sierran_Fall2011

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www.sierraclubmass.org

Explore, enjoy and protect the plan

I n s I d E :

Reacig More Ta

20,000 sierra Club Member a

supporter i Maacuett

2 Directrs Letter

3 MA Activists Recgnized

3 Anita King Retires

4 Advcating n Beacn Hill

6 Threats t ur Frests

8 Sierra Club Takes Actin

10 Meet Launa Zimmar

12 Plitical Endrsements

14 Green Cmmunities Act

16 Chapter & Grup Electins

18 Endangered Species in MA

19 Middlesex Fells

M a s s a c h u s e t t s

IERRANume 17 number 1 Fall 2011

IERRAN

Dear Fellow Sierra Club Member,

We share a passion for the environment and an under-standing that the choices we make today will affect this planetfor generations to come. When we preserve open space, stop theuse of a toxic pesticide, or advocate for clean renewable energy,were making a statement: our resources are finite. If we resistsquandering them, we can preserve our environment for futuregenerations.

Chapter volunteers and staff have been working tire-lessly to protect our limited resources. We are constantly battlingwell-funded commercial interests and those who would destroy

an endangered species just to make a profit.

This is where you come in your support is instru-mental in keeping up our work. Your direct donation to theMassachusetts Chapter will help us preserve our local resources:our treasured parklands, rich wetlands, rivers and lakes, andthe air we breathe. Wont you take a moment and make a directdonation today? Any amount, large or small, helps us in ourwork, ensuring a healthy and diverse environment for the future.Sincerely,Dan ProctorChapter Chair


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2 Massachusetts Sierran FALL 2011

Massachsetts Serra Clb

CHAPTER ExECuTivE CoMMiTTEE 2011

Dan Prctr, [email protected]

Ernest Edwards, Vice [email protected]

Debrah Hlt, Council [email protected]

Tara [email protected]

Phl Sanders

Crag [email protected]

Blssm [email protected]

Elsa [email protected]

Jhn [email protected]

SiERRA CLuB STAFF

James McCaffreyChapterDirector

Danelle PscatellDevelopment Associate

Drew GrandeAssociate Field Organizer

Gna Cpln-NewfeldSenior Campaign Representative

LEADERS LiSTFor information on local environmental issues, membership,

meet the group of issue leaders listed below.

GRouP LEADERS

Cape Cd and islands Grp

David Dow, Chair

[email protected]

Greater Bstn GrpKaren ODonnell, Chair

[email protected]

Threa Grp

Dan Proctor, Chair

[email protected]

CHAPTER iSSuE LEADERS

Cnseratn Char

John Lewis, Chair

Pblc Lands / Frestry

Elisa Campbell

[email protected]

Castal / Marne Char

Blossom [email protected]

Pltcal Cmmttee Char

Phil Sego

[email protected]

Transprtatn Char

John Kyper

[email protected]

Enrnmental Jstce Char

Bob Murphy

[email protected]

sIERRA CLUB

Letter from the desk of James McCaffrey, Director

Newsletter Layout: Miranda Vitello

TheMassachusetts Sierran is published once a year.

The deadline or copy is normally eight weeks

beore publication. The deadline or meetings andannouncements is our weeks beore publication.

Please submit all copy to

[email protected]. Please submitall announcements and meetings information

to [email protected].

Opinions, unless otherwise stated, are ofthe author only; positions adopted by the

Sierra Club are identified as such.

Circulation of the Massachusetts Sierranis over 20,000 outdoor-minded,environmentally aware readers.

Mng?Send change o addressorms to:

Sierra Club Membership,85 Second Street, 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105.

Prspecte adertsers:For advertising rate

information, please contact

[email protected]

or call 508-698-6810.

TheMassachusetts Sierranis published once a year byMassachusetts ChapterSierra Club10 Milk Street, Suite 632Boston, MA 02108

[email protected]


IERRANVol. 17 No. 1 Fall 2011

2011 Massachusetts Sierra Club

No part of the contents of this newsletter may be reproduced by any means

without the written consent of the Massachusetts Sierran.

Animal Farm 2011

I you have been ollowing congress or the campaign trail recent-ly, you may have noticed the newest rerain o the conservativemovement: Regulations are job killers and crushing the U.S.economy. Environmental regulations have become prime odderor the Orwellian utterances o the right. As readers o the 1945novelAnimal Farm will recall, those in power eventually resort torevisionist history and a constant adjustment o the acts in orderto maintain a corrupt power structure. Here in 2011, pollutersand their pals in Washington want the polluting regime to stay,the EPA is in their way, and truth is a burden they can not bear.

The latest victory or the ossil-uel industry was convinc-ing President Obama to postpone proposed EPA air-qualityrules. President Obama noted his commitment to protectingpublic health and the environment is unwavering even whileannouncing a delay in the very rules that would achieve thisgoal. By extolling the importance o reducing regulatory bur-dens and regulatory uncertainty, particularly as our economycontinues to recover, the White House ell lock-step in linewith the rhetoric o the right. In late September, the House oRepresentatives voted to urther derail the EPA with the osten-sibly named TRAIN Act or Transparency in Regulatory Analysisof Impacts on the Nation. Championed by Representative JohnSullivan (R-OK), the bill cosponsor list reads like a whos who orecipients o ossil-uel industry dollars.

Even as conservatives overwhelmingly decry environmentaland public health regulations as job killers, the act is there islittle or no evidence to support the claim. Recent data rom the

On ThE COVER: Middlesex FellsPhoto by Deborah Holt

continued on page 7


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FALL 2011 Massachusetts Sierran 3

Sierra Club Recgnizes MA Chapter Activists

LoNG-TiME PoPuLATioN ACTiviST RETiRES

by Deborah Holt

Anita King, chair of theChapters PopulationProgram, retired on EarthDay, April 22. Anita heldthis position since 1992but now at age 95, she hasdecided it is time to stepdown.

When I first met Anita lastsummer, she told me howshe became an activist. It

was 1992 and although a long-time Sierra Club mem-ber, she wasnt an active member. One day she gota call from another Chapter member who said Werelooking for someone to go to Washington becauseour representative hasnt decided which way he wantsto vote on family planning and reproductive health.We thought you might like to go because you justmoved here from Washington. I grabbed the oppor-tunity because yes, indeed, I was missing friends in

Washington where I worked for the government at theNational Institute of Mental Health.

Anita went on to launch the Population Programthereafter, and through collaboration with SmithCollege (her alma mater), the program sponsored aseries of speakers, starting with Werner Fornos, headof the Population Institute in Washington from 1982-2005 and an internationally recognized expert onworld population issues. Many other notable speak-ers followed, including Margaret Catley Carlson, cur-rently chairman of the Global Water Partnership andThoraya Obaid, Head of the United Nations FamilyPlanning and Reproductive Health Program.

Over the almost twenty years that Anita served asPopulation chair, she brought light and attention tothe issues of population, reproductive rights and socialchange through a steady series of articles and speak-ers. We are sad to loose Anita as Population chair buthopeful that someone will come forward soon to con-tinue this important work. If you are interested, con-tact [email protected] for more information.

Anne Carrll and Bb Murphy Receive Natinal Awards

MA Chapter activists Anne Carroll and Bob Murphy were recognized or their volunteer contri-butions at the Sierra Clubs 2011 annual awards celebration in San Francisco on Friday, Sept 23.

Cape Cod & Islands Group member Bob Murphy received the Clubs Special Service Award or overorty years o volunteer contributions. During the Chapters early years, Bob wore the various hats o

oce manager, newsletter editor and Boston Harbor Islands volunteer. More recently, Bob has used hiswork experience, education and position in the community to bring attention and resources to envi-

ronmental justice issues.

Boston ICO Chair Anne Carroll received the Madelyn Payeatt Award, which honors a Sierra Clubmember who has made outstanding contributions through working with youth. Anne began volun-

teering with Boston Inner City Outings in 1998, and in 2004 she became Chair, overseeing the revital-ization o Boston ICO. Under Annes continuing leadership, Boston ICO has unded, organized and led

over 75 trips, bringing more than 1300 youth on outdoor trips.

Congratulations to Anne and Bob!


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Below lists just a ew o the bills that Sierra Club sta and volunteers like you have been working on.

Updated Bottle Bill (H890/S1650. Rep. Wol/Sen. Creem) Updatesour highly successul bottle bill, adds water, juice, and tea beverages.Improves recycling, reduces litter.

Plastic Bag Ban (S353/H1990/H1159 Sen. Eldridge/Rep. Ehrlich/Rep.

Smizik) Bans non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags that kill more than 1billion animals/year.

Producer Take-Back or Electronics (E-Waste) - (H252/S352/S166

Rep. Smizik/Sen. Eldridge/Sen. Pacheco) Places responsibility o disposal oelectronics waste on manuacturers.

Coal-Free Commonwealth (H2614/S353 Rep. Ehrlich/Sen. Eldridge)

Omnibus bill, would end coal burning in the state with a phase-out period

and converting to cleaner uels, and renewable energy; and Act t Phase otCal use (H2612 Rep. Ehrlich) Seeks to end coal use through a multi-acet-ed phaseout approach.

Regulate Gas obtained by Fracking

(H3055 Rep. Garballey) Requires that gas thatsobtained by hydraulic racturing comply withthe Sae Drinking Water Act.

Natural Gas Leaks Protection Bills

(H3051/3053/2776 Rep. Lori Ehrlich). A groupo bills that address the growing issue o naturalgas leaks rom aging pipes. Natural gas kills

trees, it is 25X more potent a global warminggas than CO2, and there are 20,000 known gasleaks in Mass.

Wind Siting Reorm (H1775/S1666 Rep.

Smizik/Sen. Finegold) For siting purposes, current law discriminates in avoro ossil-ueled acilities. This bill acilitates the siting o land-based windenergy projects while still retaining local control by cities and towns.

Eiciency Bond: (S1686 Sen. Pacheco) Creates a bonding program to

improve energy eiciency in schools. Revenue neutral, with signiicant sav-ings in energy costs and emissions.

Saer Alternatives (S397/H1136 Sen. Tolman/Rep. Kauman) Createsa program to support businesses and manuacturers to transition away romusing and selling products containing toxic chemicals.

Make Idling Law Enorceable (H907 Rep. Brownsberger) The current

5-minute limit is diicult to enorce and produces excessive greenhouse gas.This reduces the limit to 2 minutes.

Incineration Moratorium (S346/H226 Sen. DiDomenico/Rep.

Garballey) Places a legislated, permanent moratorium on increasing trashincineration.

Just six years ago, the Chapterb e g a n i n v e s t i n g i n o u rLegislative Action Committee agroup o dedicated activists whowanted to assist in our lobbyingeorts.

Lobbying is o the most pow-

erul tools that the chapter hasin aecting environmental pro-tections. The Sierra Club initiatesand supports many environmental

bills, and this committee assists inall aspects o legislation: testiyingat hearings, lobbying and makingcalls to legislators, and contactingthe press about important legis-lative issues. Working alongsidewith the chapters proessionalsta, the committee has helpedresearch and drat testimony ondozens o key bills, and has helpedto increase our growing presencein the state house.

This successul eort showsthat anyone can be a CitizenActivist and make a substantialcontribution to the legislative pro-cess. The process is open to every-one who has something to sayabout an issue, a bill, or a problemthat requires legislative action.Lobbying is not restricted to cor-porate special interests.

Advcating fr the Envirnment

by Phil Sego

special hoore Guet Bottle Billpoe wit sierra Club Voluteerleaer Pil sego, MaPIRGJaet domeitz, a Raata VoTcarer from te Carle RiverCoervacy at Eart day 2011.


5/20


Article 97/Public LandsProtection Act (H1124/S350 Rep.Balser/Sen. Eldridge)Requires no-net-lossreplacement o landsor parks being used ortranserred rom pro-

tected status.Old Growth

Forest Initiative- (H236 Rep. Kulik)

Establishes Reserves to protect the ew remaining OldGrowth Forests, which have escaped the clear-cuttingo the past and provide unique habitats.

Public Postings when Making Changes to

Parks/Forests (H2008 Rep. Kocot) Requires DCR tonotiy the public and allow or comment when mak-ing changes (e.g. cutting trees) to public lands.

Protect Tropical Forests (H836, Rep. Rushing)

This Act would protect tropical orests by restrictingstate purchases o certain wood products.

Protect the Northern Right Whale - (Rep.Kocot) With just 300 Northern Right Whales let, thegreatest threats are boat strikes and net entanglements.

Local Control o Personal Watercrat (JetSkis) - (H1565 Rep. ODay) Enables cities/towns toplace restrictions on smaller bodies o water that areenclosed within the municipality i they so desire, orexample limiting hours, or curtailing use during sensi-tive waterowl migration periods.

We have also testiied on many other environmen-tal bills. This list is available on our website.

What a Waste

Twenty-our states have legislation regulating

the collection and disposal o E-Waste, theastest growing portion o our waste stream. Othe millions o units discarded annually in MA,only a small percentage less than 20% - isrecycled with some o the material slated orrecycling ending up overseas as a toxic export.

Many o these products contain hazardouschemicals and heavy metals (e.g., cadmium,lead, mercury) that leach into waterways andgroundwater rom landills or pollute the airthrough emissions, posing serious threats topublic and environmental health and impos-

ing signiicant costs on municipalities.

A Better Way t Deal Wth E-Waste

E-Waste legislation iled this session andsupported by the Sierra Club, would moveMassachusetts to the oreront o states deal-ing responsibly with E-Waste. SB 166 (SenatorPacheco) and HB 252/SB 352 (RepresentativeSmizik & Senator Eldridge), are based onExtended Producer Responsibility (EPR), anapproach that shits responsibility or collec-tion and sae disposal o E-Waste rom taxpay-

ers to manuacturers.

Urge your representatives to support passage ocomprehensive, EPR based, E-Waste legislation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Contact your State Rep and State Senator.Were constantly told that citizens rarely contactthem about any bill (but corporate lobbyists arealways seeking their support). Please ask them tosupport all the bills on this list or just those that

are o greatest concern to you.

Write a letter to the editor o your local paperor post to their blog.

Become a an o the Massachusetts SierraClubs Facebook page and watch or alerts aboutimportant bills that are coming up or a vote.

You can also directly support our legislative pro-grams by making a donation to the Chapter.

Please see page 10 or details.


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In the past couple o years, over29,000 trees had to be removedin the Worcester area because

o the inestation by the AsianLonghorn Beetle (ALB). It is notlikely that all inested trees havebeen ound and removed; in act,last all on a tour o the area thatwas part o a major conerence onintroduced pests o orests,we saw a lovely orestedhillside in Boylston wheresome trees were discov-ered to be inested, and allthe trees which the beetlesmight move to should be

removed. It is heartbreaking tosee such lovely sugar maples andknow they must come down. Butit is essential to eliminate the ALBbeore it moves on to all our or-ests and the orests north o us.

Eradication is possible a rareevent in the eorts to contain themany insects, ungi, and otherorganisms we humans haveaccidentally moved around theplanet. Dedicated people and

organizations are working hardto prevent the introduction o yetmore pests, at the same time thatthey and others seek methods tocontain those that are here andcant be eliminated.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) isone o these pests that is spread-ing. It has spread widely through-out the mid-west; when it wasidentiied as the cause o signii-

cant destruction to ash trees insouthern Michigan in 2002, it

was estimated that it had alreadyinested a large area or at leastive years. It was too late to eradi-cate the insect.

EAB (in photo) is now wide-spread in one o our neighbors New York state. Last year it wasound in Saugerties, only 25 milesrom the Massachusetts border.

Adult emales lay eggs underthe bark o trees; the larvae

munch tunnels into the sapwoodo the tree; then overwinter underthe bark, beore emerging the nextsummer as an adult. The adultseed on the oliage. An inesta-tion o EAB kills trees within aew years.

Since 2003, the ederal govern-ment has quarantined the move-ment o many products rom thestate where EAB is known to exist.The quarantine includes: ash treesor nurseries, all irewood romany hardwood tree, as well asgreen lumber, logs, chips, branch-es, etc. rom ash trees.

As part o its eorts to slowthe importation o EAB intoMassachusetts, the Departmento Conservation and Recreation isorbidding anyone rom bringingirewood to state campgrounds;irewood in the campgroundsmust be kiln-dried. DCR oresterswill also be setting up traps in agrid in the our western counties,and checking those traps regular-ly or the presence o EABs. (Thetraps do not capture all adults butwill show i EAB is in the area.)

DCR developed an EmergencyResponse P l an o r H i g h l y

Destructive Invasive Forest Pestsin 2007, which included the EAB.Unortunately, then and nowthere is no biological control orthe EAB, although scientists areworking to ind one. Pesticidescan be helpul on specimen treesi they have not yet been heavilyinested. Host trees in inectedurban and suburban areas general-ly have to be removed to preventdamage to people and property.

The most important actionswe can take as tree lovers are (1)scrupulously ollow the do notmove irewood rules and inormour riends and relatives abouttheir importance; and (2) sup-port ederal and state unding or

research. In the cur-rent political climatewe must make ourvoices heard or or-est protection.

Threats t ur Frests Prliferatingby Elsa Campbell

MassachusettsChapter Meetings &

Events

Due to the long lead time of theSierran publication schedule, allevents, meetings, and outings arenow listed on the Chapter web siteand in the E-Sierran.

Please sing up for the E-Sierran(see page 16) and/or visit www.sierraclubmass.org and click on

Meetings and Events to accessthe latest listings, or call the chapteroffice at 617-423-5775.

Please note that outings may be

cancelled for insufficient interest up to

three days before the scheduled date. If

you are interested in an outing, please

do not wait until the last minute to

contact the trip leader.

Department of Conservation and Recreation is forbiddinganyone from bringing firewood to state campgrounds;

firewood in the campgrounds must be kiln-dried.


7/20


Te sierra Club a releae a lamark report outliig

a pat to a reewable eergy future for Maacuett a

te etire norteat, te mot eergy-iteive regio of

America. Te Club ew report A Clea norteat aa-

lyze our regio aictio to coal a ow we ca move

beyo it wit efficiecy, wi, olar, a oter reewable.

Maacuett i te oly new Egla tate tat till relie

igificatly o coal-fire power plat.

A reewable eergy future for te norteat will create

ew, gree job--up to 48,000 i Maacuett aloe. All

wile reucig our evirometal footprit a figtig

global climate cage. Pleae ceck our web ite to lear

about our priority Coal-Free Commowealt by 2020

legilatio a ak your legilator to upport it.

A Clean Northeast: Beyond Coal and a Clean Energy Future

Bureau o Labor Statistics shows less than 1 percent ojob losses rom layos in the irst hal o 2011 were aresult o governmental regulations. More researchis needed, but it is now believed that while regulationsmay shiftsome jobs, government oversight rarelyeliminates them. The real concern o polluters is thatregulatory oversight will be accompanied by progressivepolicies that also shit taxpayer-unded subsidies awayrom coal, gas, and oil and over to renewable energy.

Research shows that investments in a clean energyeconomy would create our times more jobs thaninvestments in polluting industries like oil. Accordingto a 2011 Brookings Institute report, the 2.7 millionworkers in the clean economy now surpass employ-ment in the ossiluel sector. The report documentshow the clean economy out-perormed the overalleconomy during the recent recession and oers moreopportunities and better pay or low and middleskilled workers than the national economy as a whole.

It is no wonder that regulations terriy pollutingindustries who ear it will drive up energy costs and

orce the retirement o some older but still-proit-able operations according to the New York Times.Unortunately, what may be proitable or some ismaking our nation sick, and the hidden costs do notactor into industrys bottom line while they sell uscheap uel like coal.

So who pays? We do. A 2011 Sierra Club reportound that health impacts rom coal causes 4000 deathsannually in the Northeast with 251 deaths, 211 hos-pitalizations, and 471 heart attacks in Massachusetts

alone (see report above). A recent Harvard study oundthat the true impacts o coal nationwide are costingAmericans an additional $500 billion annually in healthcare costs, injuries, inrastructure, and environmentaldamage. The Harvard study calculated an additional18 cents per kilowatt-hour would need to be added toyield the true cost, making coal more costly by ar thanwind or solar.

Old Major romAnimal Farm likened their human

oppressors to parasites eeding on animal society.Similarly, the ossil-uel industries have a strangleholdon our nation, ed by our addiction to coal, oil and gas.There are more threats looming, like tar sands oil thatstrips and pollutes the landscape, and orest biomassthat would increase our carbon ootprint while clear-ing and burning the equivalent o 3050 million acreso orests nationwide by 2030. As the TRAIN rolls onin Washington, its supporters talk o revitalizing theeconomy. Unortunately, i the TRAIN survives theSenate and a Presidential veto, it will ensure little morethan the right to pollute or proit.

Government oversight is not the enemy, but rathera necessity o a society that would choose to promoteenergy and environmental policies that support theclean, eliminate the dirty, and regulate all so polluters not citizens bear the now-hidden costs. This in turnwill drive innovation and opportunities or the renew-able energy sector while spurring economic growth anda new era o green jobs to help get Americans back towork. Like the industrious characters o Orwells alle-gorical tale, perhaps we should start by overthrowingthe old regime and building more windmills.

Member Notice:

At its December 18th meet-

ing, the Chapter Executive

Committee will vote on

a proposal to dissolve the

ollowing Groups due to

their having been inactiveor more than one year:

Blackstone Valley, Pioneer

Valley, and Essex County.

Club members are welcome

to comment on this proposal

at the meeting, which takes

place rom 11:30 until 3:30

at the chapter ofce, 10 Milk

Street, Suite 632 in Boston.

Aimal Farm 2011 continued from page 2


8/20


We share a passion for the environment and an understanding that the choices we make today will affect this planet

for all. Across the Commonwealth the Sierra Club is more active then ever and has taken to the streets this past spring

and summer to stand up for workers rights, environmental protection, defending the EPA, protesting nuclear power,

ending our nations addiction to coal, and lobbying legislators for strong environmental protections. These are just afew of the great events and actions we have taken to protect public health and the environment. Please join us at our

next event!

Sierra Club Takes to the Streets!

SCOTT BROWN EVENT

The event started outside Browns Boston

oce at the JFK Building with speakers rom

Marblehead and Jamaica Plain. Lynn Nadeauspoke about living in the shadow o the Salem

Coal Plant and Pamela Bush spoke about her

amilys asthma problems rom poor air qual-

ity in Jamaica Plain.

More ta 50 Maacuett voter came out to rallyi frot of scott Brow office i May to voice teiripleaure wit Brow April 7t vote to gut te EPAability to regulate air pollutio a automobile mileagetaar.

HOLYOKE

The Beyond Coal to Clean Energy campaign teamed

up with National Wildlie Federation, Neighbor to

Neighbor and Nuestras Races on Wednesday, June

29th or a media event to bring awareness to the highrate o asthma in Holyoke and how the GDF-Suez

owned Mount Tom coal plant contributes. Neighbor

to Neighbor member Virgenmina Perez and her two-

year-old asthmatic grandson, Juniel Cruz, spoke to re-

porters about the burden o air pollution and asthma

on her amily. Virgenmina has ve amily members

with asthma including a three-month-old great-

grandchild that was hospitalized or three months. Neighbor to Neighbormember Virgemia Perez aapirig Cael 3 new Reporter Juiel Cruz eu-cate te public about te ager of coal a teimpact o familie i holyoke livig wit atma.


9/20


We Are One EVENT

On April 4th, Sierra Club members stood

with 400 others in a We Are One State

Day o Action or Working Families and

Our Environment event held in ront o

Republican State Committee headquarters

in Boston ater states voted to limit work-

ers rights and health-care options. The

Day o Action was scheduled on the 43rdanniversary o Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s

assassination. In a statement to the press,

Massachusetts Sierra Club Director, James

McCarey, made the clear connection

between the Sierra Clubs involvement with

workers rights and Dr. King, The Sierra

Club is marching today to stand up or the

human, civil and environmental rights that

Dr. King gave his lie or. A broad cross

section o Massachusetts residents was rep-

resented at the event, united by the shared

vision o a sae, equitable and healthyAmerica or all citizens.

sierra Club member joi wit Uio Worker to uite forworker a evirometal rigt.

STATE HOUSE EARTH DAY

More than teen environmental

groups gathered to celebrate Earth

Day this year and to highlight en-

vironmental awareness at the State

House on April 21st. Citizen and

environmental groups were joined by

Former Governor Michael Dukakis,

Representative and Natural Resources

Committee Chair Ann Gobi, and

Climate Change Committee Chair

Frank Smizik. The Lobby Day included

activist training ater the event. Citi-

zens met with legislators to lobby in

support o 1% or the Environmental

Budget and the Updated Bottle Bill.

sierra Club Voluteer Roxae aMoica elp out at Eart day 2011

Citize, Public safety, Ati-uclear, aEvirometal Group orgaize ote tep of te tateoue to eucatete public about te ager of uclearpower i te wake of te JapaeeTuami.


10/20

My irst experience with the Club was receiv-ing one o their calendars or a Hanukkah git, saysLauna Zimmaro. The photographs were so beautiul,and I thought, oh, the Sierra Club is a nice organiza-

tion. When all the environmental regulations passedin the 1970s, there was a eeling o ok, weve takencare o business. But it was a alse sense o security.

Looking back on her journey, Zimmaro recalls tripsto the Smokey Mountains and Floridas Everglades asa child. I grew up taking these places or granted andthinking they would be here orever. For many years,she and her husband have enjoyed biking and hikingvacations, and at irst it was all about being outside.But with time, Zimmaro came to appreciate how rag-ile the earth is and how threatened.

Zimmaro joined the Sierra Club our years ago aterretiring rom a career in education. Early on, shehelped to start a town committee in Carlisle whereshe lives. The Carlisle Town Committee has been avehicle or raising awareness on issues beyond Car-lisle but is also a vehicle to work with residents onlocal issues. One o the issues that we worked on isthe treatment o playing ields. Five years beore theormation o the Sierra Club Town Committee, a Pes-ticide Awareness Group was ormed and was success-ul in getting the Recreation Committee (Rec Com)to go green. Later, aced with budget constraints,the Rec Com considered reverting back to the bad

chemicals to save $2,000. Zimmaro alerted the heado the pesticide group and the members o the newlyormed Sierra Club Town Committee. The two groupsormed a coalition and convinced the Rec Com to staytheir green course. I really believe that the presenceo seven concerned citizens, six o whom attended asmembers o the Sierra Club Town Committee madeall the dierence in this situation. This experienceimpressed Zimmaro about the importance o citizen

advocacy and how the Sierra Clubs organization andresources are positioned to support it.

I asked Zimmaro what her most meaningul SierraClub experience has been. It was a conversation with

Chapter Chair Dan Proctor in which he explainedthe role o the Club, how the organization empowersvolunteers and its potential or positive change. I hadjust retired and was deinitely interested in gettingback to the environment and being able to make animpact.

Zimmaro donates time and money to the SierraClub, and I asked her why she eels this is important.We hear all the time that time is money, but peopleshould not conuse giving their time with givinginancially. An organization like the Sierra Club needsboth. When Im doing actual work and giving my

time, obviously I get the satisaction that Ive made acontribution. But I also know when I give money thatI help get the message out to a broader constituency.I think Im getting a lot or my money because theSierra Club is doing incredible work. Its not a one-way street. The more I become involved, the moreapparent it is that its a two-way street, and its veryrewarding. Im very grateul there is a Sierra Club, andI eel very lucky to be working with the people Imworking with.

What does Zimmaro see in the uture? Shes amember o the League o Women Voters and working

with them and the Club on the Bottle and E-wastebills. She says its wonderul to see two organizationsshes interested in collaborating.

Finally, I asked Zimmaro i she would like to trysomething dierent. Her answer: I might try gettinga little sleep.


support OurLegilative Program

Our Chapter legislative

program needs your support!The Chapter is participating in a matching challenge grant to

raise at least $5000 between now and mid-November to directly

support our legislative priorities. The Massachusetts Sierra Club is

one of the most effective and constant voices on Beacon Hill fighting

to protect the Earth and promote strong environmental legislation.

Our top priorities for this legislative session include Updating the

Bottle Bill, a Coal-Free Commonwealth, and Wind Energy Siting.

Please mail in a contribution today or donate online at

www.sierraclubmass.org/support.html

by Deborah Holt

MEET LAUNA ZIMMARO

Launa with Luke and Scarlett


11/20

Forty years ago a group o Sierra Club members ounded the New England Chapter. The Chapter wenton to achieve many major environmental victories including: transorming Bostons waterront andcreating a Boston Harbor National Recreation Area; deeated a proposal to ill the Attleboro wetlands andbuild a shopping mall; passing important legislation like the states irst bottle bill, the Rivers ProtectionAct, the Green Communities Act, the Global Warming Solutions act, and the largest environmentalbond bill in the history o the commonwealth.

Last Fall, the Massachusetts Chapter commemorated this milestone with a reception at the HampshireHouse in Boston. Members and sta rom Caliornia, Maine, Washington DC and New Jersey were inattendance to celebrate this monumental achievement. Our program included comments rom SierraClub President Robin Mann and an inspiring video produced by longtime chapter volunteer DeborahHolt. Our guests let energized and inspired to continue our work protecting our commonwealth.

A special thank you goes to our Leadership Committee. Without them, the event would not havebeen possible.

Celebrating 40 Years f Prtecting our Envirnment in New England

John Muir SierransJohnLewisRoxanneEigenbrodZak

Ansel Adams SierransAnonymous(2)PhilDowds

David Brower SierransAnonymousDanProctor

~ Fellow Sierrans ~

We appreciate your enthusiasm for the envi-ronment in Massachusetts and your sup-port of the Sierra Club. We encourageyou to share that enthusiasm with yourrelatives, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

Mothers Day, Fathers Day, graduations,weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, remem-

bering loved ones, and other special occa-sions are a great opportunity for you toshare your love of the environment withothers. What do you get for mom or dad,or brother or sister or even a co-worker onthose special occasions? Why not give thema gift they will enjoy the entire year? Makea donation in their honor to MassachusettsSierra Club. You can also tell your relativesand friends what you really want for yourspecial occasion is for them to donate, inyour name, to Massachusetts Sierra Club.

Whether it is giving or getting a gift, theSierra Club is here to help you. You can use

the enclosed envelope to make your gift.Call us at 617-423-5775 or make a gift onlineat http://www.sierraclubmass.org/join/join.html. Well acknowledge you for your giftand let your special person know that a dona-tion has been made. Gift memberships areanother great way of celebrating special occa-sions. Give a gift that keeps on giving all year.


GIFTS IN MEMORIAM

Dad P. Chat (Melrse, MA)Boston Duck Tours company & staff

James CainKristin McRae

Elizabeth Ann Wendlandt

Jseph N. Demsz (Wbrn, MA)Carbon Mission Team of NOAA at Oak Ridge, TN(Bruce Baker, Dave Senn, Ed Dumas, Ron Dobosy)

Christine Kozaczka & Linda JosephTom & Pat Kozaczka

Jesse KrollTom & Elaine MandevilleCharles & Mildred MealeyJoseph & Karen Nicienski

Leah Sak

Charles Chck Knney (Newbryprt, MA)Kristina Cairns

Gy D. Rsmarn (Brklne, MA)James BabcockAndrew JeskeMartin Levin

Roberta LevitonSandra Price

The Simansky Family


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13/20

Joe OBrien

WorcesterCity Council at largeJoe OBrien has alietime record o sup-

port or environmentalissues and has been

working to build amore sustainable and viable community.He rst became involved in the environ-mental movement at age 25 when he be-

came the Earth Day Coordinator or theRegional Environmental Council, coor-dinating Earth Day community cleanupsand helping ound a youth environmen-

tal service group. As a 6-year member othe School Committee, he advocated orschool recycling programs and pushed

to have the city improve eciency oits 50+ school buildings. As Mayor hespushed or more community gardens;

created a pilot program or micro-armson abandoned lots; helped launch aStorm Water Coalition to address stormwater challenges; and worked with the

EPA to sponsor a workshop on how tobuild rain gardens. He has also pushedto expedite ECSO projects, advocated or

mass transit, and helped push to haveWorcester become one o the Common-wealths rst Green Communities.

Sarai Rivera

City Council, District 4(Wards 8 & 10)

WorcesterSarai Riveras outlook

and lie commitmentsrefect her passion anddedication to environ-

mental justice. She has pledged to sup-

port the commitment o city resourcesto expand WRTA to make it more viableor a wider range o residents; lobby the

state or more support o RTAs; requirecity buses to have bicycle racks; desig-nate bike lanes; commit to emissions

retrots or older diesel feets; expanduse o low-emission vehicles in the city

feet; give parking incentives or low-emission vehicles; and encourage the

use o public transportation. She willwork to enact requirements or manda-tory recycling in businesses, and expand

hazardous waste collection and e-wastecollection days. She will ght to protecturban parks as they are an essential part

o healthy neighborhoods, providingsae and healthy activities or youth andbringing people together.

Suzanne Lee

City Council, District 2BostonIn her work in thecommunity as well

as in Bostons PublicSchools, Suzanne Lee

always made environ-mental consciousness a priority, romteaching the importance o recyclingand reducing energy consumption to

working on a weatherization initiativethrough the Chinese Progressive As-sociation. One example o her leader-ship is her nearly 10 years o work on

the Parcel C Campaign in Chinatown.This eort, endorsed by the Sierra Club,blocked the construction o a parking

garage near Tuts Medical Center. Thecampaign emphasized the negativeaspects o more cars and the benets

o preserving the land or uses desiredby the community. Today, the ChineseProgressive Association, which Suzanneounded and chaired or many years, is

a partner with Tuts Medical School onstudy o pollution emitted rom high-ways I-90 and I-93.

Christine P. Barber

Alderman, Ward 4SomervilleAs a health care policyexpert, Christine P.

Barber recognizeshealthy communitiesbegin with a healthy

environment, including access to local

oods, clean air and open space. Chris-tine supports an open and transparentgovernment that is responsive to resi-

dents needs. In her work as a Legisla-tive Aide at the State House, she helpedcoordinate a coalition o transportation

advocates in the Rail Trail, Bike, andPedestrian Caucus. One o her priorities

is improving access to greener transpor-tation to reduce emissions. The Green

Line Extension is slated to stop in herWard, and she will work with residentsand community leaders to ensure the de-

sign and plan or the Green Line is acces-sible or residents. In addition, she willwork to continue adequate bus service

currently her neighborhoods primaryoption or public transportation untilthe Green Line Extension is operational.

Susan Falko

Town CouncilorWatertownSusan Falko hascontributed decades

o community serviceto Watertown. As an ac-

tive member o Watertown Citizens orEnvironmental Saety, Susan spearhead-ed eorts to hold the Army accountableor environmental restoration at the Wa-

tertown Arsenal and became a nationalspokesperson on constructive citizeninvolvement in environmental reme-diation projects. She has also worked

tirelessly to promote energy eciencyand maintain public spaces. She pushedor snow removal practices that use less

salt, supported the rst o three storm-water ordinances being written by theStormwater Management committee,

worked with DPW to change the way itoers business trash collection and tomake recycling, previously not oered,mandatory. Susan also supported adop-

tion o the Stretch Code and o Water-towns successul application to becomea Green Community. Finally, she worked

with the Planning Department on creat-ing a Comprehensive Master Plan thatwill include transportation, land use andopen space.

Sean Maltais

SelectmanSaugusSean Maltais is currentlya Town Meeting mem-

ber (precinct 6) and hasbeen extremely activeon a number o environ-

mental ronts. He opposes the Wheela-

brator/RESCO incineration acility orthe health and environmental threatsit poses. He voted to support a Trash

Reduction program to reduce net trashtonnage. He hopes to move towards aPAYT system and to increase recycling

capacity. He successully had Idling isAgainst the Law signs installed in ront

o schools and hopes to expand themto other properties. He is advocating or

the Junior High rehab project to includea green roo and other energy savingunctions. He supports implementation

o the Stretch Code, which would allowSaugus to choose a more energy-ecientbuilding code option. He also helped

stop T-Mobile rom decimating wetlandsand installing a gravel road to accessequipment on town land, an ongoingbattle. He is planning a clean-up o the

Rumney Marsh area.


Key Races, 2011 Mncpal Electns


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Green Communities Act & Local Actionby Tara Holmes

With such a wide assortmento programs, subsidiesand rebates, it can be a challengeor Massachusetts residents and

communities to stay on top ostate and local energy eicien-cy options available to them.One such option alls under theGreen Communities Act, whichwas signed into law by GovernorPatrick in July 2008 and cre-ated the Green CommunitiesDivision within DOER to serveas the hub or all cities andtowns on all matters related toenergy. The Green CommunitiesAct established the Green

Communities Grant Programthat provides grant unding tocities and towns and other localgovernmental bodies. In 2010,thirty-ive cities and towns romacross the Commonwealth oMassachusetts were designat-ed as Green Communities (35Communities). To become aGreen Community, a city ortown must meet the ollowingive criteria as detailed in theprogram guidelines ound at

http://tiny.cc/GreenCToolkit:\

Five speciic criteria under theGreen Communities GrantProgram:

1. Provide or the as-o-rightsiting o renewable or alter-native energy generatingacilities, renewable or alter-native energy research and

development (R&D) acilities,or renewable or alternativeenergy manuacturing acili-

ties in designated locations.2. Adopt an expedited applica-

tion and permitting processunder which these energyacilities may be sited withinthe municipality and whichshall not exceed one yearrom the date o initial appli-cation to the date o inalapproval.

3. Establish an energy use base-line inventory that includesmunicipal buildings, vehicles,street and traic lighting, andput in place a comprehensiveprogram designed to reducethis baseline by 20 percentwithin 5 years o the baselineyear.

4. Purchase only uel-eicientvehicles or municipal usewhenever such vehicles arecommercially available andpracticable.

5. Require all new residential

construction over 3,000square eet and all new com-mercial and industrial realestate construction to mini-mize, to the extent easible,the lie-cycle cost o the acil-ity by utilizing energy ei-ciency, water conservationand other renewable or alter-native energy technologies.The recommended methodor meeting these criteria isadoption o the Stretch Code,

780 CMR 120.AA, appendixto the MA State BuildingCode.

W h i l e t h e G r e e nCommunities Act has alreadyestablished a solid base andgrant program or communi-ties who wish to participate,its important to continue to

increase public awareness ogrant and education programsassociated with the GCA, to

coordinate state-wide commu-nity outreach eorts to expandGCA impact, to use GCA suc-cess stories to promote moregreen-community advance-ment, to encourage increasedparticipation in DOERs EnergyAudit Program and to utilizeGreen Communities RegionalCoordinators to learn more spe-ciics.

Central Region :Kelly Brown

627 Main StreetWorcester, MA 01103

(508) 767-2703Mobil (617) 780-8144

Northeast Region:Joanne Bissetta

205B Lowell StreetWilmington, MA 01887

(978) 694-3315Mobil (617) 823-4029

Southeast Region :Seth Pickering

20 Riverside DriveLakeville, MA 02347

(508) 946-2838Mobil (617) 780-7156

Western Region :Jim Barry

436 Dwight StreetSpringfield, MA 01103

(413) 755-2232Mobil (617) 823-4588

Please reer to the Chapter web-site or more inormation on theGreen Communities Act.

Chapter Election Schedule 2011

Printing and mailing o ballots

in the Sierran: October 1

Receipt of ballot deadline:

November 18

Count o ballots at Sierra Club

chapter ofce: November 18


15/20


A

s part o the 2008 GreenCommunities Act (GCA), a

statewide program has come intoeect, oering beneits to munic-ipalities that make a commit-ment to eiciency and renewableenergy. The state Department oEnergy Resources, includes a GreenCommunities Division to providetechnical and inancial assistance tomunicipalities or energy eiciencyand renewable energy eorts.

Many municipalities in Mass.and elsewhere have developed,

are developing, or will eventuallydevelop climate action plans withthe aim o reducing greenhouse gasemissions. An increasing percent-age o these plans may aim to con-serve natural resources in general,and thus be termed sustainabilityplans. We expect that such plan-ning will also become integratedwith existing, traditional long-range planning processes.

At present there is no one-stop,

or even obvious irst-stop, sourceo support or municipal energyplanning. Each municipality hasto reinvent this particular wheel. Itis highly ineicient or each o the351 Mass. municipalities to inde-pendently go through the daunt-ing process o creating a climateaction plan, then implementingand enorcing it. This is especiallyso when the economic situation isorcing municipalities to look oropportunities to share resources.

The Campaign

The Massachusetts Chapter isdeveloping a program to ill a verysigniicant gap in the current arrayo programs, services and incen-tives intended in these and otherstate programs. The Sierra Clubhas or several years encouragedCO2-reduction planning through

its Cool Cities program (www.coolcities.us).

We will build on these eortsto make the municipalities workeasier and more eective, and buildcommunications and interactionsamong them, by providing globalanalysis, tools, and support, doingso through a Web site, database,wiki, discussion board, and localactivists who bring these resourcesto bear on each locality with whomwe work, through the ollowingendeavors:

Part (a): Catalog best plansand best practices. Not onlyrom around the state butrom around the nation andbeyond.

Part (b): Develop an exempla-ry website that can be anunparalleled resource or ourmembers in their local com-munities and also or their

municipal oicials, otherorganizations, and citizensin general.

Part (c): Work with Mass citiesand towns in providing themwith our inormation, coor-dinating among them, andollowing up on their eorts.

Volunteer opportunities

Part (a): Obtain inormation

speciic to as many citiesand towns as possible. Thisincludes their local energy/green plans, meeting min-utes, relevant archival andcurrent local data, newslettersand electronic publicationsand social media, events onote coming up, and goalsand action items that theycommit to.

Obtain inormation o useto any city or town. This

inc lu des the G C A andGlobal Warming SolutionsAct (GWSA) legislation text,availability o unds andthe paperwork necessary toapply, model energy andgreen plans, tables o legisla-tive requirements, articles ogeneral interest, and eventssuch as talks and discussionseminars, including slidesrom previous events.

Part (b): Obtain requirementsor, design, develop, andimplement the Web site:

Part (c): Establish working rela-tionships with cities andtowns to make them aware owhat we are doing and obtainbuy-in and input rom them.

Obtain a working knowledgeo the GCA and GWSA, inorder to serve as a resource to

ellow volunteers and to citiesand towns

Form local action committeesin cities and towns to workwith them and to organizeinto the eort Club membersliving there.

In this way, the Chapter willbuild on the existing motivation atthe municipal level established bythe Green Communities Act and by

previous Chapter eort. A success-ul eort will make the municipali-ties work easier and more eective,build communications and interac-tions among them, and save tons oenergy and CO2 emissions!

For more inormation, pleasecontact Ernie Edwards or DavidHeimann at oice@sierraclubmass.,telephone (617) 423-4775.

MA Chapter to Support Cities and Towns for theGreen Communities Act Volunteer Opportunitiesby David Heimann


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Massachusetts Chapter and Group Elections

vtng instrctns and Electn PrcedresYou elect the Sierra Club leadership each year. In this issueo the Sierran, you will nd candidates statements andballots (on pages 16 and 18) or the Chapter and Group Ex-ecutive Committee Election. All Massachusetts Sierra Clubmembers may vote or the Chapter Executive Committee.Members residing within group boundaries may also vote intheir local group election. Please contact the chapter ocei you have a question about your group membership.

Mail ballots to: Serra Clb Electns, 10 Mlk Street, Ste632, Bstn, MA 02108. Ballots must be received by 5:00PM, Friday, November 18th, 2011 in order to be counted.

Vote or no more than the number o candidates indicatedon each ballot. In order to validate your ballots, please writeyour membership number on the upper let hand cornero your envelope. Your eight-digit membership number ap-pears on the mailing label o the Sierran. A secnd ballt sprded fr thse hsehlds wth jnt membershpss that each member can te. I you have any questions,please call the chapter oce at (617) 423-5775.

Your membership number must appear on the outside of yourenvelope in order for your ballot to be valid. (An extra ballot isprovided for households with joint memberships.)

Tara Hlmes A member o the Energy Committee, TaraHolmes was appointed to ill a vacant seat on the Execu-tive Committee this past year. Tara brings to the Sierra

Club multiple years o environmental experience, includ-ing proessional backgrounds at the World ResourcesInstitute, Northeastern University, where she ocused ongreen campus initiatives, and currently at the MA Depart-ment o Energy Resources where Tara coordinates multipleclean energy projects across the state. Tara is also involvedin her local community with the Cambridge Energy Alli-ance and has volunteered with the Land Conservation andAdvocacy Trust, Forest Ethics, and various other local, andnational, nonproit environmental organizations. Tara ispassionate about clean energy alternatives, sound envi-ronmental policy, conservation and sustainable behaviorchange and enjoys being a member o the Sierra Club.

Crag Kelley My name is Craig Kelley and I am a lie-time Sierra Club member. My wie, Hope, and I have two

boys, ages 11 and 14. Over the years I have been active inthe Greater Boston Group, Inner City Outings and, mostrecently, the Massachusetts Chapter Excom. Living inCambridge, I eel that many o our most pressing environ-mental issues can best be solved by learning how to createvibrant, healthy density with appropriate inrastructuresupport in the manner o mass transit, urban greenspaces and accessible recreational opportunities. Limit-ing sprawl, addressing urban noise and heat island aectso inappropriate development, improving air quality andworking or environmental justice are all issues that theSierra Club takes seriously and which I am interested inpursuing urther. I ask or your vote or Excom.

Dan Prctr I am in the second year as chair o theChapter Executive Committee, where I am leading a

planning process which I hope and expect will lead toa broader organizational base at the town level whileincreasing membership along with donations. I served on

the Chapter Political Committee or ive years and thenhelped re-activate the Thoreau Group, which I chaired ortwo years. I would like to serve or two more years on the

Chapter Excom in order to complete and begin imple-menting the important planning currently underway.

Bb Terrell - I have been an activist in Boston or over30 years, ocusing on urban planning and developmentissues such as; aordable housing,environmental justice,economic development,open space,historic preserva-tion and public transportation. It is in this last area,public transportation, that I came to know the SierraClub. Through my work with the Washington Street Cor-ridor Coalition my community orged a great workingrelationship with the Sierra Club. The Club became oneo our greatest allies in the ight or an equitable distribu-tion o transit resources and I would be proud to serve onthe Sierra Clubs Executive Committee. Currently I amthe Manager or Public Policy and Program Outreach at

the Fair Housing Center o Greater Boston and a Mastersstudent in the Dept. o Urban and Environmental Policyat Tuts University.

Lana Zmmar I currently serve as Chair o theThoreau Group Executive Committee and also as Chairo the Carlisle Sierra Club Committee, which I helpedorganize three years ago. During this past year, I haverepresented the Thoreau Group on the Chapter ExecutiveCommittee and its planning team. I have also been activeon the Chapters Zero Waste committee. I am a membero the Sierra Club because I believe its national, state andlocal level structure make it uniquely suited to meet thechallenges we ace. Eorts to promote greater multi-levelintegration and local level development are underwayand can only strengthen the organization. I am eager to

continue working through the Chapter Executive Com-mittee to help build the capacity and eectiveness o theSierra Club.

Massachsetts Chapter Eecte Cmmttee Canddate StatementsVote for no more than four candidates (Ballots on page 17)

Threa Grp Eecte Cmmttee Canddate StatementsVote for no more than three candidates (Ballots on page 17)

Nancy Carapezza Nancy lives in Way-land and has served two terms on theThoreau Group Excom. She has held thepositions o vice-chair and treasurer othe Group. She is a past president o Mas-sachusetts League o Women Voters.

Jn Hardng Jon resides in Sudburyand is completing his second term onThoreau Group Excom. He has servedas its Secretary and Treasurer. Jon was aGroup Conservation Chair while livingin Long Beach, CA.

Dan Prctr Dan lives in Concord andcurrently chairs the Chapter ExecutiveCommittee. He previously helped re-activate the Thoreau Group and served asits chair or two years. Earlier he served asvice-chair o Chapter Political Committeeor ve years.


17/20

MAIL BALLOTS TO: Sierra Club Elections, 10 Milk Street, Suite 632, Boston, MA 02108Your membership number must appear on the tsde o your envelope in order or yourballot to be valid.

A secnd ballt s prded fr thse hsehlds wth jnt membershps s that each member can te.

Ballots must be received by 5:00 PM, Frday, Nember 18th, 2011 in order to be counted.Candidate Statements can be ound on pages 16 and 18.

BALLOTGreater Bstn GrpEecte Cmmttee

Vote for no more than four candidates

Erik Gehring

Karen ODonnell

Karla Karash

John Kyper

BALLOTGreater Bstn GrpEecte Cmmttee


Erik Gehring

Karen ODonnell

Karla Karash

John Kyper

BALLOTThrea Grp

Eecte Cmmttee

Vote for no more than three candidates

Nancy Carapezza

Jon Harding

Dan Proctor

BALLOTThrea Grp

Eecte Cmmttee

Vote for no more than three candidates

Nancy Carapezza

Jon Harding

Dan Proctor

BALLOTMassachsetts ChapterEecte Cmmttee


Tara Holmes

Craig Kelley

Dan Proctor

Launa Zimmaro

Bob Terrell

BALLOTMassachsetts ChapterEecte Cmmttee


Tara Holmes

Craig Kelley

Dan Proctor

Launa Zimmaro

Bob Terrell



18/20

Endangered Species Need Yur Supprtby Elisa Campbell

The Sierra Club supports theEndangered Species Actand opposes eorts in Congress to limit the Act orremove certain species rom its protection. In April, aspart o the budget compromise, Congress voted toremove the gray wol in the Northern Rocky Mountainsrom the Endangered Species List. The EndangeredSpecies Coalition (which includes the Sierra Club) isorganizing to support the Act, including many activi-ties on Endangered Species Day. They also have a listat http://www.stopextinction.org/10athome.html othings each o us can do to help.

Two o the items on their list - learning about endan-gered species in our own area and protecting wildliehabitat point us in Massachusetts toward the statesDivision o Fisheries and Wildlie (DFW). DFW pur-chases and manages habitat or the rare, threatenedand endangered species in our state whether mam-mal, bird, insect, ish, reptile, amphibian (etc) or plant.They have developed a very comprehensive plan thatlists all the species in trouble and what they need youcan ind it at http://www.mass.gov/dwele/dw/habitat/cwcs/cwcs_home.htm

The Natural Heritage and Endangered SpeciesProgram (NHESP) within DFW is ocused on protect-ing the 176 species o vertebrate and invertebrate ani-mals and 259 species o native plants that are oiciallyon the list as Endangered, Threatened or o SpecialConcern. All o us have an opportunity to directly sup-port the work o the NHESP inancially on our incometax each year.

And, we can support the DFWs program to bothpurchase and maintain habitat or these species.Wildlie scientists have determined that many rare

species in Massachusetts require even-aged young or-est habitats. Among those species are whip-poor-wills,blue-winged and golden-winged warblers, woodcock,brown thrashers, Eastern towhees, New England cot-tontails, chestnut-sided warblers, white-throated spar-rows, black and yellow-billed cuckoos, willow andolive-sided lycatchers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigobuntings, black and white warblers, yellow throats, andmeadow and woodland jumping mice. See my webpageat http://www.sierraclubmass.org/issues/orests/mpl/early_successional.html


Erk Gehrng I have been active in the Sierra Club since2002, serving on the Massachusetts Chapter Executive Com-mittee and GBG Executive Committee or many years. Cli-mate change is by ar the biggest threat we ace. The science

says that i we ail to take aggressive action now our planetwill be radically altered. And so every action that we takeneeds to be evaluated through this lens will it reduce ourgreenhouse gas emissions?

Karen oDnnell Sierra Club Lie Member, Walthamresident, ormer: state representative, CPPAX Board member,Gallops Island Ranger, Co-chair, Volunteers and Friends oThe Boston Harbor Islands, Inc. IBEW union electrician onthe MBTA. Delegate to The Greater Boston Labor Council TheSierra Club is one o the ew environmental organizationsthat is politically active on issues and endorses candidates.Our members care about and are involved in causes that TheSierra Club supports rom preserving parks, orests and wa-terways or people and animal habitat to eliminating bottled

water and ghting or a Coal Free MBTA. I want to continueto support our club and members by serving on GBG ExComand holding our ocials accountable or policies that osterenvironmental justice, or healthy communities throughsustainable development, parks and open space, clean renew-able energy and public transportation. Our members cancount on me to support public events and sponsorships thatexpand volunteers, ideas and action.

Karla Karash Karla Karash has been involved in issuesrelated to sustainability, health and the environment or herentire adult lie. She worked in public transportation or 32years, spending the last 20 as a transportation consultant.

She was an Assistant Secretary or the Massachusetts Execu-tive Oce o Transportation in the 1970s and a Deputy Di-rector o Operations or the MBTA in the 1980s. In the early1970s she was an active member o the Sierra Club, involvedin the ght against highway expansion in Boston, Cambridgeand Somerville. She has served on the Board o Directors oWalkBoston or two decades.

Jhn Kyper Im a ormer member o the Chapter ExCom,and Chair o its Transportation Committee or the past sixyears. A Roxbury resident since 1975, I support an enlight-ened transportation policy that would reduce our depen-dence on the private automobile by providing more benignand attractive alternatives. The long struggle or equity intransportation planning refects how the state is neglecting

the needs o its most transit-dependent residents. Since theearly 90s I have worked in the Washington Street CorridorCoalition, advocating true, rail replacement service or theold Orange Line elevated instead o the inadequate SilverLine bus.

Massachusetts Chapter and Group Elections

Greater Bstn Grp Eecte Cmmttee Canddate StatementsVote for no more than 4 candidates (Ballots on page 17)


19/20


by Deborah Holt

At the end o May I hiked theMiddlesex Fells Rock Circuit Trailon two consecutive weekend days.The irst day was gloriously sunnyollowing an extended period o rainand gloom. Within moments o set-ting out on the trail, I had to stopand listen. I could hardly believe myears but, yes, it was the munchingo thousands o caterpillars, busilydeoliating the spring greenery. I wasglad or the protection o a hat andlong sleeves as it was impossible toavoid wearing the tiny, wormy crit-ters. They were everywhere, hangingand dropping and munching.

Hiking the Rock Circuit in a coun-ter-clockwise direction was a newexperience or me and one with at

least two advantages. First, the traileast o the Fellsway East seems easierto ollow in this direction. Althougha veteran o the Rock Circuit, I havelost the trail more times than Iwant to admit. Second, the view othe Cascades approached rom thesoutheast is much more rewardingthan the alternative.

The Fells was teaming with liethis Saturday morning. In the courseo my ive-hour visit, birds, bullrogs,

garter snakes, and chipmunks madetheir presence known. A lone andquiet hiker is much more likely tohear and see wildlie, and I did. Atone point red-tailed hawks circledover head, driving away a threaten-ing intruder. Many o the vernalpools had their own resident mallardcouple. Blueberries, apple, dogwood,Corydalis, violets and many otherwildlowers were in bloom, as wellas the regal Lady Slipper. Walking

through the shade o a hemlock or-est in early aternoon, I was surprised

by the raucous birdlie.

The next day I returned to theFells with two hiking companions. Itwas overcast but not unpleasant, andas we retraced my steps o the daybeore I marveled at how dierentthe place elt and looked in dierentlight. We took our time and chattedand were less attuned to the loraand auna. My companions wereirst-time visitors and perhaps a littleconcerned by the early challenges othe trail, but by the end they wereexcited about visiting the Fells again.

I have explored many o thetrails in the Fells, but it is the RockCircuit that I return to over and over.I appreciate the diversity o land-scapes it traverses, but mostly I lovethe craggy rock even in its sullied,graitied state. Erratic boulders andexposed outcrops deine this trailslandscape, superimposing the paston the present, and remind one thatthe Fells wasnt always so peaceul asit is these days, or as it mostly is.

The Fells has received a lot oattention over the years rom themany interest groups who vieto maintain and sometimes toexpand their stake. A proposal todevelop the ormer Boston RegionalMedical Center in Stoneham, whichsits within the Fells, has been in andout o the courts or eleven years.Known as Langwood Commons,the original plan was or an oicepark and garage that subsequentlyevolved to an apartment complexthat has gotten smaller and smaller

over the years. Ater several roundso downsizing, the developerGutierrez Company claimed anenvironmental review was no lon-ger required, sued the Departmento Conservation and Recreation(DCR) who manages the Fells andwon. That low-point came in 2009.The Friends o the Fells respondedwith a lawsuit that was dismissedin Superior Court last year but wasappealed and is now under consider-ation by the Supreme Judicial Court.

On another ront, the DCR solic-ited comments rom users last year to

determine how to balance growingdemand, inite resources and con-servation. By its nature, this processshould be a lot less scary and threat-ening to the user community thanthe Langwood Commons battle. Butthings got o to a rocky start whenthe DCR tried to proceed without aResource Management Plan (RMP).Many, including the Sierra Club,objected and public opinion pre-vailed. A drat o the RMP has beenrecently released.

Anther Rund at the Fells - Hiking the Rck Circuit

byDeborahHolt

byDeborahHolt

Middlesex Fells

ReservationTime to Comment!

The Department o Conserva-

tion and Recreation has released

the drat Resource Management

Plan (RMP) or the Middlesex

Fells. The ull drat plan is now

available. The fnal RMP willguide management o the Fells,

set priorities or allocating limited

sta and fnancial resources, and

identiy stewardship partners and

opportunities. I you know the

Fells, please visit our web site to

learn more, comment, and help

guide the stewardship or this

historic parkland.


20/20


IERRANReaching More Than 20,000

Sierra Club Members in Massachusetts

Massachusetts ChapterSierra Club

10 Milk Street, Suite 632Boston, MA 02108617-423-5775

[email protected]

wPrinted with soy-based ink on recycled paper

www.sierraclubmass.org

Be In the Know -- Signup for our MonthlyEmail Newsletter!

Want an easy way to become moreactive and stay informed aboutMassachusetts environmental issues?

Subscribe to the E-Sierran monthlyemail newsletter and youll receive:

Environmentalnewsfromaround the state

Alertsonimportlegislation,and when to contact your statelegislators

Events, ilm showings, andgatherings

Announcementsregardingcritical environmental issues

Informationaboutimportantitems in the news

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 56705

Boston, MA

SiGN uP FoR THE

E-SIERRAN

Greenlivingtipsandinter-

esting acts about our envi-ronment Clubmeetings,andlotsof

great ways to get involved inprotecting our environment

To help save the chapters resourcesas well as trees, the Massachusettschapter is now publishing theMassachusetts Sierran once per

year, instead of quarterly. Ournew E-Sierran comes out monthlyand provides an easy way to be

informed and get involved. Wereurging all our members to sign upfor the E-Sierran today! Its free andit only takes a minute to subscribe.

Just visit www.sierraclubmass.organd click on E-Sierran.

Privacy: E-mail addresses of mem-bers of the lists will not be shared,rented, sold or otherwise provided toany non-Sierra Club entities. The listwill be used only for Sierra sponsoredand cosponsored events, and criticalissue reports.

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