By Henry Robertson

It started when SeattleMayor Greg Nicklesdecided that if the federal

government wouldn't sign upto the Kyoto Protocol, hewould. He issued a challenge

to other US mayors to pledge that their citieswould meet the Kyoto goal to reduce green-house gas (GHG) emissions: a modest scalingback to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012.

Tulsa recently became the 500th city toadopt the US Mayors' Climate ProtectionAgreement. Now, despite federal inaction,most of the US population is covered by theKyoto goal. The challenge now is to translatemere words into action.

The Sierra Club took on the mayors' agree-ment and developed the Cool CitiesCampaign to help Sierra Club membersengage their own mayors. (Information, mate-rials, and fact sheets can be found atwww.coolcities.us.)

The Club's website lists nine Missouricities as being signed on: Kansas City,Columbia, St. Louis, and the St. Louis sub-urbs of Clayton, Florissant, Kirkwood,

Maplewood, Sunset Hills and University City.You can register on the website to participate,either to enlist your mayor or, if your city isalready on board, to help it carry out theagreement.

There are plenty of cities left to recruit; St.Louis County has more than 85 municipalitiesin addition to the six that have signed. Themost important thing for the Chapter to doright now is to foster communication andcoordination across the state so that the jobgets done without reinventing the wheel toooften.

Alan Journet and the Trail of Tears Group

I N S I D E• 2007 Missour Legislative Report................ 3

• Attend the Energy Expo............................3

• 2007 Chapter Campout / Registration........ 5

• Missouri Wilderness for the 21st Century... 6

• National Forest Sale Update..................... 6

• Eight lanes of I-70.................................... 9

J U LY-SEPTEMBER 2007VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 3

One Earth One Chance

For the latest updates, visit us on the web:http://missouri.sierraclub.org

G L O B A L WARMING: ACT LOCALLYSierra Club's Cool Cities Campaign

Global Wa r m i n g. . . . . .continued on page 4

By Caroline Pufalt

Think environmental issues for the 21stcentury and what likely comes to mindfirst may be global warming, green-

house gas reduction, carbon footprints, renew-able energy and other facets of climate changeconcern. It is proper that these daunting chal-lenges command our attention.

However, we need to also remind ourselvesof one of the earliest struggles that helpedbuild the Sierra Club and, more importantly,preserved millions of acres of wild lands for usto enjoy and from which we reap vast ecologi-cal benefits. That effort, the establishment offederally designated Wilderness areas, contin-

ues today.It's because of the hard work of Sierrans

and other concerned citizens that our nationhas preserved 106 million acres of protectedforests, wetlands, deserts, beaches and highcountry. While that might sound like a lot, lessthan half that amount is in the lower 48 statesand that total represents only about 2% of thecountry.

The Wilderness Act, passed in 1964, pro-tects areas designated as “Wilderness” fromroads, dams, or other permanent structures;from timber cutting and the operation ofmotorized vehicles and equipment; and, since1984, from new mining claims and mineralleasing.With all the pressures for develop-

NEW Missouri Wilderness for the 21st Century

Lower Rock CreekPhoto by Scott Merritt (ww.mowild.org)

Missouri Wi l d e r n e s s. . . . . .continued on page 7

2M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September ‘ 0 7

The Missouri Sierran is published four times ayear by the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club.Annual dues of Sierra Club members pay for sub-scription to this publication. Non–members maysubscribe for $15 per year.Items for publication: Contact Caroline Pufalt via E–mail at cpufalt@sbc-global.net or phone (314) 721-7207, PRIOR TO SENDING, for information onhow to submit articles.The editors reserve the right to edit articles! Material may be edited for length,content, or clarity. It is our job to help you communicate. If you have strongcreative ownership of your writing, and wish to review your edited article beforepublication, consider your deadline 10 days prior to the published deadline.With notice, we will be happy to work with you.Reproduction quality photographs (prints) or artwork are dearly welcome.Pleeease: send us photos...The published deadline is the real, honest–to–goodness, drop–dead dead-

line—not a couple of days or a week later!Submissions received after the deadline aresubject to the possibility they won’t appearin the issue: you will feel bad and we will

feel bad. Call us nasty, but we are determined this newsletter will come out ontime!The MISSOURI SIERRAN is produced on a Macintosh computer, so we stronglyprefer to receive material electronically (E–mail), or on a CD, WITH A HARDCOPY OF THE TEXT. Typed articles are also OK (must be received a fewdays before the deadline). All submissions must include name, address, andphone number of the author. If you want your submission returned (includingyour CD), please include a SASE.Hard–working, All–volunteer Editorial and Production Staff: Caroline PufaltE d i t o r ; Claus Wawrzinek, p r o d u c t i o n .

C h a p t e r Executive Committee

James Turner, Chapter Chair, jlasturner@socket.net, (660) 665–6256

Ginger Harris, Vice Chair, gingerharris@charter.net, (314) 994-710

Cheryl Hammond, Treasurer, info@todaydata.com, (314) 210–4054

Byron Combs, byroncom@sbcglobal.net, (816) 587-9363Leslie Lihou, leslilihou@brick.net, (314) 726-2140Henry Robertson, hrbtsn@aol.com, (314) 647-5603Caroline Pufalt, cpufalt@sbcglobal.net, (314) 721-7207

Eastern Missouri Group: Becky Denny,dardenne@charter.net, (314) 645-3394

Osage Group: vacantThomas Hart Benton Group: Claus Wawrzinek,

claus@missouri.sierraclub.org, (816) 517-5244Trail of Tears Group: Bob Zeller, rzeller@semo.edu,

(573) 334-9965White River Group: Cynthia Andre, csandre1@aol.com,

(417) 581-8318

Conservation Chair: Becky Denny, dardenne@charter.net,(314) 645-3394

Deferred Gifts Officer, Legal Chair: Roger Hershey,roger.hershey@sierraclub.org, (816) 842–3636

Membership Chair: vacantNewsletter Editor: Caroline Pufalt,

cpufalt@sbcglobal.net, (314) 721-7207Sierra Club Council Delegate: James Turner,

jlasturner@socket.net, (660) 665–6256Transportation Chair: Ron McLinden,

ronmclinden@yahoo.com, (816) 931–0498Website Chair: Cheryl Hammond, info@todaydata.com,

(314) 210–4054S t a f f G R O U P R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Sierra Club / Missouri Chapter7164 Manchester AvenueMaplewood, MO 63143(314) 644-1011

Vacant, Program DirectorMelissa Hope, Development Associate,

melissa.hope@sierraclub.org, (816) 806-6965Roy Hengerson, Legislative Director,

roy.hengerson@sierraclub.org, (573) 644-2828Angel Kruzen, Missouri Water Quality Monitoring Organizer,

pansgarden@hotmail.com

CHAPTER OFFICE STA F F

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

GROUP REPRESENTATIVES

AT LARGE

by Jim Turner, Missouri Chapter Chair

The Sierra Club Boardof Directors recentlychallenged us to gear

up for more coordinatedaction by Club members, toaddress the politics and cul-ture of global warming andother urgent problems. In

coming months we will be hearing moreabout how activists of the Chapters can makethat happen. Without a step-up in actions byenvironmentalists, social inertia is likely tomaintain many habits in how Americans con-sume and produce goods and services, andthose habits will keep on hurting the environ-ment just as they do now. In response,Missouri Chapter leaders are asking all ourmembers to consider joining our on line leg-islative alert network. Through that networkwe can provide up to date information so thatyou will be able to make prompt and targetedcalls, letters and emails to our Senators andRepresentatives in Washington, as well as toour Missouri Legislature during its session.We saw that such calls to Jefferson City thisspring really helped. We know that calls canmake a difference, even in Washington DC.During the past two weeks, various chapterleaders and I have met with SenatorMcCaskill's Legislative Counsel NicholeDistefano about the pending energy bill. Wealso have had follow-up communications withthe Senator and Ms. Distefano. However, it'sobvious that other constituencies, like automanufacturers and coal companies, continueto exert pressure against bold action. The pre-sent bill certainly will not be enough protectEarth from global warming. We need to beprepared for ongoing action.

It Takes a Movement

Please step up to the challenge and if youhave not already done so, sign up for our leg-islative alerts.

1. Please provide your email addressfor receiving occasional notices of develop-ments that need your prompt comment to ourlegislators:You may do this by accessing thechapter's website and clicking on "Sign up forLegislative Alerts" at the upper right corner ofhttp://missouri.sierraclub.org

2. If you do not have email and wouldlike to provide your phone number foroccasional phone contacts regarding legisla-tion, please send us your number . And if youwould like to get our “Green Report” mailedto you during the MO legislative session, alsoprovide your mailing address. The GreenReport is our occasional publication coveringprimarily MO state legislative issues.

Mail your contact information to:Missouri Sierra Club7164 Manchester Ave.Maplewood, MO 63143

Chapter volunteers are presently workingout of our homes in or near Kansas City,Springfield, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, St.Louis, and Kirksville. Contacts to our legisla-tors from a wide variety of ZIP codes inMissouri can multiply the effect of what wedo.

3M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September ‘ 0 7

Visit the Ozark Renewable Energyand Sustainable Living Expo at theLes Bourgeois Winery in

Rocheport, Missouri on September 22-23.Learn ways to integrate renewable ener-

gy and sustainable living into your life atthe Expo's workshops, exhibits, hands-ondemonstrations, and speaker panels.Bring the family along to enjoy the week-end's live entertainment, wonderful food,children's activities, and more.

Attend workshops on topics like resi-dential solar and wind, green building,alternative fuels, and simple ways to greenyour life. Hear first hand from experts oncomplex issues like nuclear energy andbiofuels. Learn more about renewableenergy policy change at the local, state,and national level.

The 2007 Ozark Renewable Energyand Sustainable Living Expo builds uponthe momentum of the July 2006 Expo inHermann, Missouri.Visitwww.OzarkRE.org to learn more.

Do you want to get involved?Missouri Sierra Club is a co-sponsor of

the Expo and will have a table at theevent. Additional volunteers, workshopspeakers, non-profit exhibitors, and com-mercial vendors are needed.

Contact Becky Denney, Missouri SierraClub Conservation Chair to volunteer orfor more information:

Dardenne@charter.net,Phone: (314) 645-3394

Mark your calendars! We'll see you September 22-23.

By Robert Emmett MorrisReview by Jim Turner

Robert Emmett (Bob)Morris is a nationalleader among Sierra

Club volunteers. His latestcontribution is his ClimateChange novel “The Owl andthe Oak”.The novel conveysMorris's concern that as we tryto steer America toward sus-tainability, we struggle againstleaders of the oil and coalindustries whose interests liein maintaining present con-sumption trends.

Morris indicates that weneed to be as personally “firedup” as were the protesters of the Vietnam Warand the Civil Rights marchers of the 1960s.

To that end, his novel presents strongly drawncharacters who are distinctly recognizable as

good and evil from an envi-ronmental point of view. Itmakes for the same intensitythat readers have found (froma very different point of view)in Tom Clancy's novels.

I quote from the backcover:

“Aaron Woods, the grayingsingle father of a troubledpre-teen adopted son, isdetermined to directly con-front the [oil and coal] indus-tries by organizing a boycott… The new ExecutiveDirector of the NaturalAmerica Club, TonyAlbritton, seizes on Aaron'sidea to push himself and

NAC to national prominence. Tony's energeticassistant,Wendy Sparks, develops a campaign

that quickly becomes the seed for a growingmovement“.

For Sierra Club members, this novel givesan interesting viewpoint on the respective rolesof volunteers, professional staff, and activistleaders. But the plot involves far more thanmeetings. It is a well-paced narrative withplenty of action, and we learn more about thecharacters as we go. Morris has developedthem boldly. His novelistic style seemed goodand I was immersed in the story.

Some day in the future, we will know thatenvironmentalism is prevailing, when we willsee a writer of the stature of John Updike pro-duce a tale of a typical thoughtful Americanwho is deeply engaged by a shift to sustain-ability. But in the meantime, we have need fora novel like Morris's. “The Owl and the Oak”presents a view that we environmentalists needto dig deep and find 1960s- scaled dimensionsof effort within ourselves, if we are to protectcoming decades from the ravages of climatechange.

The Owl and the Oak

Attend the Ozark Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living ExpoInvest in Missouri’s Future

❑ Guardian $1,000+ ❑ Protector $500 - $999 ❑ Steward $100 - $499 ❑ Advocate $50 - $99 ❑ Other $______

❑ Check enclosed ❑Visa ❑ MasterCard

Account # _____________________________ Exp ______

Signature __________________________________________

Name on Card _____________________________________

Contributions payable to:❑ Sierra Club Missouri Chapter (not tax deductible)*❑ Sierra Club Foundation, Missouri Chapter**

Address ___________________________________________

City ______________________________________________

State ____ Zip _____ Phone ________________________

E-mail ____________________________________________

*Please make your check payable to the Missouri Chapter of theSierra Club. Contributions and gifts to the Missouri Chapter arenot tax-deductible; they support our effective citizen-based advo-cacy and lobbying efforts. This type of gift provides maximum flexi-bility for the Club.

Credit card donations are donations to the Missouri Chapter andare therefore not-tax deductible.

**For a tax deductible gift, please make your contribution payableto Sierra Club Foundation, Missouri Chapter. Contributions toThe Sierra Club Foundation are tax-deductible as charitable contri-butions as they support grants for public education, research andpublic interest litigation necessary to further the Sierra Club’s con-servation goals.

Mail to: Missouri Chapter7164 Manchester Ave.St. Louis, MO 63143

On-line donations: http://missouri.sierraclub.org. Only non-taxdeductible donations are available on-line.

Contact Melissa Hope, Chapter Development Associate,Melissa.Hope@sierraclub.org, (816) 806-6965.

❑ Please do not publish my name as a donor.

✃

4M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September 2007

are rallying support for action in CapeGirardeau as part of the Southeast MissouriClimate Protection Initiative. See their impres-sive website http://cstl.semo.edu/SEMOCPI.

It isn't strictly necessary to get the mayor'ssignature on the official agreement. CapeGirardeau's mayor has not endorsed the U.S.Mayors Climate Protection Agreement but hassigned a Proclamation endorsing the group(SEMOCPI) and its goals. On the other hand,just because a mayor has signed doesn't meananything's happening. Most of the cities arefloundering. They lack direction and they lack asense of urgency.

Kansas City is miles ahead of the pack. Thecity Council set up a process headed by aSteering Committee under which are fourworking groups hammered out the details of aclimate action plan, consulting the variousstakeholders in the commu-nity.

Kansas City's plan wasgiven a huge boost inMarch 2007 when SierraClub and Kansas CityPower and Light (KCPL)reached an agreement thatended litigation surroundingopposition to KCPL's newcoal-burning power plant.In addition to reduction inpollution levels for fourpower plants, the agreementincluded the offset of 100% of the global warm-ing gas (CO2) emitted by the new power plant(6,000,000 tons annually) through the additionof 400MW of wind, 300MW of efficiency, andadditional measures yet to be determined.These offsets will largely be implemented by2010 and fully implemented by 2012. The CEOof Great Plains Energy, KCPL's parent compa-ny based in Kansas City, also pledged to workto reduce KCPL's total CO2 emissions 20% by2020.

Things are very different at the other end ofbillboard-fenced I-70. St. Louis has no full-timeenvironmental manager like Kansas City. For awhile a climate task force met behind closeddoors, but nothing came of its deliberations;you could say it died from lack of Sunshine.Now a special assistant to Mayor Francis Slay,working in her spare time with no budget andwith only a part-time intern, is in charge. In ameeting with Missouri Chapter representatives,she asked us to assemble a new task force ofcommunity leaders to get the city moving.

The most enthusiastic mayor is RobertLowery of Florissant. He eagerly accepted theprompting of our own Gloria Broderick andformer staff person Jill Miller and held a recep-

tion for the Sierra Club at which he invited usto stock a revived Environmental QualityCommission with Club members. Peggy Moodyis our point person on global warming.

Clayton also had an existing volunteer envi-ronmental committee; Janet Jump is our liaison.In Maplewood, where Mayor Mark Langstonwas the first in the St, Louis area to sign on,City Councilman Barry Greenberg is sponsor-ing a resolution to set up a citizen's advisorygroup. U City United, an independent citizensgroup in which EMG members like LeslieLihou and Caroline Pufalt are involved, is prod-ding University City's government.

This is a volunteer effort. It is by no means aSierra Club monopoly. In the St. Louis region,for example, the local chapter of the US GreenBuilding Council is a strong supporter of themayors' agreement, and the EMG EnergyCommittee is teaming up with the environmen-

tal committee of Women'sVoices Raised for SocialJustice.

We're all learning as wego along. A citizen's advisorygroup needs more than justenergy-saving ideas; it needsa plan.

A recommended firststep is to do a baselineGlobal Warming Gas(GHG) emissions inventory.The International Council

for Local EnvironmentalInitiatives (ICLEI) was doing these long beforeSeattle's Nickles came up with the Mayor'sClimate Protection Agreement. An inventoryidentifies the sources of a town's GHGs so thatcuts can be targeted. ICLEI charges a feeaccording to the size of the town, however, andeven a small fee deters some mayors. For smalltowns it may not even be all that useful.

Google the words “climate action plan” andyou'll find dozens of written plans from cities ofall sizes, from Chicago and LA to Fort Collins,Colorado and Keene, New Hampshire to thesuburbs ringing Boston.You can soon come upwith a list of measures that are universal ornearly so. Some can reduce GHG emissionswhile saving the city money immediately.Others require some capital outlay up front.

Lighting is usually the low-hanging fruit.LED (light-emitting diode) traffic lights, moreefficient fluorescent tube lighting, and high-pressure sodium street lights all save electricityand money. Surprising savings can be made bychanging exit signs from incandescent bulbsto compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) becausethese signs are on all the time.

City governments can cut emissions by

Start your own Cool CitiesCampaign.

Information and registration

available at www.coolcities.us

Ideas for Your City's Climate Action PlanSaving money and reduce Green House GaseEnergy• LED traffic lights. NYC is saving $6 million a

year in energy and maintenance; Chicago esti-mates it would save $4.4 million a year.

• Street lights. Somerville, MA says one high-pres-sure sodium lamp saves 265 watts per lamp.

• Encourage Energy Star products and compactflourescent lights in city buildings and publichousing. An Energy Star window can save $80 inenergy costs and 1400 pounds of CO2 per year,according to Burlington, VT.

• Water pumping. Burlington, VT estimates high-efficiency pumps can save it $66,800 per year.Also, methane from water treatment can be har-nessed for power generation.

• Burlington,VT estimates that lighting and motorefficiency upgrades are saving it $307,000 a year.

• Try to reduce emissions from two-stroke engines.• Use Life-cycle energy cost analysis for buildings

and appliances• Chicago and its suburbs told energy companies they

want 20% renewable energy (120 MW). Chicago isalso building a 2.5 MW solar generation plant and alandfill gas plant on a brownfield site.

Transportation• Anti-idling ordinances for school buses.• Investment in public transit.• Bike policies: bike paths and lanes, racks and

locking rings.• Pedestrian policies:Walk to School programs,

walking school buses (a few parents walk theroute to school, collecting and chaperoning thechildren).

• Free or discounted transit passes.• Carpool park & ride lots and shuttles.• Traffic signal coordination to reduce time spent

idling at red lights.• Trip reduction programs for employees• Hybrid vehicles and right-sized fleets.Green buildings• Adopt LEED (Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design) green building rating sys-tem.

• Adopt green and energy efficient building codesincluding special programs for existing buildings.

• Programmable thermostats can save $60 in ener-gy costs and 1170 pounds of CO2 emissions/yr,according to Burlington, VA.

• Chicago is building green demonstration homes,Energy Star homes and solar homes.

• White roofs on flat-topped buildings.• Waste reduction: Recycling; Environmentally

Preferred Purchasing focuses procurement onrecycled products.

Education, outreach, incentives• Encourage electric utilities to offer Demand Side

Management programs (demand reduction andenergy efficiency). NSTAR, the Boston utility,has commercial building retrofit programs.

• Green Sanctuary programs enlist churches toreduce greenhouse gas emissions and encouragecongregants to do the same at home.

• Offer energy audits and help with financing forretrofits.

Global Wa r m i n g. . . . . .continued from page 1

Global Wa r m i n g. . . . .continued on page 5

5M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September 2007

21st Annual Missouri Chapter Campout & Reunion

Please send in reservations by Sept 15

To reserve your space, clip, complete and mail the reservation form below,

along with a check payable to "Missouri Chapter Sierra Club", to:

Sierra Club Campout, 7164 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63143

Maximum fee for a family: $80. Fees include cabin camping and five meals(Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch). Camping fees will be refund-

ed for cancellations received prior to September 23.

We will mail or email you an information packet containing a map in advanceof the Campout date.

Our annual fall campout will be heldOctober 5-7, 2007 at beautiful Camp "Si"Colborn Group Camp in Mark Twain StatePark. The park is almost surrounded byMark Twain Lake, between Columbia andHannibal. The Camp has rustic cabinsand a large dining lodge. There will beplenty of outings, activities for the wholefamily (a great Sam Clemens museum),good food, a bonfire, and a chance toform new friendships and renew oldones.

The campout is put together by volun-teers, and we could really use any helpyou could provide. If you would like tolead an outing, assist with children's'activities, plan or supervise a meal, con-tribute items to our silent auction, or justwant to assist with odd jobs such ascamp preparation or clean-up, we wouldreally appreciate it.

Please contact the Eastern MissouriGroup Sierra Club office at (314) 644-0890 or emg.sierraclub@earthlink.netwith questions or to volunteer. We lookforward to seeing you there!

Your Name:

Address:

City/State/Zip:

Phone:

Email address:

How Many $ $ Total Name(s) of participant

child 0–3 yrs. Free

child 4–6 yrs. $8 $

child 7–12 yrs. $15 $

adult 13+ yrs. $30 $

adult partial weekend * $20 $

limited income $15 $

Saturday dinner only $10 $

total fee enclosed $ $

* partial weekend defined as less than three meals.

buying energy-efficient appliances and recy-cled products; giving their employees incen-tives to use public transit, bicycle and walk;doing more recycling; and including greenbuilding features in city facilities.

It can't end with city government, however.In Kansas City, municipal governmentaccounts for only 4% of the city's GHG emis-sions. Public education and outreach areessential. Cities, and the U.S. itself, shouldfollow the example of Australia and phase outincandescent light bulbs completely in favor ofCFLs or even more efficient lights that are indevelopment.

City councils can enact energy-efficientbuilding codes for new construction andretrofits. Where possible, access to public tran-sit should be improved and sprawling landdevelopment should be restrained. Flat roofscould be painted white to reflect heat, “greenroofs covered with plants insulate buildingswinter and summer, reduce the heat islandeffect and absorb water.” City ordinancesshould prevent vehicles, especially schoolbuses, from idling. These are just a few ideasthat occur to me as I write.

There's opportunity here for every SierraClub member to make a difference by gettinginvolved in their own community. Climate sci-entists say that if we're going to stabilize theclimate, global GHG emissions need to be cutby 60-80% by 2050. The Cool Cities cam-paign is just the beginning.

Sierra Club's Cool Cities Campaign:

http://www.coolcities.us.

Be part of the “2% Solution”:

http://www.sierraclub.org/twopercent

The International Council for LocalEnvironmental Initiatives: www.iclei.org/For assistance and encouragement for startingyour own local Cool Cities Campaign contactHenry Robertson, Missouri Sierra ClubEnergy Chair at (314) 647-5603 orhrbtsn@aol.com.

Global Wa r m i n g. . . . .continued from page 4

6M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September ‘ 0 7

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By Caroline Pufalt

In a previous issue of thisnewsletter we reported onthe Bush administration's

2007 proposal to sell parcels ofNational Forest land across thecountry to provide temporary

funds for rural schools. Our position, and theposition of many other citizen's groups and leg-islators, is that this a bad idea. But unfortunate-ly this administration has a hard time rejectingbad ideas.Thus the proposal to auction off300,000 acres of National Forest land is includ-ed in the president's 2008 proposed budget.Included are about 21,500 acres fromMissouri's Mark Twain National Forest.

The basics of this misbegotten notion isthat because rural schools, primarily in thenorthwest receive less money than they did inthe 1980s from a portion of timber sales inneighboring National Forests, we should nowsacrifice National Forest land across the coun-try to provide a short term funding solution.Actually we had a longer term funding solu-tion in a program called the Secure RuralSchool and Community Development Act of2000. But that is up for renewal and theadministration cannot or will not find thefunds elsewhere to renew it.

The proposal to replace that program witha shortsighted one time sell off of public landsreceived such opposition last year that whenreintroduced this year the scheme had to bemodified to try to appease opposition. Therevised proposal was changed to permit a por-tion of funds gained from the sales to remain

within the state in which the NationalForest is located.

While this makes the proposal regionallymore fair it does not change the reality ofthe proposal. It still provides no long termsolution for school funding. And it wouldviolate standard practices by selling publiclands without following usual procedureswhich apply to public land sales, namelyopportunity for citizen input, environmen-tal assessment of parcels chosen and theopportunity for land exchange as a meansto improve public holdings.

Despite the modest change noted above,the proposal is still unpopular. Most citi-zens value both our public lands and ruraleducation. But they clearly see this shortterm fix as neither the answer to educationfunding or public lands stewardship.

Another nefarious angle to this NationalForest lands sale idea is how it could figurein the federal budget. The administrationcould get credit in its budget for these landssales as proposals to help "balance" its bud-get. This accounting option was createdback in 1995 but Congress is considering anamendment to remove this sleight of hand.

At this writing Congress is consideringextending and funding the Secure RuralSchools and Community Self Determinationact for another year. That would removeimmediate pressure to support the land salesand set a precedent for more sustainable fund-ing for education.

Also we are not aware of any MissouriRepresentative or Senator who has come out

fully in favor of this National Forest land saleproposal. But, it is always a good idea to letyour legislators know your opposition. After allthis is a bad idea that keeps coming back.

National Forest Sales Update

Van East MountainPhoto by Jim Scheff

Contact your U.S. legislators to let themknow you oppose the sale of NationalForest lands.www.senate.govwww.house.gov

ment, drilling, and motorized recreation thathave changed so much of the landscape in thepast 43 years, what more would we have losthad we not fought and won the battle forWilderness preservation?

We owe those who fought for Wilderness inMissouri a debt of gratitude for protecting theMingo Wilderness as part of our WildlifeRefuge system, preserving the untamed IrishWilderness in the Mark Twain National Forestthat helps to protect thewatershed of the ElevenPoint River, and forsaving the special habi-tats found in HerculesGlades Wilderness forfuture generations.Would the hike up BellMountain and the viewatop, still be as grand ifit had not been protect-ed all these years asWilderness?

We appreciate thewilderness we have inMissouri, but the needfor protection of additional special areas con-tinues today. The pressures against good landstewardship are as great, if not stronger todaythan they were in 1964 when the WildernessAct was established.

A Vision for NEW Missouri Wildernessin 2007

In the 1970s citizens groups, includingmany MO Sierrans, identified 13 areas in the

Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) as can-didates for federally designated Wilderness.Several of those areas are now so designated.Seven areas were not preserved as Wilderness,but they did receive special recognition in the1985 MTNF Management Plan as SensitiveAreas. This afforded them modest but mean-ingful protection from routine logging andother activities.

However, that protection was lost in therecent revised management plan for the Mark

Twain National Forest(see accompanying arti-cle in this issue). Thusthe Sierra Club andother concerned citizensand conservation groupsare gearing up an effortto propose newWilderness designationfor the following fiveareas:

Big Spring(7,600acres), NorthFork (7,200 acres),Spring Creek (6,400acres), Swan Creek

(9,200 acres) and Smith Creek (2,500 acres).Lower Rock Creek (13.800 acres) and Van

East Mountain (2,500 acres) are also candi-dates but require some boundary clarificationsand may be presently considered forWilderness Study areas.

Each of these areas currently meet theexpectations for Wilderness in that they arewild in character, have minimal or no roads

and provide the opportunity for solitude. Eachof these areas has a history of recognition as“special” and worthy of preservation.

Wilderness areas are landscapes in whichecological forces unfold without the heavyinfluence of humankind.That is exactly whatmakes it so valued for recreation, study, andrenewal.

The 1964 Wilderness Act states that:“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas

where man and his own works dominate the

landscape, is hereby recognized as an areawhere the earth and its community of life areuntrammeled by man, where man himself is avisitor who does not remain ...” TheWilderness Act, September 3, 1964.

Get Involved:These grand principles are asrelevant today as they ever were.

7M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September ‘ 0 7

“A wilderness, in contrast withthose areas where man and hisown works dominate the land-scape, is hereby recognized asan area where the earth and itscommunity of life are untram-

meled by man, where man him-self is a visitor who does not

remain ..." The Wilderness Act,September 3, 1964

A Vision for NEW MissouriWilderness AreasBig Spring (7,600acres)North Fork (7,200 acres)Spring Creek (6,400 acres)Swan Creek (9,200 acres)Smith Creek (2,500 acres)

If you would like to help in the MissouriSierra Club's effort to gain Wilderness pro-tection for some of the finest areas of theMark Twain National Forest, please contactCaroline Pufalt at cpufalt@sbcglobal.net, orleave a message indicating your interest andcontact information at (800) 628-5333.

By Caroline Pufalt

In prior issues of this newsletter we dis-cussed our administrative appeal of thenew Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF)

plan.The Missouri chapter, along with othercitizen conservation organizations, filed anadministrative appeal of the 2005 Mark TwainNational Forest Management plan. See theOct-Dec 2006 Missouri Sierran issue for anexplanation of key issues in our appeal.

The Forest Service appeal process providesfor the possibility of negotiation with theRegional Forester while at the same time theU.S. Forest Service Office of the Chief con-ducts a review of the appeal. In our case theRegional Forester is located in Minneapolisand the USFS Chief is in Washington, DC.

In early 2006 we embarked on negotiationswith the Regional Forester along with our fel-

low appellants:Heartwood, MissouriCoalition for theEnvironment, MissouriWilderness Coalition,the L.A.D Foundation,Missouri ForestAlliance, OzarkRiverkeepers and Goodsfrom the Woods. Ournegotiations soon took adetour due to a pro-posed project by theMTNF in the LowerRock Creek area.

Lower Rock Creek isone of the “roadlessareas” we were trying togain additional protec-tion for in our appeal. Lower Rock Creek is M T N F. . . . .continued on page 8

Mark Twain National Forest Appeal RejectedSome gains negotiated for Lower Rock Creek

Smith CreekPhoto by Carrie Yonley

Missouri Wi l d e r n e s s. . . . .continued from page 1

8M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September 2007

M T N F. . . . .continued from page 7 Include the Missouri Sierra Club in your will or trust

Bequests Are VitalBequests are a vital and continuing resource that strengthens the Sierra Club's ability

to preserve our natural heritage for future generations. Gifts are planned in a variety ofways. Most are in the form of a general-use gift; this general support is the most help-ful to us because it allows the Sierra Club to direct funds to our most crucial conser-vation priorities. However, should you have specific environmental or programmaticconcerns, or if you wish to establish an endowment, we would be happy to assist you

in planning a gift that meets your interests and the long-term goals of the Sierra Club,as well as goals of the Missouri Chapter.

Bequests for Missouri ConservationBequests to our Missouri conservation efforts will support the challenging work being

done throughout the state to protect our air, water and natural heritage.We have 5active local groups and over 10,000 current members in the Show Me State. PlannedGifts are particularly important to Missouri protection efforts as they can provide sig-nificant resources to allow continued conservation activities over an extended periodof time. Bequests through the Sierra Club are not tax deductible; however, charitable(tax-deductible) bequests can be designated through The Sierra Club Foundation. A

bequest may be designated to support the Missouri Chapter.

Sierra Club and The Sierra Club FoundationBequests to the Sierra Club can fund national and regional lobbying activities. This

support is particularly valuable because legislation is usually the final step in formallyestablishing national parks and wilderness areas, setting standards for clean water andair, promoting environmentally responsible trade, protecting our precious coastlines,and achieving other environmental goals. However, since lobbying is not a charitable

activity, bequests to the Sierra Club are not tax-deductible for estate tax purposes.Charitable bequests should be made to The Sierra Club Foundation.

Under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001, the federal estate tax shelterhas increased to $2,000,000 for the years 2007 and 2008. This estate tax shelter will

increase in future years, with full repeal in 2010. In subsequent years, the status of thefederal estate tax is uncertain and will require future legislation. If your estate will notbe subject to estate taxes, in most instances your bequest can be planned for the Sierra

Club without adverse tax consequences. If you believe your estate may exceed thisestate tax shelter, you may wish to plan your bequest for The Sierra Club Foundation

so that your estate can claim a charitable deduction.

Further InformationIf you have any questions about planning a bequest for Sierra Club in general, or foryour Missouri Group or Chapter, or if you are interested in learning more about life

income trusts and other deferred gifts, please contact

Lori Sullivan, Advancement Director of Gift Planning,Sierra Club, 408 C Street NE

Washington, DC 20002lori.sullivan@sierraclub.org; (866) 687-1010.

or

Melissa Hope, Development Associate,Missouri Sierra Club,

melissa.hope@sierraclub.org; (816) 806-6965.

one of the largest and least roaded wild areasin the MTNF. The Forest Service proposalincluded salvage timber sales and prescribedburns in the area. The prescribed burn planinvolved building fire lines and the proposeduse of dozers in constructing part of that line.The prescribed burn process raised concernsabout the creation of roads, or at least whatthe agency would later consider roads in theLower Rock Creek area. Unfortunately ourexperience with the Mark Twain NationalForest in regard to roadless area criteria led usto realize we could not rely on the ForestService for a reasonable and accurate inter-pretation of on the ground issues.This wasalso a key issue in our appeal.

Thanks to all the Missouri Sierrans whoresponded to our request for input to theForest Service on the protection of LowerRock Creek. We were able to achieve modifi-cation of the proposed Lower Rock Creekproject to limit the salvage logging and mini-mize the use of dozers in creation of the fireline.

Unfortunately we were not successful inachieving any significant negotiated changesbased on our appeal. A key issue was theagency's interpretation of roadless area guide-lines and their misapplication in the ForestPlan. The agency ended negotiations late inDec 2006. In Feb 2007 we received a copy ofthe U.S.F.S.Chief's review of our appeal andthe Chief sided with the Mark Twain NationalForest management on all issues. The fullresponse can be viewed athttp://www.fs.fed.us/emc/applit/includes/woap-pdec/twain_decision.pdf.

Negotiations like this are difficult. At timesit was not easy to wade through the planissues and keep our eye on our goals.

We thank our fellow appellants for theirefforts. We and several of our fellow appellantsare now looking at an effort to achieveWilderness status for some of the areas ofconcern in the prior 1986 and current 2005plan. See accompanying article regarding thattopic.

Please contact Carolyn Pufalt if you areinterested in helping with Missouri SierraClub's forest issues: cpufalt@sbcglobal.net,(314) 721-7207.

9M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September 2007

By Ron McLinden

The MissouriDepartment ofTransportation

(MoDOT) has nearly com-pleted environmental studiesrequired for re-building 200

miles of I-70 across Missouri as a six-lanefacility. The anticipated cost is in the $2.5 to$3.0 billion range.

But even before that gets underway,MoDOT and its friends are promoting a planto make I-70 an eight-lane highway, with fourof those lanes dedicated to truck traffic.

MoDOT has also joined three other stateDOT's in applying for federal money to studythe concept of dedicated truck lanes on 789miles of I-70 across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana,and Ohio. (The Missouri chapter of the SierraClub sent comments toUSDOT about thatapplication.)

The concept soundsappealing - you and Iwould feel more at easeif we didn't have toshare road space withthe big 18-wheelers.Senator Bill Stouffer ofNapton (SalineCounty) is a principalproponent of the idea. Stouffer wants to makeMissouri a national hub for distribution - evenmore so than we already are. “I want to pullmore trucks through Missouri,” he said at arecent meeting.

But that overlooks the cost of accommodat-ing more traffic on local roads, especially inthe urban areas. Furthermore, the proposedfunding mechanism is a problem. Instead ofbuilding the truck lanes as toll lanes, Stouffer'sproposal is to increase the state sales tax byone cent. Representative Neal St. Onge (St .Louis County) favors a combination of userfee increases and a half-cent sales tax.

Another major flaw is that neither proposalcontains more than a pittance for transit andother non-highway modes. The St. Onge pro-posal includes $8.3 million per year for publictransit, but that's little more than what theMissouri General Assembly currently appro-priates, and less (in inflation-adjusted dollars)than what was appropriated a few years ago.The Stouffer proposal provides nothing fornon-highway modes of transportation.

At a “Transportation Funding Summit”on June 11, MoDOT Director Pete Rahnjoined Stouffer and St. Onge in support ofmore money for highways.Rahn talked about theapproaching “perfect storm” intransportation funding - thefederal Highway Trust Fundwill be depleted in 2009,MoDOT will have to start pay-ing off bonds it sold to financethe re-paving of some 2,200miles of the state's major high-ways, and the cost of asphaltand steel and other highwaymaterials continues to increase.

The June 11 summit, spon-sored by the MissouriTransportation and Development Council,

attracted over a hundredhighway supporters, butthere were a handful oftransit supporters inattendance as well. Oneasked what would bedone about the fact thatpublic transit in Missouriis “woefully under-fund-ed.”The three panelistsacknowledged transitneeds - including those of

OATS (Older Adults Transportation Services)and other rural transit providers - but didn'tindicate a willingness to broaden their pro-grams.

In a Sierra Club message to Rahn follow-ing the summit, we pointed out that a high-way funding program that relies on the salestax will compete with every other possible useof that money.Thus, it'll be subject to an“opportunity cost test:”What other stateneeds will go unmet if we raise the sales taxfor an eight-lane I-70?

We also reminded him that transportationplans that don't explicitly consider climatechange are just not valid. The many measuresthat our own and other governments willenact to head off climate change, along withmarket reactions to those measures, willchange everything - including decisions abouthow much transportation our economy needsand what modes we choose to meet thoseneeds.

In their defense, Stouffer and St. Onge saythey have offered their funding plans to “getthe discussion started.”That's good, provided

there's a true discussion. Of concern, howev-er, is that legislators will talk about the prob-lem for another few months, then proclaim

there's no consensus abouthow to raise the money -i.e., run away from a taxincrease as the 2008 elec-tions approach – and leavethe matter to the highwaycontractors and engineer-ing and trucking compa-nies who would write aplan to their own liking,circulate petitions (as theydid in 2004 forAmendment 3), and sell itto the voters with a mis-leading campaign.

Another summit will be held in JeffersonCity on July 31, this one sponsored by theJoint Committee on Transportation Oversightof the General Assembly.The event is free -no doubt paid for by private interests whostand to benefit. If you can attend - especiallyif you can represent a public interest organi-zation other than the Sierra Club - pleasecontact us for further information. The morepeople who attend - in addition to the usualrepresentatives of the “highway lobby” - thebetter the chance that we'll see a balancedtransportation funding package come out ofthe process.

2007 Transportation FundingSummit information:

If you plan to register for the July 31st2007 Transportation Funding summit inJefferson City, please contact Ginger Harrisgingerharris@charter.net or Ron McLindenronmclinden@yahoo.com.

For more information please visit

http://www.modot.org/expresslane/docu-ments/07TranspFundingSumInvite.pdf

http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/comm/tran.htm

“transportation plans that don'texplicitly consider climate changeare just not valid. The many mea-sures that our own and other gov-

ernments will enact to head off cli-mate change ... will change every-thing - including decisions about

how much transportation our econ-omy needs and what modes wechoose to meet those needs.”

An eight-lane I-70? That's what they want now. . .

1 0M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September ‘ 0 7

By Roy Hengerson, served asChapter Lobbyist during the2007 legislative session

In spite of facing someopponents with consider-able clout in the Missouri

State Legislature, no legisla-tion which the Sierra Club actively opposedpassed in 2007. In addition, a few positivemeasures good for our health and environ-ment did succeed. However, as usual the fateof several key bills hung in the balance up tothe waning hours and minutes of the 2007Session on Friday, May 18.This report sum-marizes the fate of the various bills the SierraClub supported, opposed, or followed closely.

As often happens in the last few days of theSession, bills that still had a chance to passwere used by legislators to add other provi-sions from stalled bills, creating largeunwieldy bills which contained measures oftenopposed by the sponsor of the original bill.So, we had to stay on top of the fast pacedlegislative action, in both committees and onthe floor of the House and Senate.

This process was particularly demonstratedby SB419 and SB428, both of which cameover from the Senate to the House as simplebills which the Sierra Club did not oppose.Then, in House Committee, SB419 wasturned into a huge bill with many naturalresources sections including “audit privilege”(sometimes called the Polluter ProtectionAct), which the Club has been fighting againstsuccessfully defeating for many years.Likewise SB428 had many agricultural provi-sions added to it including factory farms/anti-local control measures originally in SB364,which stalled in the Senate due to the contro-versy over these measures.

Local Control Forces Hold Off FarmBureau and Corporate Agriculture

The battle for local control (the ability ofcounty and other local governments to adoptordinances protecting their citizen's health andliving environment from large factory farms)was one of the most intensely contested in theState Capitol this year. On one side were theFarm Bureau and its corporate agri-businessallies. On the other were family farmers,Sierra Club, local government officials, andcitizens concerned about the pollution andsocial problems brought on by large CAFOs

(confined animal feeding operations).Earlier in the Session SB364 was moving

steadily through the Senate. It had a very con-tentious hearing in the Senate Agriculture,Conservation, Parks & Natural ResourcesCommittee, but was voted out of theCommittee anyway. On the way to the fullSenate SB364 ran into trouble. The bill's lan-guage was modified, but that did not lessenthe controversy. This language was then puton SB570, but when that bill came to theSenate floor, Majority Floor Leader CharlesShields (R-34) amended SB570 stripped outthe SB364 language and substituted languagesetting up an interim joint committee to studythe issues. SB364 and SB570 just remainedon the Senate calendar the rest of the Session.

Action then shifted to the House, with sev-eral attempts to add the objectionable CAFOprovisions to other bills. In the end the Housenever even voted on this issue. This was aclear setback for the big corporate agri-busi-ness forces. Senators Wes Shoemyer (D-18)and Joan Bray (D-24) and RepresentativeBelinda Harris (D-110) were leaders in theCAFO battle.

Easy Connection Act PassedEnergy issues were also a focus of interest

in the 2007 General Assembly. Missouri hasnot focused much state effort on reducing itsenergy consumption or developing renewableenergy resources; however interest in this isincreasing in the Missouri State Legislature.SB54 included renewable energy targets forutilities to meet in future years. The SierraClub preferred the renewable energy stan-dards (mandates) contained in SB154, butthat bill never made it out of committee.SB54 passed the Senate and went over to theHouse.

Meanwhile support was growing for theEasy Connection Act (also known as netmetering). This requires utilities to allowsmall generators of electric power from renew-able sources such as wind and solar to con-nect to the grid with a minimum of bureau-cratic hassle. They With this bill electric cus-tomers are only required to pay the utility forthe net power they use from the grid. If theygenerate more power than they need or use,the meter runs backward as excess energy issent to the grid. This encourages farmers andother individuals to install renewable energysystems to supply part of their energy needs.

HB869 and SB674 contained the EasyConnection provisions and both had favorablehearings. This language was added to SB54by Representative Jason Holsman (D-45),who sponsored HB869, during House floordebate. The House strongly voted to passSB54, with the Easy Connection language.Also added to SB54 on the House floor werea number of natural resources provisionswhich Sierra Club and other environmentalgroups felt they could accept. SB54 asamended then was truly agreed to and finallypassed when the Senate accepted the Housechanges to the bill.

Senator Joan Bray (D-24), RepresentativeJason Holsman, and several other Senatorsand Representatives have been leaders onenergy issues. The Sierra Club fully expectsenergy issues to become more prominent infuture Missouri General Assemblies.

Sand and Gravel Mining Bill ComesUp Short

Working with the sponsor of the sand andgravel mining bill (HB628) RepresentativeTom Loehner (R-112), a group of environ-mental, fishing, and landowner organizationsimproved the language of HB628 from whatwas introduced. However, the Sierra Clubstill had concerns that the revised bill wouldnot adequately protect streams and streamcorridors from the negative impacts caused bymining operations. When HB628 failed tocome up for House floor debate, its provisionswere added to several other bills further alongin the process. However, none of these billspassed.

The issues surrounding sand and gravelmining remain unresolved. There is interestin solving stream erosion issues by taking awatershed based approach. RepresentativeLoehner is putting together a discussiongroup to do this for the Maries River in hisdistrict. This may lead to revised state legisla-tion in the 2008 General Assembly.

If you would like further information aboutenvironmental state legislation, please contactRoy Hengerson at hengerson@yahoo.com or(573) 644-2828. Roy served as the MissouriChapter Lobbyist for the 2007 legislative ses-sion.

2007 Missouri Legislative ReportCAFO's: Local control prevails - Farm Bureau defeated again by people power.Easy Connection Act passes

1 1M i s s o u ri Sierra n July/September ‘ 0 7

The weekend of May 5 2007 theMissouri Chapter Conservation andExecutive committees met in Cape

Girardeau for our bimonthly meeting. CapeGirardeau is the "home" of the Trail of TearsGroup of the Missouri Chapter Sierra Club.

Although we call this our chapterExcom/Conscom meeting, it is also a chancefor us to get together, socialize, share goodfood and maybe get in a short evening hike.This weekend was no exception. We met in theevening at Alan and Kathy Journet's house.Their home is a lovely site including a fishpond and nearly all the bird feeders one canimagine. Those of us from out of town appre-ciated the great home cooking and good con-versation we shared with local Sierrans.

Our Conservation Committee meeting onSaturday covered several topics. For example,we discussed our recent achievements regard-ing Kansas City Power and Light and how tokeep the momentum going on energy issues.See last issue of Missouri Sierran for moredetails on the KCPL settlement. We agreed toco-sponsor the Ozark Renewable Energy andSustainable Living Exposition which will beheld in Sept. See ad in this issue for details.Several Missouri Sierrans are participating inlocal "Cool Cities" initiatives and want toexpand the program.

Conservation committee members fromacross the state attended this meeting, as didsome Sierrans from the local area. We also hadone friendly German Sheppard who attended,

but he seemed mostinterested in thebreaks.

During theExecutive committeepart of our weekendwe considered moreadministrative issues,such as budget,newsletter process,and upcoming elec-tions.

We are seekingSierra Club memberswho are interested inserving on theMissouri Sierra ClubExecutive Committee.Excom members areelected by the mem-bership and serve twoyear terms. Meetingsare held around thestate and are "hosted" by the local group. Ournext meeting will be the weekend of July 21-22 in Kansas City area. After that we will bein St Louis September 8-9. Please join uswhen we meet in your area.

If you are interesting in being consideredfor the Chapter Executive committee or wouldlike to suggest another candidate, please con-tact Byron Combs at (816) 587 9363 for moreinformation concerning the responsibilities ofMissouri Sierra Club Executive Board mem-

bers.You can also find a brief list of expecta-tions in the Chair's call for nominations else-where in this newsletter.

Chapter Executive Committee (From left to right: Leslie Lihou, Caroline Pufalt, Ginger Harris,Becky Denney, Jim Turner, Henry Robertson, Cheryl Hammond, Bob Zeller

Chapter Conservation and Executive Committee Report

The Missouri Chapter is seeking persons torun for the 2008 Executive Committee(ExCom). The ExCom manages the Chapterfinances and budget; takes care of Chapterbusiness having to do with office, staff, andcorrespondence; endorses political candidatesafter recommendations from the ChapterPolitical Committee; ensures that the Chaptercommittees have leadership; and sets directionfor the Sierra Club in Missouri. The ExCommeets once every two months in cities acrossMissouri. ExCom members strongly supportthe Sierra Club mission to “Explore, enjoy,and protect the planet.”Of the current members elected at large,Byron Combs, Ginger Harris, and LeslieLihou continue in office. That leaves fivemembers to be elected this year for two yearterms. Also one person will be elected to fillone remaining year of a seat that was vacatedby resignation.

A N N O U N C E M E N T: Consider Joining the Missouri ChapterExCom in January 2008 Contact:

Byron Combs, Chair Nominations Committee(816) 587 9363, byroncom@sbcglobal.netPlease let Byron know of your interest in serv-ing on the 2008 ExCom by July 31 or suggestanother Sierra Club activist you feel would bean asset to the ExCom.Missouri Chapter ExCom Election CalendarJuly 31 - Last date for Nominating

Committee to accept submissions ofExCom candidates.

August 14 - Nominating Committee informsstanding Chapter ExCom of candidate list.

August 28 - Petition candidate deadline forsubmitting their candidacy to ExCom.

October 15 - Missouri Chapter membersreceive ExCom election ballots in the mail(Missouri Sierran).

December 31 - Ballots due (closing date ofExCom

election).January 7, 2008 - Counting of ballots and

reporting of results.

1 2M i s s o u ri Sierra n A p ril/June ‘ 0 7

Eastern Missouri Group outings cost one dollar andare open to the public. Leaders are unpaidvolunteers who need your cooperation to make thetrip safe, pleasant and rewarding. Please call theleader well in advance for details, approval, or if youplan to cancel. Outings start officially at the trailheador river access. Travel responsibility rests on eachparticipant. Car-pooling is encouraged but leaderscannot be responsible for its organization. The SierraClub does not provide insurance for transportation.Participants sign a liability release form andreimburse drivers for expenses. Be adequatelyequipped and prepared. No guns, pets, or radios arepermitted on trips. Please leave the area cleanerthan you find it. For general information aboutoutings call Wayne Miller (314) 628-9084. Foradditional outings submitted after our publicationdeadline and for changes, please check the EasternMissouri Group website athttp://missouri.sierraclub.org/emg.Jul 6 (Fri) Washington State Park. 8-9 miles atmoderately brisk pace. Difficulty: moderate. MargotKindley, (636) 458-4063, or margot107@prodigy.netJul 11 (Wed) Rockwood Reservation. 6-7 miles.Difficulty: Easy/moderate. We will hike the RockQuarry Trail, the Trail among the Trees, and theLime Kiln Trail at a moderate pace. Margot Kindley,(636) 458-4063, or margot107@prodigy.netJul 13 (Fri) Another great view hike atCastlewood State Park. About 7-8 miles. SuzanneSmith, (618) 281-4762.Jul 14 (Sat) Inner-tubing on the Meramec. Enjoythe best of many worlds! On a hot summer day takea cool hike and tubing float. We will start at a picnictable in La Jolla Park (Meramec Caverns), blow thetubes up and plop our hot bods on the tubes in thecool water. We'll paddle (with the power and controlof special tubing paddles), walk on gravel bars andwade upstream as we explore the Meramec riverfrom Meramec Caverns . We will leisurely float backdown the meandering river through an excellenttubing run and under the 200 ft high bluffs overMeramec caverns. Several options are availabledepending on the river level. Bob Herndon, (314)961-4811.

Jul 14 (Sat) Afternoon andevening float trip on theMeramec River. We'll put on inthe afternoon and have dinneron a gravel bar. We have a fullmoon for paddling but bring aflashlight for tying down boats

afterward. Sorry, no rental boats will be available.Toni Armstrong & Richard Spener, (314) 434-2072.Jul 20 (Fri) Bike over the bridges of MadisonCounty, Illinois, that is. About 15-20 miles total.Suzanne Smith, (618) 281-4762.Jul 22 (Sun) Inner-tubing on the Meramec. SeeJuly 14 outing above for more details.Jul 25 (Wed) Castlewood State Park. 6-7 miles.Difficulty: Easy/moderate, moderate pace. MargotKindley, (636)458-4063 or margot107@prodigy.netAug 3 (Fri) Late summer flowers should beblooming at Shaw Nature Reserve on our 6-7 milehike thru the prairie etc. Suzanne Smith, (618) 281-4762.Aug 4 (Sat) Inner-tubing on the Meramec. SeeJuly 14 outing above for more details.Aug 17-19 (Fri-Sun) Festival of the Little Hills.Join us for a few hours and a great time making reallemonade with other Sierrans at a charming fair inthe historic area of St. Charles near the riverfront.New members are always welcome. Jim Young,(314) 664-9392, or the Sierra Club Office, (314) 644-0890.Aug 19 (Sun) Inner-tubing on the Meramec. SeeJuly 14 outing above for more details.Aug 25 (Sat) Operation Clean Stream. Our annualtrip to help keep our paddling rivers clean. We willpaddle a section of the Meramec River near St.Louis and fill our boats with trash from the river.Bring a lunch and have a great time with us. ToniArmstrong, (314) 434-2072.Sep 1-3 (Sat-Mon) St. Louis County fair and AirShow. The lemonade crew returns for the last fundraiser of the summer. We would love to have each ofyou join us for a few hours making and sellinglemonade in Chesterfield. New members are mostwelcome as this is a great way to meet fellowSierrans and contribute in a practical way to meetingthe club's environmental goals. Jim Young, (314)664-9392, or the Sierra Club Office, (314) 644-0890.Sep 1-3 (Sat-Mon) 3 day canoe/kayak trip on theMississippi River. Enjoy wide open spaces on a bigriver and camp on beautiful sand beaches. Someexperience required. George Behrens, (314) 821-0247.ley (636) 458-4063, or margot107@prodigy.net

Jul 14 (Sat) Clifty Creek Natural Area Hike andSwim. Walk and swim up a very scenic spring-fedcreek in the Ozarks. Bring a lunch and your creekwalking shoes. Contact Randal Clark, (573) 875-0514.Aug 4 (Sat) Clean Up Day. We will clean up a localpark, stream, or conservation area. Contact GregLeonard, (573) 443-8263, orgreg.leonard@missouri.sierraclub.org

Aug-Jan Maintenance, Hidden Valley Park,Kansas City, MO. Get on our list if you areinterested in being contacted to help lop the invasivehoneysuckle at Hidden Valley in our ongoing efforts.Doris Sherrick 816-779-6708 dsher@casstel.netJul 7 (Sat) Day Hiking at Weston Bend StatePark, Weston, MO. Join us as we take in some ofthe scenery along the Missouri River bluffs. $5donation requested. David Anderson (816) 678-4359david.anderson@missouri.sierraclub.orgJul 28 (Sat) Day Hiking at Burr Oak WoodsConservation Area, Blue Springs, MOSep 8 (Sat) Day Trip to Tallgrass Prairie Preserve,Strong City, KS. We'll enjoy the beauty of the FlintHills with an easy, 6 mile backcountry hike, andexplore the historic barn and ranch house. We'llfinish up with a casual dinner at Hays House innearby Council Grove before heading back to KC.$5 donation requested. Renee Andriani 913-488-4445 randri@kc.rr.comSep 15 (Sat) Pontoon boat ride at Lake Jacomo,Blue Springs, MO. Join us for a leisurely excursionaround this peaceful 970-acre lake in Blue Springs.Sign up by the week before to get reservation. Boatrental deposit/fees & $5 donation requested. PattyBrown 816-737-2804 pbbbrn5@sbcglobal.netSep 29-30 (Sat-Sun) Swan Creek Roadless AreaCar Camp and Day Hike, Garrison, MO. Sevenroadless areas remain in Missouri. Under the currentadministration, these roadless areas have lost theirprotection and are now open to development andlogging. We're working to protect these areas for theenjoyment of future generations. Join us and seewhy Swan Creek is worth fighting for. DavidAnderson 816-678-4359 ctheis1@kc.rr.com Co-leader Dayle Johnson, daylejohnson@yahoo.com

Thomas Hart Benton Grouphttp://missouri.sierraclub.org/thb/outings

Osage Grouphttp://missouri.sierraclub.org/osage

Eastern Missouri Grouphttp://missouri.sierraclub.org/emg/outings.aspx

In order to participate on one of the Sierra Club’s outings, you will need to sign a liability waiver. Ifyou would like to read a copy of the waiver prior to the outing, please seehttp://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms/ or call (415) 977-5630.

In the interests of facilitating the logistics of some outings, it is customary that participants makecarpooling arrangements. The Sierra Club does not have insurance for carpooling arrangementsand assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a privatearrangement among the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.