Oregon Chapter Seeks Applications for Volunteer Treasurer!

The Oregon Chapter is seeking a committed and qualified individual to serve in a key volunteer leadership role within our organization.  We will be accepting applications on a rolling basis and will begin reviewing applications on May 20th until the position is fulled.

Please submit cover letter and resume to:

Oregon Chapter Sierra Club
1821 SE Ankeny St.
Portland, OR 97214
oregon.chapter@sierraclub.org
Please include Treasurer Position in subject line.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Purpose: To manage and report on the Chapter’s finances.

General Responsibilities:

• Maintain all bank accounts
• Provide oversight of all financial transactions.
• Record and code all transactions in QuickBooks Online.
• Monitor the budget and ensure that a reserve cash balance is maintained.
• Periodically provide financial updates to the ExCom.
• Prepare any required financial reporting forms and safeguard financial records.
• Ensure Chapter and Group compliance with all policies and procedures.

Qualifications:

• Ability to keep neat and accurate records.
• Ability to work with Executive Committee & volunteers
• Attention to detail.
• Availability to handle transactions on a timely basis.
• General knowledge of cash accounting principles.
• QuickBooks Online and Excel experience is a plus.

ABOUT THE OREGON CHAPTER

The Sierra Club’s Oregon Chapter represents the organization’s 15,000 members in Oregon and has worked to protect Oregon’s environment and natural resources since 1978. Today, the Sierra Club employs a staff of seven in Oregon who works with volunteer leaders to advance the chapter’s conservation priorities. Current priority conservation efforts of the Oregon Chapter include:

• Protecting Oregon’s wild forests.
• Protecting Oregon’s high deserts.
• Stopping reckless liquefied natural gas pipelines and terminals.
• Fighting for clean energy solutions.
• Additionally, the Sierra Club maintains a professional presence at the state capitol and is active in efforts to influence legislative and administrative decisions that impact Oregon’s environment.

The Oregon Chapter also conducts a wide array of activities that engage members and the general public in efforts to explore, enjoy, and protect our shared environment; including outdoor hikes, service activities, community forums, and research efforts.

Coalition Files Suit to Protect Fragile Alpine Meadows on Mt. Hood

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- 5/16/2013

Media Contacts:
Lori Ann Burd, Bark, loriannburd@gmail.com, 847-567-4052
Rhett Lawrence, Sierra Club, rhett.lawrence@sierraclub.org, (503) 238-0442, x304

Coalition Files Suit to Protect Fragile Alpine Meadows on Mt. Hood
Destructive Mountain Biking Expansion at Timberline Lodge Threatens
Summer Recreation Opportunities, Fish and Wildlife in Sandy River’s Headwaters 

May 16, 2013 — Today Crag Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Friends of Mt. Hood, the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, and Bark challenging the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) decision to allow high-impact lift-assisted mountain biking that would harm fragile alpine habitat near Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.  Over one million people visit Mt. Hood annually to climb, hike, ski, fish, bike, and play.  Providing recreational opportunities and safeguarding our public land are at the core of the Forest Service’s mission, and the agency has an obligation to reject environmentally destructive development proposals.

“Mountain biking is growing in popularity and we support Forest Service efforts to provide environmentally-responsible, quality recreational opportunities for mountain bikers and other recreationists.  However, the fragile alpine soils at Timberline are the wrong place for a downhill lift-assisted mountain bike park,” said Lori Ann Burd with Bark.  “The Forest Service has failed to meet its responsibility to the public. Bark has worked with mountain bikers to encourage the Forest Service to convert unused logging roads into trails, but the Forest Service has failed to take action to seize these opportunities.  Instead it has approved the construction of 17 miles of new trails in the sensitive headwaters of Still Creek and the West Fork of the Salmon River, leaving us no choice but to go to court to stop this development.”

The area around Timberline Lodge is cherished for summertime recreation such as wildflower viewing in the shadow of Mt. Hood.  “Timberline Lodge in the summertime has always been a place to seek peace and quiet, and generations of families have treasured memories of hiking, picnicking, and sightseeing around Timberline,” said Dennis Chaney of Friends of Mt. Hood.  “This project would jeopardize this beloved place by allowing high-speed downhill biking, races, and more development that will further degrade this fragile alpine environment.  A National Historic Landmark and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail are not compatible with an adventure park.”

Marla Nelson of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC) noted: “NEDC opposes this project because it would harm trout, salmon, and the aquatic environment that supports them.”  She stated that the project will also:

• Increase sediment in Still Creek and the West Fork of the Salmon River, undercutting the significant investment of time and money in restoring downstream trout and salmon habitat
• Convert vegetation into bare mineral soils and encourage the further spread of noxious weeds
• Disturb wildlife, including elk, which rely on these high alpine meadows during calving season

“Timberline’s master plan to build a new day lodge, a new parking lot, and this mountain bike park was accepted by the Forest Service without adequate consideration of the cumulative effects on this fragile alpine environment,” said Rhett Lawrence, Conservation Director with the Sierra Club.  “Timberline has not been able to successfully restore the areas it has already damaged and any new construction would simply add to the area’s degradation.  The Forest Service needs to engage the public in a meaningful discussion of how to provide for ecologically responsible recreation on our public land, instead of taking more risks with Mt. Hood.”

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Join the worldwide March Against Monsanto on March 25!

Portland, join the growing movement against Monsanto’s control over our food supply!

The proliferation of Monsanto’s GMO’s and dramatic upsurge in the use of their toxic herbicide Roundup/glyphosate is an issue that requires action by citizens now.  With Congress and government agencies failing to respond to the public’s concerns and the precautionary principle, it’s up to us to move this forward into the spotlight NOW.   Invest in your community’s future.

When:       Saturday, March 25 – 11:00 AM
Where:     Holladay Park Fountain, Portland
What to Bring:   Water, banners/signs, fliers, cameras
March Route:     Link to the March route
Donations:      Accepted to pay for March fees/cost
Remember:    This is a peaceful demonstration

Like Portland’s March Against Monsanto’s Facebook page.

Why GMO’s are a recipe for global famine:

1.  Patented seed – Farmers growing GMO crops are denied their traditional right to save seeds for the next year.

2.  Soil infertility – GMO is agriculture is chemical intensive.  Agrochemical buildup is causing sterility in the soil.  Glyphosate herbicide is especially problematic.  Nutrition content of food is much less in GMO crops.

3.  GHG pollution (greenhouse gases) – Our GMO industrial-model, agrochemical farming system destroys the soil’s natural ability to sequester carbon, using billions of pounds of climate-disrupting, soil-killing chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  Sustainable farming practices pull carbon out of the atmosphere back into living soil.

4.  Monocropping/Loss of biodiversity – GMO agriculture is monocropping.  75% of seed diversity has already been lost to industrial farming.  Biodiversity is food security.

5.  Terminator seed technology – This is designed to genetically switch off a plant’s ability to germinate a second time.  Plants with terminator genes can cross pollinate with natural varieties causing otherwise fertile seed to be sterile.

6.  Dependency on a centralized food system – A network of home gardens and small to mid-sized farms offers far greater food security than a centralized, globalized system.

7.  Superweeds, Superpests – With weeds developing resistance to glyphosate on nearly half of U.S. farms,  with pests requiring 20% more insecticide on GMO crops than non-GMO, harsher “stacked” herbicides and pesticides are next to be employed in industrial farming.

8.  Genetic pollution – Cannot be halted once released into open fields, destroying our natural genetic heritage.

GMO agriculture is the opposite of Sustainable. 

“The seed, the source of life, the embodiment of our biological and cultural diversity, the link between the past and the future of evolution, the common property of past, present and future generations of farming communities who have been seed breeders, is today being stolen from the farmers being sold back to us propriety seed owned by corporations like the U.S.-headquartered Monsanto. “  ~  Vandana Shiva, “Great Seed Robbery,” Deccan Chronicle, April 27, 2011.

Here’s a link to an article of recommend reading, “Food, Farms, Forests and Fracking: Connecting the Dots,” by Zack Kaldveer and Ronnie Cummins.

Half Time at the State Capitol

The Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

On April 18, the Oregon legislature reached its first deadline to move bills out of committee. The Sierra Club continues to track, analyze, and advocate for bills that impact the environment. Below is a list of our top legislative priorities that are still alive following the April 18 deadline.

If you would like to take action on any of these bills, please contact your legislators and let them hear your opinions. You can locate your legislators here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

 Bills we support:

•  House Bill 2893 – Solar Resource Value – This bill creates a modest expansion of Oregon’s existing solar pilot project to aid commercial solar installations and also requires the Public Utilities Commission to conduct a detailed study of opportunities to advance solar installation in Oregon.
• Senate Bill 602 – Waldo Lake Motor Ban – This bill adds Waldo Lake to the list of non-motorized lakes in Oregon, protecting the lake from pollution and the spread of invasive species, and also ensuring peaceful recreation for those who paddle, camp, hike, and watch for wildlife at Waldo Lake.
• Senate Bill 488 – Clean Fuels Program – This bill extends Oregon’s standards for reducing the amount of carbon in transportation fuels, currently set to expire in 2014. The Clean Fuels Program plays an important role in helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• House Bill 2105 – Energy Facility Siting – This bill authorizes a study on the siting of energy facilities.
• Senate Bill 401 – State Scenic Waterways – This bill expands the State Scenic Waterways program by designating additional rivers and creeks as scenic waterways. This designation would prohibit suction dredge mining on these rivers.
• Senate Bill 692 – Electronic Appliance Efficiency – This bill establishes minimum efficiency requirements for electronics such as televisions, batteries, refrigerators, and freezers.
• Senate Bill 840 – Water Use Efficiency – This bill requires efficient water use for fixtures such as toilets, showers, and faucets.
• Senate Bill 844 – Voluntary Carbon Reduction – This bill directs the Public Utility Commission to establish a voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction program to incentivize investment in emissions reductions.
• Senate Bill 306 – Carbon Tax Study – This bill will authorize a study on the implementation of a carbon tax.
• House Bill 2319 – GMO Crops Bill – This bill allows the Department of Agriculture to take measures to prevent the spreading of genetically engineered material to adjacent agricultural tracts.
• House Bill 2427 – GMO/Canola Bill – This bill prohibits the growing of canola within the Willamette Valley.
• House Bill 2820 – Energy Facility Siting – This bill modifies the definition of energy facilities and the maximum size of solar facilities for purposes of Energy Facility Siting Council-issued site certificates.

Bills we oppose:

•  House Bill 3086 – Off-Site Sage Grouse Mitigation – This bill would make it easier to take actions affecting sage grouse habitat with offsite mitigation measures.
•  House Bill 3098 – Young Life Ranch Expansion – This bill authorizes the owners of the Young Life Washington Family Ranch to develop 4,000 acres of land, exempted from land use regulations.
•  Senate Joint Memorial Resolution 10 – O&C Lands Resolution – This resolution urges Congress to assign a board consisting of local governments, timber industry representatives, and environmental organizations the right to manage Oregon & California Railroad grant lands.
•  Senate Bill 633 – GMO Bill – This bill prohibits local measures seeking to regulate agriculture by enacting anti-GMO requirements.
•  House Bill 2624 – Cougar Bill – This bill allows the hunting of cougars and bears with dogs under certain conditions.
•  House Bill 3452 – Wolf Bill – This bill allows for wolves to be killed without a permit under certain conditions.

 Bills we are closely monitoring for any substantive changes:

 Senate Bill 357 – Oregon Department of Forestry Study Bill – Requires Oregon Department of Forestry to study and develop recommendations on the pace and scale of federal forest management projects and potential state and local funding for federal projects.

Who Will Speak for the Birds?

by Heidi Dahlin, Oregon Chapter Conservation Chair

The Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge Complex is a stopover for one of the largest migration of birds in North America. Birds stop by south-central Oregon to rest and feed on their way north or south, or stay and raise their young.

This weekend, representatives from two Sierra Club chapters met with two other organizations and toured the complex with refuge manager, Ron Cole, to learn about the state of the refuges after a series of dry years. What we found were low water levels, with the prediction that the Lower Klamath Refuge will be dry by August.

That’s right: no water for thousands of birds that depend on the wetlands for food.

Last year over 20,000 birds died from a cholera outbreak due to overcrowding in the low water in the spring. The Lower Refuge has been dry three of the last four summets due to the lack of delivery of water.

We need to speak for the birds. Please contact your representatives in Congress and ask them to remember the thousands of birds who need the water to survive and ask that the Bureau of Reclamation deliver the needed (and promised) water to the refuge complex.

Please speak for the birds.

Help Our Senators Designate More Oregon Wilderness!

Early morning on Waldo Lake in central Oregon.

In February of this year Senators Wyden and Merkley introduced a serious of wilderness and land protection bills targeting the Oregon Caves Nationa Monument, Devil’s Staircase, Cathredral Rock and Horse Heaven in the John Day Basin, and lands along the Chetco, Molalla, and Rogue rivers.

Senator Wyden recently brought forth and marked up the first of these bills targeting the Rogue River area through a subcommittee of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee that he chairs. The bill would add 60,000 new acres of wilderness to the existing Rogue Wilderness and protect 143 milesof tributaries, one of the most productive salmon watersheds on the west coast.

Now is a good time to thank Senator Wyden for introducing and advocating for these areas as it will be no small task to get wilderness legislation through Congress. The previous Congress was the first since the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964 that failed to add any new wilderness to the system. Senator Wyden is in a position to be a strong advocate but he needs to hear that Oregonians not only support these initial efforts but that we also need him to become a more vocal leader to initiate efforts to protect large areas such as the Owyhee Canyonlands and the area around Waldo Lake, both current campaigns of the Sierra Club.

Owyhee Canyonlands in southeast Oregon.

The Club is currently advocating to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands as a National Monument and the Waldo Lake area  in addition to the other lands identified in Senator Wyden’s legislation.

We strongly encourage you to write or call Senator Wyden and Merkley to thank them for their efforts and ask them to advocate for permanent protection for the Owyhee Canyonlands and Waldo Lake area. Tell them how important these areas are to you and why you value protecting wild lands.

Senator Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C., 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5244
or use his on line comment page

http://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
Phone:(202) 224-3753
or use his on line comment page

http://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/

A hike with forest ecologist Howard Bruner

Forest ecologist Howard Bruner.

by Barbara Loeb, outings leader of the Marys Peak Group

Did you know?

• that a certain type of lichen (lobaria or lung moss) is a nitrogen fixer? It thrives on trees and then falls to the ground to fertilize the trees it has lived on
• that fallen trees, branches, and forest undergrowth help slow the flow of streams and make them healthier?
• that you can often tell if a tree has fallen due to root rot? The tree’s fine roots will be missing, and the larger ones will be snapped, as well as show signs of rot.
• that root rot can cause small open spaces in the woods? A single infection center can spread from tree to tree, gradually felling one after another until the rot encounters unsusceptible tree species or existing gaps that stop it.

On March 23^rd the Marys Peak Group of the Sierra Club sponsored a hike with botanist and forest ecologist Howard Bruner. A number of hikers walked the Old Growth and New Growth trails in MacDonald Forest and listened to his information on the ways our forests work. Howard’s goal had been to help us see the forest in new ways, and he succeeded. The above is just a hint of what we learned.

The Marys Peak Group of the Sierra Club has a diverse outings program, check out their calendar for upcoming outings: http://oregon.sierraclub.org/groups/marys_peak/events/

Sierra Club Opposes Portland Water Fluoridation Measure 26-151

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2013

 SIERRA CLUB OPPOSES PORTLAND WATER FLUORIDATION MEASURE 26-151

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Sierra Club today announced its opposition to Ballot Measure 26-151, the water fluoridation measure that voters will decide on this May.  The Club made its decision based on long-term evidence of adverse health risks from fluoridation chemicals and the concern that fluoridation would introduce dangerous quantities of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals into local rivers through sewage effluent.

“Human health is intertwined with the health of our rivers, aquatic life, and entire ecosystem,” said Antonia Giedwoyn, spokesperson for Oregon Sierra Club’s Columbia Group, which made the decision to oppose the measure. “We strongly support comprehensive dental care for our children, but this is the wrong path to that goal.”

“Sierra Club opposes fluoridation, because it would degrade some of the purest drinking water in the world. Kids are already bombarded with multiple toxins from plastics, pesticides, and air pollution.  Adding fluorosilicic acid, a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry, to Portland’s water would be a profound disservice to our children,” Giedwoyn said.

Fluorosilicic acid added to all Portland water would drain into rivers and streams. Fisheries scientist and Columbia Group Chair Jeff Fryer explained the club’s concerns about adding over 1 million pounds of fluoridation chemicals a year into Portland’s water system.

“We are disappointed that City Council rushed the fluoridation vote before evaluating impacts to salmon and other aquatic life, because there is no question that fluoridation chemicals would add a large quantity of a known toxin into rivers that are already overloaded with toxins,” Fryer said.

Claims that fluoridating the water would add a “natural mineral” are false. Fluorosilicic acid — which is neither natural, nor a mineral — is the chemical mixture the City would use to fluoridate. This man-made chemical is highly corrosive and is classified as “hazardous” by the National Institutes of Health’s Hazardous Substances Data Bank. Unlike fluoride in toothpaste, fluorosilicic acid is not pharmaceutical grade.

Numerous scientific studies have linked fluorosilicic acid exposure in drinking water to serious health risks such as increased risk of bone cancer, neurological impairment, thyroid dysfunction, and more.

If the measure passes, the City will charge water ratepayers for a fluoridation facility estimated to cost between $3.5 and $7.6 million, along with $575,000 per year indefinitely on fluoridation chemicals and plant operations.

“Spending millions of dollars to pollute our water with fluorosilicic acid, an industrial waste, would be dangerous and misguided. We can better serve Portland kids by increasing their access to dental care and prevention,” said Sierra Club member Sheila Golden, chair of Columbia Group’s Bull Run Task Force.

“For the sake of our children and our rivers, Sierra Club urges you to vote NO on acid fluoridation chemicals this May,” said Giedwoyn. “Sierra Club has been committed to healthy children for more than a century, and we want fewer chemicals in our water, not more.”

Sierra Club, founded by John Muir in 1892, is the nation’s oldest and largest environmental organization.

###

Relevant references:

“The most commonly used additives are silicofluorides, not the fluoride salts used in dental products (such as sodium fluoride and stannous fluoride). Silicofluorides are one of the by-products from the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers.” National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences: “Fluoride in Drinking Water, A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards” (2006). http://www.nao.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571

PWB spending:  City of Portland Water Bureau, “Cost to Implement Fluoridation,” June 8, 2012,  on file; referenced in   oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/08/fluoride_group_secures_second.html

City of Salem Calls for Increased Review for Coal Exports

Last night the 9 member Salem City Council voted unanimously to pass a letter supporting Governor Kitzhaber’s call for an area-wide Environmental Impact Statement.

Mayor Peterson encouraged the rest of the Council to vote with her.  She also enclosed resolutions from 15 Salem Neighborhood Associations that had passed resolutions in the past couple months urging the Council to take action.

It was a packed house, with about 70+ people in attendance. Dr. Andy Harris testified about the health impacts (thanks, Regna & Oregon PSR!), Rev. Janet Parker testified about the moral importance of stopping coal exports, a Salem Neighborhood Association leader testified, Evan White & Hans West testified, among others. Linda Coons made sure that everyone had a sticker on.

We can now add Salem to the list of the more than 30 other cities, counties, and other entities that have expressed concern or opposition about coal exports!

A HUGE congratulations to everyone who made this happen.   It took a lot of work to get to this point.

Congratulations, especially to Evan White, Hans West, Eric Spivak and Jim Scheppke for their outstanding leadership of the Salem Beyond Coal Task Force and careful, strategic work to get Neighborhood Associations and Councilmembers on board.  Evan White and Hans West have worked tirelessly over recent weeks to make this happen.

Hats off, of course, to Lucy Sedgewick, Green Corps organizer who worked on the Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign in Salem in the fall.  Lucy kick started all of this work and built up a team of leaders and volunteer activists in Salem who brought this campaign over the finish line.

And congrats and a huge thanks to all of the volunteers of the Salem Beyond Coal Task Force who worked hard on the phones, on the pavement, talking with hundreds if not thousands of people — business owners, faith leaders, and so on, and mobilizing the grassroots effort that led to this win.

Welcome new Sierra Club Staff in Oregon!

The Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club is excited to welcome to new staff to our team this spring!

Rhett Lawrence, Conservation Director

Rhett Lawrence is the Conservation Director for the Oregon Chapter, having started in that role in February 2013. A Sierra Club member since 1990, Rhett was deeply involved in volunteer activities and Club outings when he lived in south Georgia in the 1990s. He was the Georgia Chapter’s issue leader for the Okefenokee Swamp and fought vigorously in an ultimately successful effort to stop the DuPont Corporation from building a titanium mine on the edge of the Okefenokee. Rhett was also heavily involved in the chapter’s efforts around the Cumberland Island National Seashore and the conflicts with the wilderness area there.

A native of South Carolina, Rhett received a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Emory University in Atlanta and a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in Athens. After law school, he worked for Georgia Legal Services in Waycross, Georgia, for 5 years and had the honor of arguing one of his cases in front of the Georgia Supreme Court (he won!). Then, after several years of practicing environmental law in Savannah, Georgia, Rhett moved to Oregon in 2000 to head up the Clean Water and Toxics programs for OSPIRG. Just prior to coming to the Oregon Chapter, Rhett was a Policy Analyst for the Save Our Wild Salmon coalition for 6 years. In that capacity, he worked on a campaign to restore endangered Columbia and Snake River salmon by removing the costly and outdated lower Snake River dams in eastern Washington.

Before the birth of his daughter, Camille, in 2005, Rhett was involved in many outdoor activities, some of which he still finds time to do now, between swim classes, soccer games, and Girl Scout meetings. Rhett and his wife, LeeAnn Friedman, enjoy taking Camille out on hikes, bike rides, and the occasional paddle on the Columbia Slough in their 16-foot green Coleman canoe. And though Rhett’s primary mountain climbing days seem to be behind him now, he still maintains that he will return to the summit of Mt. Hood with Camille for his 50^th birthday in 2018.

Contact Chris at:
(503) 238-0442 x304
rhett.lawrence@sierraclub.org

 

Chris Smith, State Forest Organizer

Chris works as the Conservation Program Coordinator for the Oregon Chapter’s state forest conservation effort. Focusing on the Tillamook and Clatsop forests on Oregon’s north coast, the campaign’s focus is on protecting clean drinking water, salmon and steelhead populations, wildlife habitat, and favorite recreation spots.

These forests, which have historically faced significant pressure from the timber industry and have been victim to human-induced fires, are in the process of recovery and their balanced management is crucial to the north coast’s legacy of natural resources and natural beauty.

Growing up in the high desert of New Mexico, Chris moved to Oregon in 2005 for a radically different landscape. He received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Lewis & Clark College in 2009 and ironically moved to Greece to find work. After returning from Greece, Chris organized for the Club’s voter turnout campaign in 2010 before working as a cook at Outdoor School and as an artist’s assistant building a giant tree chandelier. In 2011, He moved to Chicago to enroll in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. The draw of working on a collaborative campaign, along with the outdoors opportunities that Oregon offers, brought Chris back to Portland in 2012.

Along with environmentalism, Chris is interested in the academic study of religion, literature from a variety of sociocultural contexts, grating music, embarrassing fishing tactics, low-level rec league sports, friends, and the outdoors.

Contact Chris at:
(503) 238-0442 x307
chris.smith@sierraclub.org