By Kay Plavidal

Each year, the Lone Star Chapter honors the hard work of those across the state who have fought to protect the quality of life in their communities. This year, our Big Bend Sierra Club received the Chapter Conservation Award. This award recognizes a person or group for working diligently during the past year on a particular issue – in our case, the fight against the Trans-Pecos Pipeline.

Receiving this award is quite an accomplishment. In Texas, there are ten regional Sierra Club groups and more than 22,000 members who are fighting an unfortunately large number of ongoing environmental battles every day. Our group has fewer than 100 members; yet we are trying to protect a region that is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined. So earning statewide recognition is a true achievement.

I was proud to accept this award on behalf of all of you at the Awards Banquet in Austin on April 30. I wish you could have been there to hear the words of praise from Rita Beving when she presented the award. Rita is a longtime Sierran and activist who provided invaluable guidance in the pipeline fight. Our effort and commitment so moved her that she nominated us for the award. Amazingly, she recounted a year’s worth of activities by Sierra Club and our allies: weekly organizing meetings and peaceful protests, forcing an Environmental Assessment, hiring a lawyer and protesting the FERC permit, letter writing, and fundraising events that included garage sales, barbecues, art auctions, and goat roping. The list was impressive. But it’s the essence of what Rita said that has really stuck with me:

“The Trans Pecos Pipeline is truly a David and Goliath fight. The Big Bend Group and their allies have mounted a formidable fight against this giant, Dallas-based, international pipeline company. Their efforts have been herculean. They remind us of the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Photo courtesy of David Griggs