Transformational (and not in a good way!) Land Use...
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is considering land use proposals that, if enacted, will transform Prince William County forever. The Great Falls Group of the Sierra Club has grave concerns about these changes and their cumulative impacts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, maintaining and improving water quality and protecting our state and federal public lands.
The Great Falls Group of Sierra Club is a founding member of a coalition of environmental, housing and transportation grassroots organizations working in Fairfax County to protect our environment and to improve its policies. Under Fairfax Healthy Communities , this relatively new umbrella group began in 2019 by presenting a non-partisan forum for candidates during the last local election cycle.
Since then our work and mission has been to "seek policies which put peoples’ needs at the center of decision making to ensure livable, mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented, and green communities in achieving this future. These transportation, housing, energy, land use, and environmental policies should be acted on with urgency in support of both One Fairfax and Net Zero goals to mitigate climate impacts and provide resiliency to ensure an equitable and healthy future."
As described by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), this is not just any forested stream valley habitat. It is of rare quality, and likely shelters rare and threatened species. It should be preserved intact. Segment 6 includes distinctive Coastal Plan/Piedmont Acidic Seepage Bogs, and is near globally rare Magnolia Bog, which occurs in the Newington Conservation site on the west side of Long Branch.
Sadly, VDOT allowed this project to qualify for a categorical exclusion (CE) from the requirement to prepare an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. A serious alternatives analysis was not completed. The alternatives analysis (1) did not include an analysis of existing facilities in the area, and (2) did not adequately consider alternatives closer to the preferred bikeway alignment.
Given the extensive current infrastructure already in place, it is regrettable that no studies were undertaken to determine the level and patterns of existing use of the existing Metro access trails documented below or if demand existed for a yet another north/south route.
Your time commitment can be as little as three hours a month or as much time as you have. Some example ways you can help include social media support to amplify our outreach. Or you can learn how to testify at local supervisors’ board meetings – it’s brief but a very effective way to support environmental issues. You can help with event planning, such as an electric vehicle event at a local community college, or you can assist with Great Falls Group’s candidate endorsement project by listening to prospective candidates and learning about the issues and what they say about them. You may assist in preparing and editing the Cascade newsletter.
From Ivy: Dear readers : Many of you know that although I write independently of any organization, I also volunteer for the Sierra Club and serve on its legislative committee. Today, the Sierra Club’s Virginia Chapter urgently needs funds to support its legislative and political work towards a clean energy transition. So for the first time, I’m passing the hat and asking you to make a donation to our “Ten Wild Weekends” fundraising campaign.
Ivy Main, Renewable Energy Chair for Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter
Hike to Raven Rocks -- a "Wild Weekend" Event
WHEN: Saturday, July 2, 2022, 9:00 am WHERE: Cool Spring Battlefield, 1400 Parker Lane, Bluemont, VA 20135 DETAILS: Join a vigorous 10.5 mile hike to the lovely Raven Rocks overlook (1540' elevation gain). From the Cool Spring parking lot, we will hike through the battlefield on a flat path, then take the Ridge-to-River trail to the Appalachian Trail to Raven Rocks for lunch. Good conditioning and sturdy, comfortable shoes are a must for this hike. Learn more about Sierra Club 10 Wild Weekends and visit https://www.teamsierra.org/virginia/ to donate or register as a fundraiser to help sustain our work. RSVP to register COST: Donations to this Team Sierra campaign are greatly appreciated. The Virginia Chapter has set an ambitious goal of raising $100,000 this summer to sustain our work. The theme of this weekend event is: Celebrating Women's Leadership in Social and Climate Justice. SPONSOR: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter CONTACT: kate.west@sierraclub.org
DETAILS: The world is currently in the early stages of a global energy and food crisis that is already as bad as any since World War II. It's likely to get worse. Richard Heinberg, a Senior Fellow at Post Carbon Institute, will explore the causes of the crisis, its current scope, some possible near-future scenarios, and longer-term consequences for the economy and the renewable energy transition. He also will discuss systemic strategies toward solution.
Richard Heinberg is the author of 14 books, including, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival, along with hundreds of essays and articles, some of which have appeared in Nature, the Wall Street Journal and The American Prospect. He has lectured on six continents and has appeared in numerous environmental documentary films.
SC Virginia Chapter Is in Search of Two New Chairs!
Are you looking for a way to contribute to the Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter but aren’t sure what to do? Our Virginia Chapter is looking for two new leaders: theMembership Chair and the Fundraising Chair.
The Chapter Membership Chair works with the membership chairs of the individual groups to share ideas and plan strategies for recruiting new members. The Fundraising Chair works with staff and other volunteers to help plan and coordinate fundraising campaigns and events.
These are two very important positions in the leadership of our chapter that we would like to fill as soon as possible. If you might be interested in volunteering as Membership or Fundraising Chair, please contact either Ralph Grove (ralph.grove@gmail.com) or Kate West (kate.west@sierraclub.org). These positions are open to all Sierra Club members.
