November 2023 Newsletter

November 12, 2023

Photo: Peter Guerrero Help Shape Sierra Club's 2024  Legislative Priorities November 16, from 7 to 8 PM on Zoom   Help keep our state on the right track to mitigate the climate crisis, achieve climate and environmental justice, and protect our wildlife and forests. Barb Boyle, State Chapter Legislative Chair, will explain the process of selecting legislative priorities. Let us know what your priorities are and why.  A successful legislative session depends on how strongly we work together with the legislators in the next session. You can influence your own representatives by working with our lobby team! Our teams provide training so you can effectively promote our concerns. Please join us to share information and ideas and find out how to become a legislative team member to lobby your elected legislators in the upcoming session. RSVP Here   Let Clallam Commissioners Know We Don't Want Our Legacy Forests Clearcut   Other Washington counties have pursued available tools for preserving their legacy forests but Clallam Commissioners are lagging in this regard despite overwhelming support for doing so from both residents and the Port Angeles City Council.  Time is of the essence as this matter is before the Commissioners now.  The Center for Responsible Forestry has tips on how to make your voice heard:   Take Action Here   Restore Grizzlies to the North Cascades Restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades will take many decades but it has the potential to be one of the greatest wildlife conservation efforts in the history of this region. People exterminated grizzly bears in the North Cascades and now we have an opportunity and a well-crafted plan to bring them back. The National Park Service and the US Fish & Wildlife Service are currently seeking public comments on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and proposed rule under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act that would provide agencies more flexibility to manage the grizzly bear population in rare situations of conflict.  Such a rule is paramount in the success of active grizzly bear recovery efforts.  Public comments due by November 13; take action here:   Support Grizzly Bear Reintroduction   The Alaska Suite: A Story of Beauty, Loss and Hope Seattle-based, award-winning composer Nelda Swiggett and her five-piece chamber jazz ensemble are coming to Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend on Dec. 1st and 2nd to perform “The Alaska Suite: A Story of Beauty, Loss and Hope.” This concert is a musical reverie on the tenuous beauty of the Arctic. But it is not just a concert. The performance engages the power of artistic expression — live music, spoken words, images and poetry — to connect audiences deeply and emotionally to the scientific realities of climate change.  Find out more here:   Tickets and Information   Public Dialogue Sought on Columbia River Transboundary Issues Sierra Club is participating in an online event, November 29th & 30th, to begin the process of revitalizing public education and dialogue on transboundary issues affecting the Columbia River Basin. Much has happened in the Basin since the last in-person transboundary symposium  in 2019. The Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance (UCCRG) and others have come together to renew this dialogue. Sierra Club's Columbia River Team is helping to support this conference and welcomes your participation.  More info here:   Find Out More Here Olympic Peninsula Environmental News   EV Carshare Available: Jefferson County, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, City of Port Townsend and OlyCAP recently held a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the launch of an EV carshare program in the City of Port Townsend. The partnership came out of the City's Climate Action Committee's EV Work group, which was established to help speed the transition to EVs in Jefferson County as one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The program was designed to make EVs accessible to a wide range of residents, households and businesses to use the carshare as an extra car, reducing the number of cars owned.  There are currently two EV carshare locations: one at the Chamber and another at OlyCAP's 7th Haven housing development   Find Out More Here Puget Sound Recovery Challenges:  Earlier this month the Puget Sound Partnership released its biennial State of the Sound report that shows the Sound is not doing as well as we all aspire to. Many of the indicators used to gauge the health of the Sound are not making enough progress toward recovery, and climate change is a significant additional stressor on the Sound's ecosystem. Some indicators are showing local declines, which means more attention needs to be given to those areas to prevent the declines from getting worse.   Find Out More Here Environmental Champions Elected:  Both of our endorsed candidates, Navarra Carr for Port Angeles City Council and Harmony Rutter for Sequim City Council, won their respective races.  Congratulations to each!  The North Olympic Group evaluates candidates for public office, supporting those who are environmental champions and committed to addressing climate change and the host of other challenges we face.    The Promise of Biochar:  The North Olympic's Norm Baker has been a champion of biochar for sequestering carbon and enhancing soil fertility.  Find out more about his work here:   Biochar's Promise   Join the North Olympic Sierra Club Leadership The North Olympic Group is a volunteer-based organization that promotes sound environmental policies, supports environmental champions for public office, and gets people outdoors to enjoy the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula.  Each year we elect new members of our executive committee.  Current members up for election are Bob Sextro, Genie Mixon, Emily Beals and Peter Guerrero.  Contact us if you're also interested in joining us--we have one open seat.  Send a brief description of your background, interests, and how to contact you. Sierra Club members will receive their ballots after Thanksgiving.   Contact Us Save Miller Peninsula: October’s Event Now on Video!   In case you missed our October event, this video provides a historical perspective on citizen efforts that saved the Miller Peninsula from industrial development, current plans by Washington State Parks to replace this vital and unique ecosystem with inappropriate uses, and why it matters to continue to fight to preserve this important habitat.  Presented by the Sierra Club's Darlene Schanfald. Save Miller Peninsula   Become an Advocate for Wildlife In September we heard from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commissioner Lorna Smith on efforts to restore balance to the WDFW by ensuring it meets its conservation mandates under the law.  Citizen advocacy is critical to ensure WDFW rules and regulations acknowledge the importance of protecting our wildlife and support the recovery of threatened and endangered populations. Periodically check WDFW's rulemaking page to see how your voice can protect Washington's wildlife.   WDFW Rulemaking Page