Upper Columbia River Group of Sierra Club

Spokane Riverkeeper hosting Expo 50 River Cleanup this weekend The cleanup is happening on Saturday, June 8 in the U-District in Spokane at 10 a.m.

Here is our latest newsletter!

20 Questions for Earth Day. Take a look. What does it tell you?

Where're We At Now? 20 Questions for Earth Day 1. Can you remember the first time you saw a picture of the Earth? 2. Who are your neighbors (apart from humans)? Name them. 3. Think of a time when you m

There is still time to sign up for our annual Earth Day River Clean Up! We will be gathering at the High Bridge Park pavilion at 10AM then spreading out through the park and over to People's Park to collect trash. Spokane County Master Composters/Recyclers will be there to help sort recyclables, and we will have coffee available for purchase. Hope to see you there!

Sign up at spokaneriverkeeper.org/litter-clean-up

Thank you, President Biden

The U.S. just changed how it manages a tenth of its land The Interior Department finalized a rule that puts conservation on equal footing with mining, grazing and drilling on public lands across the country.

Wonders abound, even now, if we pay attention. Protect what is natural.

‘We found 700 different species’: astonishing array of wildlife discovered in Cambodia mangroves Hairy-nosed otters and cats that catch fish are among the startling diversity of creatures making their home in threatened habitats

This short video is lovely and shares an important message about forest fires and logging. Please take a look ... and learn ... and enjoy.

An Inconvenient Woodpecker A fascinating woodpecker makes its living in post-fire forests, as do many others in this short film named after one of the chapters in "SMOKESCREEN,"…

Excellent read and resource. 6.5 hrs as audiobook.

Sign up now! - Clean Water Act Training Series

Who: The Sierra Club Toxics Team: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Subteam (partners invited) and all interested. "In order to change everything, we need everyone!"

What: A seminar on the Clean Water Act using the Clean Water Act Self-Paced Training Series, based on the Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual and produced by the River Network.

When: On the second Wednesday evening of each month at 8pm EST, starting on February 14, 2024 Valentine's Day ❤️, and meeting for 9 months.

Why: You will learn the ins and outs of the Clean Water Act, understand each of the Act’s programs, and discover ways you can use the tools of the Act - and your local knowledge - to advocate for your streams, rivers, and lakes.

Details: Each one-hour virtual session will involve discussion questions, watching a 15-20 minute video, discussing action items and reading homework assignments from the Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual,
Module #1 Overview of all CWA Programs & How They Fit Together
Module #2 Water Quality Standards
Module #3 Permitting Pollution
Module #4 Protecting Wetlands, Streams, and Lakes from Dredging and Filling ‐ Section 404
Module #5 State and Tribal Oversight of Federal Permits ‐ Section 401
Module #6 Identifying Problems and Restoring Water Quality ‐ Section 305(b), 303(d) and TMDLs
Module #7 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control and Grants ‐ Section 319
Module #8 State Loans for Wastewater, Nonpoint Source Pollution, and Stormwater Infrastructure ‐ Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Module #9 Clean Water Act Enforcement by the Public

Can I just do this on my own? Yes, click on Clean Water Act Self-Paced Training Series to sign up. We are doing this together for accountability, to have group discussions, to get to know each other better, and to meet interesting people we wouldn't have met otherwise!

I'm in. How do I sign up? Please put your contact info into this sign up form. You will receive monthly emails and Zoom calendar invitations.

Contact: Gloria Charland at [email protected] with questions, good ideas, or grammar corrections.

FAQs
What if I can't make it to a class? We'll miss you. Watch the video at home and do the homework assignments. We'll see you next month!

What if I didn't complete my homework? No judgment. Get yourself to class and see what you can learn.

Will there be tests? Yes, there is a mid-term and a final, but they are for you to assess your learning, not for a grade.

What does it cost? Nothing.

Analysis | Bird populations are declining. Some are in your neighborhood. North America has lost 3 billion birds in half a century. The world’s biggest bird database, eBird, shows how bird populations are doing in your town.

Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of our Planet In the 1990s I served on the Washington Forest Practices Board for nearly a decade, and time after time I heard that Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass was a se

Dear Los Angeles: You’re Drinking Indigenous Water How LA can localize its water supply and finally do right by the Owens Valley Paiute tribes

“The finding revealed a blunt truth: Like a wall or a highway, systemic racism creates a barrier to wildlife movement.”

Why Warblers Flock to Wealthier Neighborhoods In the unequal distribution of birds and other species, ecologists are tracing the impact of bigoted urban policies adopted decades ago.

Free day!

Today is a State Park free day! There's no better way to work off a thanksgiving food coma than visiting one of our local state parks.

Happy hiking!

https://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/136/Discover-Pass-Free-Days

“We’re unlikely to achieve net-zero aviation emissions by 2050 if people resume flying like they did before covid,” he wrote in an email. “Strong policy interventions will be needed.” (Washington Post)

The Sierra Club has endorsed Lisa Brown for Spokane mayor and Paul Dillon, Kitty Klitzke and Lindsey Shaw for city council. Please consider campaigning for these folks! If you would like more info on these candidates’ environmental policies, please see our Fall/Winter 2023 Nature’s Advocate newsletter posered on our website. Scroll all the way the page if you’re using your smart phone.

https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/upper-columbia-river

Lisa Brown for Mayor Volunteer Opportunities October 30- Election Day! We're almost there! This is our final push. We want to get every piece of literature out this week! After all your hard work we would love it if you would join us on on Election Night. Details can be found here: RSVP here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/electionnightparty2023 Thank you all so muc...

Environmental event coming up later this month.

Hike the State is next week! Join us on Thursday, 6/22 6-7 p.m. to hear our staff share 15 of their favorite hikes across the state. We’ll be covering it all, from urban parks to backcountry trails.

Hike the State is a free online event. Whether you're brand new to hiking or have been hiking for years, you won't want to miss out this chance to learn about our favorite hikes, be entered to win prizes, discover hiking resources and more!

Visit the link to kick off your summer hiking season with us: ow.ly/qUeo50OOJRk

Our work continues.

Sierra Club Statement on Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court Ruling WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, a five-Justice conservative majority of the Supreme Court ruled to gut clean water protections for millions of Americans. The case, Sackett v. EPA, is a corporate polluter-backed effort to dismantle the Clean Water Act by narrowing the definition of the Waters of the United....

Many ways to address climate change. Unfortunately, human unwillingness to make lifestyle changes inhibits all of them.

FAO publishes its first Global Assessment of Soil Carbon in Grasslands The study highlights hotspots where actions are needed to preserve or increase soils' capability to store excess carbon 

Great OpEd by Ben Jealous, the new Executive Director of Sierra Club. Restore salmon to the Snake River and increase supplies for Puget Sound Orca by REMOVING THE FOUR LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS.

Preserving wildlife and a way of life Through an intersection of bipartisan interest and once-in-a-generation federal funding, we may finally have a chance to end the spiral toward extinction of salmon, orcas that feed on salmon and the cultures of tribal nations who consider the salmon their first food.

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day on Jan. 16, 2023, enjoy state parks and lands with no Discover Pass required!

Free days!

Mark your 2023 calendars! Don’t miss the chance to enjoy the remarkable beauty of lands managed by Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission, and Washington State Department of Natural Resources on these Discover Pass free days.

Volunteer opportunity

🛑 BRIDGE CLOSURE! 🛑
Beginning on Monday, November 7, Garco Construction will be working to rewiden the pedestrian bridge over the Little Spokane River in the Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve. During this project, the Preserve will be closed to the public. Please find other places to enjoy nature since other river crossings are dangerous for humans and habitats alike. Check back on this page periodically for updates on progress and when the area will reopen. Thank you for your patience!
https://inlandnwland.org/a-closed-bridge-over-trampled-waters/

Good news. Important support.

Today the WSCC bishops published a new statement: Caring for Creation and the Common Good in the Lower Snake River Region.
wacatholics.org/stay-informed/new

For Tribes, Reforesting Means Reconnecting to History, Culture “Everything we plant right now is for our grandkids.”