Dear Supporter,

Greetings and Happy Mid-Spring.

News from the Chair
by Nick Cheranich

As you are likely aware, the California Primary Elections are on Tuesday, June 7.

If you would like to see which candidates and measures we and the Redwood Chapter are endorsing for State and Local elections, please click here.

Here are the Napa Sierra Club initiatives that we are currently working on. If you would like to learn more, or join in the effort to help us on any of these initiatives, just let us know. Or, join us at our next meeting in July.

• Advocating for a comprehensive approach to protect Napa County’s water supplies
• Working to save Skyline Wilderness Park from development (see below)
• Partnering with the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation on the new Wetlands EcoCenter
• Providing opportunities for young people with our Internship Program
• Monitoring county-wide development projects to encourage a climate smart approach
• Supporting the Napa Valley Vine Trail as a member of the Vine Trail Coalition
• Promoting policies for working families as a member of the Napa Working Families Coalition

Thanks to our wonderful student volunteers, Alejandra Valladares and Eva Pelayo, who were very helpful at the Earth Day Walk and Talk last month. Read more about it below. (Right: Alejandra and Eva)

Our next Conservation Committee meeting will be July 19th, 2022 at 6:30PM. Just click on the RSVP button below and I'll send you a Zoom invite in the near future. Thank you.

- Nick Cheranich, ExCom Chair

The integrity of Skyline Wilderness Park is at risk. The county and the state need to know that taking this parkland for housing development of any kind is unthinkable, and it is not available to even be considered for development. It is an extremely valuable community shared resource and is in no way “surplus” undeveloped land to be considered any time there is a need for a for a list of available sites.

The state has mandated development of low income (affordable) housing in Napa County and provided rules as to where such development might happen. There is a set of locations where this development may happen, and it becomes the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors to select the site or sites. One of those sites is Skyline Wilderness Park. Each of our supervisors should know better than to put development in this (or any) park, but given that there has been no statement to that effect, we need to let them know individually and as a group, that this park should never appear on a list of potential development sites. Never.

Click here to read more, and to learn what you can do about it.

[Our new student intern, Eva Pelayo, started a podcast so as to help educate the public on a variety of environmental issues. Check out her most recent interview with AmCan City Council Member, Pierre Washington. Here's her invitation to listen]:

Hi all. Here on The Vision Z Podcast, we will be discussing things that have to do with our environment; for example, recycling, how to do it, and how it can change our lives and the life around us. Our goal is to introduce eco-friendly solutions to highlight the importance of small actions like saving water, using less plastic, recycling, how to make your environment more friendly to animals, and much more.

We will be discussing how climate change impacts our lives and how small steps can better it. So not only are we learning new things but so are you. By the end of each episode, an "Eco-Challenge" will be given out! What is that? Tune in to find out more!! (and be sure to look out for Season Two!!!!!) Here is the link to access the podcast: https://anchor.fm/eva029 .

You can tune in on Spotify, Apple podcasts, anchor, or wherever you listen to your music and podcasts. And make sure to follow @vision.z.podcast on Instagram. Thanks!

Earth Day With Our Student Interns in American Canyon
Article by Scott Thomason

The Napa Sierra Club Group, headed by ExCom member Scott Thomason, and its two high school interns, Alejandra Valladares and Eva Pelayo, led a presentation on Watersheds for Earth Day participants in American Canyon, April 22nd at the Wetlands.

The group was part of a contingent of various organizations who also led separate presentations, as more than 100 people walked a one-mile route around the American Canyon Wetlands, beginning and ending at the Wetlands Parking lot.

Also hosting discussions were Pam Phillips, from the City of American Canyon Water Department; Sierra Club Napa Group’s own Chris Benz, representing Napa Climate NOW; Danielle Ashton from Napa Resource Conservation District (RCD); Stacey Johnson and Alana Behn from the City of American Canyon’s Park and Recreation Dept.; Dave Garti from Marin Clean Energy (MCE); and Janelle Sellick, Executive Director of American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation (ACCPF).

The event started and ended at the Wetlands Edge parking lot and included a scenic loop in which presenters walked with participants while discussing various environmental topics.

Alejandra, Eva, and Scott spoke about what a watershed is, the Napa Watershed, why watersheds are important, threats to our watershed, and how each of us can help preserve and protect it. They students claimed that they not only learned a lot about watersheds, but they also learned how to speak publicly with confidence.

“Crying Won’t Help You and Praying Won’t Do You No Good!”

You might recall this riff from a great band (When the Levees Break, by Led Zeppelin). You also might disagree with it, and I’m glad you do. What does this have to do with climate change?

Carbon and greenhouse gas emissions are changing our global climate and weather to be dangerous and inhospitable to our traditional way of life. We may cry and pray for it to get better, but we still need to take definitive action.

Though it is hard to imagine a world where everything is electric, every step we take will help make that world a reality. I am fortunate to have worked with environmental matters for all my carrier, and have remediated problems such as PCBs, asbestos, lead, chlorinated solvents, and more. Click here to read more.