festival at the historic Astra Theatre in Jasper. The Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter along with other environmental organizations helped sponsor the film festival and members helped table for the Sierra Club. In total, four student groups from the area high school participated and produced short documentaries related to climate and environmental issues. In addition, the professional short documentary, Gen Z Mental Health: Climate Stories was presented. At the conclusion of the film two mental health associates from Life Springs were on hand to present their view of the film and answer questions. Several residents, family members and students attended the event. Mark stated that as a first event he was pleased with the outcome and will work on growing this event in the future.
Sierra Club volunteer leader Mark Nowotarski speaks at the Dubois County Student Climate Film Festival. Photo supplied by Mark Nowotarski.
Sierra Club volunteer leaders Marilyn Bauchat and Mark Nowotarski tabling at the Dubois County Student Climate Film Festival. Photo supplied by Mark Nowotarski.
The postponed service hike on the Hayes Trail took place on Monday, April 15.
We enjoyed many wildflowers as a result of past efforts to remove invasive species.
We removed some small multiflora rose that have reappeared and also several large barberries.
Marilyn Bauchat
Uplands Network volunteer leader
Mary Reardon and Bill Lonnberg on the Hayes Trail service hike. Photo supplied by Marilyn Bauchat.
Thank you Mike Habeck for these beautiful flower photos! He says, "animals move too fast for me, but I do have a few photos of plants and scenery"
Top row: "sessile trillium (I prefer the name toadshade) at Flowing Well Park in Carmel" and "a twinflower at Calli Nature Preserve in Jennings Co."
Bottom row: "This is a late summer flower - fringed gentian, I think. At Fisher Oak Savanna in Jasper Co." and "a large-flowered trillium at Fawn River Nature Preserve in Lagrange County, Indiana"
Thank you also to Laurie Elliott (who happens to be one of our amazing volunteer leaders at the Chapter!) for sending this cute lil' opossum, taken at Morgan Monroe State Forest on February 14.
Do you have a photograph of Indiana nature that you would like to share? We'd love to see it and perhaps feature it in a future newsletter!
Use the button below or email
rebecca.dien-johns@sierraclub.org
A recommendation from our Chair, Joab Schultheis: "Learn how a virtual power plant (VPP) in Puerto Rico is providing critical resiliency to the electrical grid" - Virtual power plant preventing blackouts in Puerto Rico (pv magazine)
What have you been reading, listening to, or watching lately? We'd love to hear from you! Email rebecca.dien-johns@sierraclub.org
That's all for this month! We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter.
