Stewards advocate for policies related to water, forests, and wildlife.
Forests and Wildlife
In collaboration with LONA (the Legacy of Nature Alliance), members of the Sierra Club Forest and Wildlife Stewards are working to request a rule change that would either require or at least allow, citizens to petition for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) when trails are proposed in regional parks, other urban parks and Scientific and Natural Areas. The goal of an EAW is to obtain useful information about the effects of a proposed project on the environment and cultural resources, and how they can be avoided or mitigated.
This document will be submitted to the Environmental Quality Board for review and consideration, and it will include some of the effects that the construction of new trails can have on wildlife, soil, vegetation and water quality. Considerations for building a new trail should also include conflicts between users, maintenance (mowing, pesticides, de-icing salt) and the effects of construction itself (clearing, soil disruption), noise, propagation of invasive species, and lighting. If passed, this rule requiring EAWs for new trails could greatly help the conservation of nature in the metro area.