Last Call for Spring Retreat! May 3 - 5th at Fall Creek Falls
The Spring Retreat at Fall Creek Falls is coming up fast! Jump in and register if you haven't already. Aside from the great usual activities of meals, hiking, campfires, and music, there will be some unique features, including a demonstration/participation in an environmental aftermath role-playing game and a comprehensive overview of our region's forests. Don't miss out!
Register here or visit the
TN Chapter website for detailed information.
Now-retired State naturalist Randy Hedgepath, on right, leads a hike to Fall Creek Falls at the 2023 Spring Retreat.
Tennessee News
Rally for the Valley on May 8th! This is not just another rally. TVA is making major decisions about the future of energy in the Valley and we need to send them a clear message that our future must be fossil-free, equitable, and clean! Join us on Wed. May 8th in Nashville at 4:30 pm CST as we rally to demand that TVA stop its gas and pipeline buildout and lead the way to a fossil free future! Speakers will include Bill McKibben of
350.org and Third Act, and TN State Representative Aftyn Behn. Music will be provided by Jonathan Singleton and others. Fill out this form
to join the rally. The rally will start directly after the TVA Board Listening Session which is May 8th, 2:00-4:00 pm at Lipscomb University Shinn Center. Pre-registration is required to speak at the session. You can submit comments to the TVA Board here (this page will have the agenda and instructions about pre-registration for the listening session by the end of day, May 2nd.)
Environmental groups sue federal agency over Middle Tennessee pipeline approval. "Environmental groups have filed suit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over its approval of a pipeline that will wind through mostly poor and Black Middle Tennessee communities to supply methane gas to a new Tennessee Valley Authority power plant near Clarksville. The Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices are asking the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to set aside the federal agency’s January order approving the 32-mile pipeline through Dickson, Houston and Stewart Counties."
Read more by Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - May 1, 2024.
TVA is a monopoly. A board is supposed to curb that power. Is it? "The Tennessee Valley Authority formally announced last week its intention to build a methane gas plant in Kingston. The decision — which would involve building a 122-mile pipeline across six counties in Tennessee — was made solely by CEO Jeff Lyash without public approval from TVA’s board. 'TVA is a monopoly utility that operates essentially unregulated,' said Maggie Shober, the research director at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. 'The level of transparency on who is making what decision and when is appalling.'" Read more
by Caroline Eggers - WPLN - April 11, 2024.
Duck River among the 'most endangered' in the nation. "The Duck River, which winds through seven Middle Tennessee counties for more than 260 miles before reaching the Tennessee River, is among the most endangered rivers in the United States, according to a new report by the advocacy group American Rivers. Threatened by population growth, development and climate change “urgent action is needed to safeguard this vital ecosystem,” the report released Tuesday said. The Duck River serves as the source of drinking water for nearly 250,000 Tennesseans, and industry and agriculture depend on it, too." Read more
by Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - April 17, 2024.
A very fun fundraiser for the TN Chapter! Nashville-based collective, the “Saving Art Project” is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Tennessee Chapter! The event is called “STRAW Fest” (Saving The Remaining American Wilderness festival) and will be held at The East Side Bowl in Nashville on May 1st, doors open at 6:00 pm. The event will feature several local music artists, a raffle, and more! Get your ticket here!
Anti-pipeline demonstration at the Earth Day 2024 event in Nashville. One sign reads "TVA is fossil fuelish." Photo by Barry French.
Welcome, New Tennessee Chapter Director!
By Bill Moll
The Tennessee Chapter has selected Pat Cupples as its first Chapter Director, with a start date of June 3. Pat is currently Director of Education and Founder of the Mastic Beach Conservancy in Long Island, a leading community group in educational and aquaculture initiatives, along with the protection and thoughtful design of waterfront parkland. Pat has also been a music-media producer and small business owner in Brooklyn. He is married with two children. After the Sierra Club on-boarding process, he will be meeting this summer with Sierra Club leaders and members across the state.
Pat Cupples spent Earth Day with Chapter Chair Cris Corley, on Cris's Cumberland River farm in Trousdale County. Photo: Cris Corley.
Environmental Updates
The Other R's Before Recycle. The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement publishes monthly newsletters and tips on sustainability. May's newsletter explains ten "R's" to employ before defaulting to "recycle." These include strategies like reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, restore, regenerate, rethink, and review. Read about the "R's" here and challenge yourself to use one of them today!
Homebuilders flex as feds cede wetland oversight to states. "After a landmark Supreme Court ruling, up to 63 percent of the nation's wetlands lost federal protection, EPA says. States are moving into the regulatory void. While some states have expanded protections, others have moved in the opposite direction. Indiana and North Carolina have opened up more wetlands to development through recently enacted laws. And, Tennessee and Missouri are considering bills that would have similar effects." Read more by Miranda Willson - Politico Greenwire - Mar. 28, 2024.
Victory: Major protections for clean air and water! Decades of advocacy from Sierra Club supporters like you just resulted in a HUGE win: Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced four historic protections that will slash air, water, and carbon pollution from power plants! But now Republicans in Congress are trying to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority and undo this great work. Tell Congress to support these landmark environmental protections!
EPA announces online collection of environmental justice resources. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Environmental Justice Clearinghouse, a first-of-its-kind online collection of resources related to environmental justice. Directed by President Biden’s
Executive Order on Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All,
the Environmental Justice Clearinghouse will help the public access federal and non-federal resources online... EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights will continue to add information to the clearinghouse on a rolling basis and welcomes input and any submissions from the public for review and potential inclusion." Check it out here.
Health & Justice
House passes outdoor recreation package EXPLORE Act! Robert Scott, deputy director of federal policy for Sierra Club, released the following statement: "Sierra Club has been advocating for Congress to pass legislation like this outdoor recreation package, which will unlock opportunities for many more families nationwide. It is wonderful to see the House acknowledge the importance of outdoors access by passing the bipartisan EXPLORE Act, and we hope to see the Senate follow suit.” Read more - Sierra Club Press Release - April 9, 2024.
23 GOP state attorneys general target EPA civil rights enforcement. "The petition says the Biden administration's approach to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act pushes states 'to engage in racial engineering.' The petition drew immediate criticism from Earthjustice." Andre Segura, the group's vice president of litigation, issued a statement: “Everyone should be alarmed by these outrageous efforts from states like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, and their attempts to eviscerate civil rights protections just to make it easier for industrial polluters to continue with business as usual." Read more
by Sean Reilly - E&E News - April 17, 2024. Note: Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti signed onto the petition as well.
Sycamore Institute to serve as Tennessee's new home for KIDS COUNT. KIDS COUNT® is an initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation with one partner organization serving every state. "As a KIDS COUNT grantee, the Sycamore Institute will publish research and analyses on topics related to the health and well-being of Tennessee youth. For example, in 2024, Sycamore will continue to shed light on the state of children’s mental health in Tennessee, current prevention and treatment efforts, and challenges and opportunities for improvement. Each year, Sycamore staff will also ensure that metrics related to the health and well-being of children in Tennessee are being tracked in the national KIDS COUNT database.
Visit here to learn more about the KIDS COUNT initiative. Read full anouncement by Sycamore Institute - April 9, 2024.
Federal Court confirms that Tennessee election officials cannot deny voter registration to eligible Tennesseans with past felony convictions, must inform potential voters of eligibility. "Tennessee has the second-largest disenfranchised population in the country, more than 470,000, second only to Florida, and disenfranchises over 20% of its Black citizens, the highest rate of Black disenfranchisement in the country."This court decision "marks a significant victory in our ongoing battle for voting rights restoration for those silenced by felony disenfranchisement," said Keeda Haynes, senior legal counsel at Free Hearts. Read more in The Tennessee Tribune - April 21, 2024.
"Free Hearts is an organization led by formerly incarcerated women that provides support, education, and advocacy in organizing families impacted by incarceration, with the ultimate goals of reuniting families and keeping families together."Photo credit: Free Hearts.
Fundraising Corner with Mac Post
Please consider becoming a monthly donor to the Tennessee Chapter by setting up a small automatic monthly transfer from your credit card or bank account. To become a Chapter monthly donor use the secure website here!
The Tennessee Chapter is effective because we have the flexibility to fight any environmental battle at any time—including legislative fights in Nashville. Monthly donors are the backbone of that power and flexibility. Currently we have about 40 monthly donors that give from $5 to $40 monthly totaling over $6,500 per year. We need more of you because your steady giving, regardless of size, sustains long-term campaigns that are improving Tennessee’s environment.
May Events
Statewide environmental events listed chronologically.
Do you have an event you'd like publicized?
Send it to Enews.sierratn@gmail.com.
May 1st is International Workers Day! International Workers Day began in 1889 as a commemoration of the fight for an 8 hour workday. During the Haymarket Affair of 1886, labor activists in Chicago were wrongfully executed after a violent clash with police. Many years later, President Grover Cleveland designated an official holiday, Labor Day, to honor workers. Uneasy with the socialist origins of the cause, Cleveland designated Labor Day to be in September, and not May 1st. You can explore the primary documents of leftist political and social movements in 19th and 20th century America with PRISM (Political & Rights Issues & Social M
ovements), a collaborative digitization project of Florida Atlantic University and University of Central Florida libraries and special collections departments. Browse the collection here.
Rally for the Valley on May 8th! Join us on Wed. May 8th in Nashville at 4:30 pm CST as we rally to demand that TVA stop its gas and pipeline buildout and lead the way to a fossil free future! Speakers will include Bill McKibben of 350.org and Third Act, and TN State Representative Aftyn Behn. Music will be provided by Jonathan Singleton and others.
Fill out this form to join the rally!
May 16th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)!GAAD was launched thirteen years ago with the goal of getting everyone “talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than one billion people with disabilities/impairments.” Over one billion people in the world have a disability, which is about 1 in 6 people (World Health Organization). In Tennessee, that number is 1 in 3 adults, according to the CDC. Held on the third Thursday of May, GAAD aims to make accessibility a core requirement in tech culture.
Learn more about GAAD here. Sierra Club's Accessibility Working Group is hosting a webinar on Wed. May 15 at 12:00 PM CST/ 1:00 PM ET to talk about accessibility and how you can be an ally.
Sign up here!
Species Spotlight
This month's featured species is: Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea or lutea)
The yellowwood tree is in the pea family. After flowering in spring, the hanging flowers become yellow-brown bean pods.Photo by Tom Gill, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via NC State Extension.
The yellowwood tree, or Kentucky Yellowwood, is native to North America and is at home in Tennessee's limestone ridges and cliffs. This deciduous tree grows to about 45 feet tall, blooms in mid-late spring, and its leaves turn yellow in fall.
Yellowwood blooms are unique as well as fragrant. It has white, pendulous flowers that hang like clusters of peas. It begins flowering when it reaches a height of 12-18 feet.
The bark of the yellowwood tree is thin and can have a silver/gray hue. Cladrastis means "brittle branch," so the tree should be properly pruned when appropriate to make sure the branches have good angles for growth.
The University of Kentucky reports that "the root bark of yellowwood was used as a dye by early settlers in the southern Appalachians" (UKY.edu). Additionally, the tree's wood was used to make gun stocks.
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