Cascade Chapter -

2009 Elections Results As of 4:30 Pm, Nov 4th.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:38:51 +0000

Across Washington State, voters once again moved our world forward by electing leaders with proven visions for a cleaner, greener planet. Thank YOU!

It was a good night for Sierra Club endorsees. From Spokane to Seattle, we saw the power of great ideas, hard working volunteers, and informed voting -- working together to make the difference for all of us and for the Pacific Northwest.

Our Top 4 priorities: A Clean Sweep?

Most importantly for you, me, and every man, woman, and child in our state, I-1033 is going down in flames. The latest tallies have it losing by a 12% margin.
In a close second priority, Dow Constantine won the environmentally essential race for King County Executive by a solid 15%.
In Seattle, voter's have shown their love for the Sierra Club's vision by electing recent Board Chair, Mike O'Brien, to the City Council -- this despite a vicious smear campaign by his opponent, who outspent O'Brien by a factor of three. Mike currently holds a commanding 14% lead.
And, we are all holding our breath in anxious anticipation of being the first major city in America to elect a Sierra Club leader to the Mayor's office. Former Chapter and Political Chair, Mike McGinn, is holding a slim lead in Seattle, where voters were not swayed by his opponent's establishment backing and massive campaign spending. A win for McGinn would not only be a win for the Puget Sound region; it would be a win for much-needed action on global warming, for mass transit, and for smart growth policies. In the latest results, McGinn maintains his lead by 0.5%.

Other highlights from around Washington State:

Help Us Protect Washington Wolves - Attend a Hearing And/or Submit a Public Comment Letter!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:19:31 +0000

Let the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife know that you value wolves and their positive effect on ecosystems and wish to see their recovery to Washington's wildlife and habitat. The wolves will thank you for ensuring a wild future for our corner of the world! Click here to learn more about how you can help, talking points & how to submit written comments!

Sierra Club members in Washington State care passionately about protecting the Northern Gray Wolf, an endangered species that faces extinction from human predators. Our Fall 2009 edition of the Cascade Crest included a postcard for members to fill out and return for our use in organizing for the public comment period of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding their draft policy on Gray Wolf management for our state. Soon we will deliver your postcards to the WDFW. The postcard response has been extraordinary, send in yours today! We have posted comments from some of the postcards at the end of this article. To acquaint yourself with some background on the Gray Wolf, some important “talking points” for speaking publicly at the public hearings, and other pertinent materials.

Sierra Club in 'Architecture Week': High Tension Over Big Timber

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:15:51 +0000

High Tension over Big Timber, by Christine MacDonald

Late in 2007, storm-driven rains in southwestern Washington sent floodwater, mud, and tons of logging debris crashing into homes and farmland downstream of the Chehalis River. Numerous landslides destroyed wide swaths of mountain habitat, caused hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage, and downed an estimated 140,000 truckloads of timber — much of it on land owned by the Weyerhaeuser Company, the state's largest private timberland owner.

In the storm's aftermath, the state senate summoned timber industry executives to Seattle and grilled them about their logging practices. And when election season arrived in fall 2008, Doug Sutherland, the state commissioner of public lands, a Republican with campaign finance ties to logging companies, was swept from office. He was replaced by Democrat Peter Goldmark, who railed against Weyerhaeuser for clear-cutting that many believe had exacerbated — if not caused — the disaster.

Click here to read the entire article in Architecture week!

Department of Natural Resources Begins Restoration and Trail Construction in Reiter Foothills Forest

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:38:10 +0000

Temporary closure goes into effect November 2

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be giving extra attention to state trust lands in the Reiter Foothills Forest in southeastern Snohomish County this fall, winter, and spring. DNR staff and volunteers will be restoring damaged habitat, beginning construction on new trail systems, and working to improve public safety. To accomplish these goals, DNR will temporarily close the Reiter Foothills area to everything but foot traffic beginning November 2. The closure will allow restoration work to proceed more effectively. At the same time, DNR will be working with volunteers to locate trails that are fun, challenging, and environmentally sustainable, with low maintenance.

Sierra Club Joins Lawsuit to Protect Drinking Water, Rivers

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:09:38 +0000

By Stan Moffett, Water and Salmon Committee

In 2005, Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna declared that livestock producers could use unlimited quantities of groundwater, with no permit required. The result, four years later, is that water availability is becoming a big problem in certain areas of the state.

The lower Yakima Valley and Pasco areas are particularly attractive to livestock producers because of their lax zoning laws and arid climate. Family farmers are being displaced as mega-dairies and industrial-size feedlots move in, raising thousands of cattle in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. These require more water than has ever been used here before, but thanks to McKenna’s opinion, this does not concern them.

Let's Move Beyond Coal: Make Washington the FIRST COAL-FREE STATE

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:20:13 +0000

Help us to make Washington a coal free state by phasing out the TransAlta coal plant, which is responsible for 20% of our electricity.

The TransAlta coal plant is the largest source of global warming pollution in the state. It's the largest source of toxic mercury pollution, which is especially dangerous to children and future mothers, and is also responsible for haze pollution which destroys the beauty of 12 wilderness areas, including Mt. Rainier. WE CAN DO BETTER. We can replace coal with clean, renewable forms of energy like wind, solar and efficiency that will create jobs and reduce global warming. Washington can be a national leader on clean energy. Over the next several months, we will be turning the heat up on Governor Gregoire, urging her to be a leader in getting us off our dirty coal habit. We can make Washington coal free, but we can’t do it without your help. Click here to take action to make Washington a coal-free state.

Nation's First Phosphate Ban: Working

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:59:24 +0000

"We’re literally leading the nation here in Spokane County, which is pretty amazing if you think about it."
-- Rachael Paschal Osborn, Spokane River coordinator, Sierra Club

The Spokesman-Review, August 16, 2009 written by Johathan Brunt

The storyline of the near-ban on phosphorus in dish detergent in Spokane County has focused on scofflaws sneaking Cascade across the state line in a dogged attempt to keep their dishes sparkling.

Roadless Forests Win in Court -- Decision Reinstates Most of National Rule Opposed by Bush, Timber Lobbyists

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:23:23 +0000

WASHINGTON -- The Wilderness Society and 19 other environmental organizations notched a huge victory today when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco affirmed protection for almost 40 million acres of wild national forests and grasslands from new road building, logging, and development. The decision puts an end to the Bush administration’s efforts to open these last great natural areas to development. Today’s ruling protects the majority of national forest roadless areas in the country.

INFORMATION & INSPIRATION TO HELP GREEN YOUR LIFE:

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:08 +0000

Maybe you've already changed all your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents. And this past winter you turned down the thermostat by 2 degrees. You're saving energy and money, and reducing your carbon footprint. But we all need to go the extra mile to wrangle the climate-change challenge and create a clean energy future.

The coolest thing is: We've got what we need - the technology and "can do" spirit. Click here for information that could help you kick it up a notch in your home when it comes to energy savings and reducing your carbon footprint:

About the Cascade Chapter

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 21:52:00 +0000

The Sierra Club is the nation's oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. The Cascade Chapter is its voice for most of Washington State. Our members are some 30,000 of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet.

For more news reports from the Cascade Chapter click here and scroll down the page.

Another Bad Idea From Tim Eyman, I-1033

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Times are tough enough. Let’s not make them worse. Vote No on I-133.

I-1033 is Tim Eyman’s latest bad idea for Washington—and may be his worst yet. In fact, I-1033 would not only have disastrous effects on our ability to preserve our environment, but would hurt our schools, our health care system, and even slow our economic recovery. The huge coalition of organizations and businesses opposed to I-1033 is a reflection of just how bad an idea it is. I-1033 is opposed by everyone from the Children’s Alliance to AARP of Washington, Microsoft, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the Low Income Housing Alliance, The Washington State Hospital Association, Association of Churches, Labor Council, the PTA, and many, many more.