santa - sierra club...the official newsletter of the santa lucia chapter of the sierra club ~ san...

Santa Lucian • Jan. 20171

SANTA LUCIAN Jan. 2017

Volume 54 No. 1T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t te r o f th e Sa n ta L u c i a C h a p te r o f t h e S i e r r a C l u b ~ Sa n L u i s O b i s p o Co u n t y, C a l i f o r n i a

IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d e8th Annual Environmentalists Rendezvous 2

Your 2017 Chapter Executive Committee 3

After the TPP 5

Join the Wildlands Stewardship Group 6

Classifieds 7

Outings 8

Please recycle

This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled paper with soy-

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The Sierra Club hasinitiated socialmedia outreach inparallel with thelaunch of thePeople’s ClimateMovement’s “First100 Days Fight forClimate, Jobs andJustice” website.

The First 100 Days

Brace for Impact The unthinkable has hap-pened, and the reality isupon us. We are all about tofind out what America un-der a President Trump willlook like. But we all just spent 18months getting a detailedpreview, and the President-elect has made his cabinetappointments and releasedhis to-do list for his first100 days, so it’s not likethere’s any mystery aboutwhat’s on the agenda. Above all, no one shouldhave any difficulty readingthe blinking red neon sign,in letters ten feet high, ad-vertising the debut of themost violently anti-environ-mental administration inmodern Americanhistory. And the SierraClub is not aboutto sit back andwatch a climatechange denier inthe Oval Officebring about acatastrophic fail-ure of action --and a total halt toactions alreadyunderway -- tomeet the threat ofthe most criticalissue of our time. The People’s

Climate Movement, a largeand diverse coalition fo-cused on ensuring strongleadership from across theclimate and climate justicemovements, is planning amovement-scale mobiliza-tion in Washington, DC onApril 29, 2017. Such mobilization is nowmore critical than ever be-fore. It will be a key mo-ment for our movement tocome together and show ourcountry and the world thatwe remain strong and willcontinue fighting for racial,economic and climate jus-tice. It will also strengthenand provide momentum sothat local and state cam-paigns can win bolder poli-

cies and raise the demandfor an equitable transition toa new energy economy. In addition to the massmobilization on April 29,the People’s Climate Move-ment will be organizingevents across the country inthe first 100 Hours of theTrump Administration. Wewill organize bold actionsthroughout the first 100days and we will be inWashington DC on April29th to let the Trump Ad-ministration and the worldknow that we are going tokeep fighting for everythingand everyone that we love. The Sierra Club haslaunched an action page andsocial media outreach in

parallel with thelaunch of the People’sClimate MovementFirst 100 Days Fightfor Climate, Jobs andJustice website(peoplesclimate.org). The Sierra Clubwill be playing a lead-ing role in helping toplan and turn out forthe event in coordina-tion with hundreds ofpartner organizations.Look for more detailssoon on where andhow to get involved.

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Stronger Togetherby Michael Brune, Executive DirectorSierra Club

This hurts. There’s no way right now to ease theshock and dismay of what we’re facing. The pain isreal -- and so much of the people and places that welove -- and the values that we hold dear -- are nowthreatened. We cannot give in to the hate and vitriol spewedthese past few months and blame ourselves or our com-munity. We win together, and we lose together. It is more important than ever that we stand in soli-darity with our friends and allies. The attacks willcome, I can promise you that. They will come on thecommunities and individuals that were already targetedduring this campaign.They will likely start withthe most politically vul-nerable and may come inways that we don’t ex-pect. We need to standtogether, the first timeand every time. We will fight and wewill resist, but we will notcower in a defensive pos-ture for the next fouryears. Our Beyond Coalcoalition defeated onecoal plant proposal afteranother - during the entire Bush Presidency. Andthough Trump-McConnell-Ryan is a poisonous combi-nation, they can’t stop regulators from choosing cleanenergy when it’s the cheapest option. They can’t stopcities from going to 100% clean energy. They can’tstop the private sector that wants to be part of the cli-mate solution, not the problem. We’ll have to adjust many of our strategies, but wewon’t let our progress on climate and clean energy tobe stopped.

Resist, recruit, train and sustain For 2017 and beyond, our priorities, challenges, andopportunities fall into four areas:

1. Resist – We will draw on the talents and experienceof our staff and volunteers to fight Trump, Congress,and the growing number of anti-environmental gover-nors, every step of the way. This defensive work willplay out in the courts, in Congress, in statehouses, inthe marketplace, and in the streets — and it will in-

The Year inReviewThere was good stuff, too

Los Osos residents whotook our advice ninemonths ago about notopting to puncture and fillyour septic tanks beforehooking up the sewer (“LosOsos: Don’t Tank YourSeptic Tanks!,” April) willnow be glad you did. Last month, the Los OsosBasin Management Com-mittee posted a final draftof the Los Osos WastewaterProject’s Water Conser-vation Implementation Plan(WCIP), incorporatingeight recommendationssubmitted by the indefatig-able Los Osos Sustain-ability Group. The conservation planincludes $500 rebates forrepurposing septic tanks forrainwater/recycled waterreuse systems, rebates forrainwater tanks ($400 for500-1000 gallon and $500for 1000 gallons plus),graywater systems ($100for laundry-to-landscapeand $500 for more exten-sive systems), and up to$400 for low water uselandscaping. It also in-cludes $350 rebates forrecirculators and washersand $250 rebates for lo-flush toilets of 1.28 gpf orless. So even if you’vepunctured and filled yourseptic tanks, there’ssomething here for you.Go to www.slocounty.ca.gov/pw/lowwp/con-serve.htm.

Los Osos:Hope YouHeld Onto YourSepticTanks

JanuaryOn Jan. 6, senior staff fromseveral west coast nationalmarine sanctuaries came tothe Veterans MemorialBuilding in Morro Bay atthe invitation of the citycouncil to lay out facts

about the mission, purposeand function of marinesanctuaries, including theproposed Chumash Heri-tage National Marine Sanc-tuary. It was a dark andstormy night as fear-mon-gering, rumor-riddled oppo-nents stepped up to the mi-crophone to peddle theirscary stories and foundthemselves in an exchangevery different from firingoff a letter to the editor. Theexperts calmly told the realstory of the sanctuaries andthe environmental and eco-

The County is supposedto pay for these measuresout of a $5 million fundingallocation that was man-dated in 2009 to be spent onwater conservation as acondition of approval of thewastewater project’s devel-opment permit. The Basin ManagementCommittee has been com-plaining that “the funding

YEAR continued on page 4

STRONGER continued on page 6

source that puts money intothe wastewater projectmakes it very difficult tomove that money to thedesired uses for conserva-tion,” and musing on “anew funding source andpotentially Prop. 218 ap-proval” or a special tax.And we have been regularlyreminding them: that wasnot the deal. This is what

that $5 million was for. Los Osos residents owetheir ability to take advan-tage of these conservationmeasures and subsidies, andthe Coastal Commissionowes its ability to enforcethem, to former SLOCounty Planning Commis-sioner Sarah Christie. (See“Where’s the Statue toSarah?,” page 4.)

Marine Sanctuary Actionsfor the Mind & Body

Mon., Jan. 30, 7:00 - 8:15pm: Sierra Club is teamingup with SLO Yoga Center for a Blindfold Yoga + LiveMandala Painting with music from Melondance.CLASS IS FREE with a suggested donation of $10 perperson to support the proposed Chumash HeritageNational Marine Sanctuary. Join us at SLO Yoga Cen-ter, 672 Higuera St #200, SLO.

Tues., Feb. 1, 5:30 - 8:30pm: Become a Marine Sanc-tuary Ambassador to your membership organizations atan educational workshop and training seminar sharinghow a marine sanctuary off the coast of San LuisObispo prevents oil drilling and other environmentaldamage. Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St, SLO.

2 Santa Lucian • Jan. 2017

The Executive Committee meetsthe third Monday of every month at2:00 p.m. The ConservationCommittee meets the secondFriday at 1p.m. at the chapter office,located at 974 Santa Rosa St., SanLuis Obispo. All members arewelcome to attend.

Denny Mynatt PRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR

Energy Task Force Karen MerriamIntergenerational Task Force

Water Subcommittee Open

Committee ChairsPolitical David BouquinMembership/Development Marcia AlterConservation Sue Harvey

Nuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker Linda Seeley

Victoria Carranza

Printed by University Graphic Systems CalPoly, San Luis Obispo. Mailing servicescourtesy of the Silver Streaks.

Office hours Monday-Friday,1 p.m. - 7 p.m., 974 Santa RosaStreet, San Luis Obispo

Facebook Admin. Kim Ramos

Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406805-543-8717

CNRCC Delegates Lindi Doud, Patrick McGibney John BurdettWildlands Stewardship Group Holly SlettelandCalendar Sales Bonnie Walters 805-543-7051Outings Joe Morris

Webmaster Monica Tarzier

CHNMS campaign coordinator Nancy J. Cole [email protected]

Trail Guide Gary Felsman

Chapter Director Andrew Christie

Santa Lucian

EDITOR

Lindi DoudSandy SimonEDITORIAL COMMITTEE

The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental information andletters to the editor are welcome. Thedeadline for each issue is the 13th of theprior month.

send to:Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA [email protected]

Santa Lucia Chapter

2016 Executive CommitteeKaren Merriam (12/18) CHAIRChuck Tribbey (12/19) VICE-CHAIRLindi Doud (12/17)Christine Mulholland (12/18) CO-TREASURERSStephanie Gong (12/17) SECRETARYSue Harvey (12/17 MEMBERMarcia Alter (12/19) MEMBER

Karen Merriam COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERS

Andrew Christie

[email protected]

8th Annual Environmentalists Rendezvous: Behold the Animals!

Jan. 25, 7-9 p.m.with Professor Emily Taylor

Sierra Club General Meeting

My President is Aaron Mair Late in the afternoon ofSaturday, November 12,four days after the end ofthe presidential electionfrom hell, Sierra ClubPresident Aaron Mair cameto a gathering of the SantaLucia Chapter’s majorsupporters at DiStasio’sItalian restaurant in MorroBay. The gathering and Presi-dent Mair’s appearancehad been arranged well inadvance of the election’soutcome, the timing coin-ciding with the annual jointconvention of Sierra ClubCalifornia and the Califor-nia Nevada Regional Con-servation Committee,which was being held thatweekend just down theroad at Rancho El Chorro. Mair became a SierraClub member in 1999,following a decade-longbattle that he led to theshut-down of a pollutingsolid waste incinerator inArbor Hill, an inner-citycommunity in Albany, NewYork. As he told The Planet inMay 2015, “Arbor Hill hadno experience in grassrootsorganizing; it was justfamilies and parents in thecommunity who cared fortheir children, who weregoing to Tivoli Park andbreathing this toxic, soot-laden air. So I helped themstart the Arbor Hill Neigh-borhood Association. Andfor the next ten years Iorganized several largecivil disobedience proteststhat charged the then-gov-ernor of New York withenvironmental racism andhuman rights abuse foroperating a failed garbagewaste incinerator thatnegatively affected thou-sands of residents inAlbany's inner city.” His efforts ultimately ledto a commitment by thestate to shut down the fa-cility and a $1.6 millionsettlement award to thatcommunity. Mair was alsoa key figure in leading thefight and securing the Si-erra Club’s participation inthe Clean Up the Hudsoncampaign, which resultedin a settlement between theEPA and General Electricto dredge toxic PCB sedi-ments from the UpperHudson River. He has held more thanthree dozen leadershippositions in his Sierra Clubchapter over 25 years. Hewas elected to the nationalboard of directors in 2014,and elected Club president

“Political leaders have pushed an anti-green jobs/green industry agenda and shifted the national dis-course. The biggest threat right now is the politicalargument of climate denial funded by the 1 percent ofAmerica for its own corporate interests and profits atthe expense of the environment, the people of ourgreat nation, and the people of the globe. The SierraClub needs to lead the charge to create and galvanizethe movement that will scale up to take on this globalcorporate climate threat.”

- Aaron Mair, May 2015

a year later. His presidencyhas been distinguished by acommitment to grassrootsaction, environmental jus-tice, and ensuring that theculture of the Sierra Club isa welcoming environmentfor all people of every raceon every rung of the socio-economic ladder. When hewas elected in 2015, Presi-dent Mair invited SierraClub staff and supporters to“join me on this walkthrough the world together,”presiding over the creationof a multi-year organiza-tional plan designed to trans-form the Sierra Club into amore equitable, just andinclusive organization. Which is by way of sayingthat when President Mair

was asked to stand up andsay a few words in MorroBay that evening, the moodin the room, and across thenation, was very differentfrom what it had been ex-pected to be less than aweek before. He did not mince words. “We’ve suffered a hugesetback,” he said. “But Icome from the environmen-tal justice community; set-backs are all we do.” As the sun set behindMorro Rock, he told oursupporters assembled in themain dining room, “If youcan’t volunteer, donate. Youare what stands betweengreat harm and seriousharm. We’ve gone from anintensive care unit to a tri-

age team.” “Destruction won’t comefrom Donald,” he said, “butfrom the interests backinghim.” The election was “abig smack in the head. Dowe really want to save thisplanet?” Because if we do,“we are forced to build atrue grassroots movement.”That means overcoming thetactics of the ten percent,which “relies on division;pitting one segment againstanother,” and ”marrying thecivil rights movement andthe environmental move-ment, and linking up withlabor, moving from non-union jobs to clean jobs thatcan save the planet.” Welcome to the resis-tance.

By Andrew Christie, Chapter Director

Tonight come and hear the stories of the dedicated protectors of our wild neighbors ofland, sea, and sky. Speaking will be leaders of the Friends of the Elephant Seal, PacificWildlife Care, Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, and Morro Coast Audubon Society. Professor Emily Taylor, director of graduate studies in Biological Sciences and winnerof the Distinguished Teaching Award at Cal Poly, will start us off. Your questions and comments will be welcomed.

Meets at Steynberg Gallery,1531 Monterey St., SLO.FreeFor more info, contact: Joe Morris, (805) 549-0355.

[email protected] informed and active! Send your e-mail address to [email protected] andask to be put on our e-alert list for upcoming actions and events.

[email protected]

A Phone Call for SanctuaryCall the White House before Jan. 20

Until the day he leaves office, President Obama can pick up the phone, call the Administrator of theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and tell her to commence the designation process forthe Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. To help him decide to do that, call the White House Comment Line and simply say “I’d like the president to start theprocess for designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the Central Coast of California.” Thesooner you make that call, the better, but in any event, call before January 20. You’ll be glad you did! Call 202-456-1111 to leave a comment, or 202-456-1414 for the switchboard.


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After two years of exten-sions of an EmergencyCoastal Development Per-mit on the promise of some-day subjecting its Emer-gency Water Supply/ Sus-tainable Water Facilityproject to environmentalreview in order to apply fora regular permit, theCambria Community Ser-vice District’s attempt toanalyze the impacts of itsshape-shifting project hasunderwhelmed reviewers. The California CoastalCommission’s response tothe District’s attempt at an

Environmental Impact Re-port was typical of resourceagency comments. The Commission statedits primary concerns thusly:

new growth anticipatedby the proposed projectand analyzed in theDSEIR would not besupported by theproject once the con-straints of the wateravailable in the SanSimeon watershed areadequately analyzed.Even if this growthwere sustainable in theshort run, the DSEIRdoes not analyze howsuch new growth wouldbe provided with waterbeyond the project’sexpected 20-25 yearsof operations and itdoes not evaluate theadverse effects thatwould result from thatsituation…. Our overallrecommendation is thatthe CCSD substantiallyrevise the DSEIR toincorporate more com-plete and accurate dataand information and touse this information tofully re-evaluate theproject’s known andexpected adverse ef-fects.”

and because it ‘is agroundwater replenish-ment project -- not adesalination facility.’For several reasons,including the follow-ing, the project is sub-ject to the referencedpolicy…. [T]he projectis not a ‘groundwaterreplenishment project,’as it withdraws ground-water from the SanSimeon watershedrather than replenishesit, though it is a desali-nation project, as ituses the same technol-ogy as other desalina-tion facilities to re-move salts and othercontaminants frombrackish water, sea-water, treated waste-water, or groundwater.Therefore, the projectis subject to the above-cited Community WidePolicy 4D. We recom-mend the DSEIR berevised to clarify thisissue.”

Cambria CSD Brings Home an F on Its EIR

“(1) The San Simeonwatershed does notappear to have ad-equate water availablefor the proposedproject; (2) Both theexisting project and theproposed project willhave significant adverseimpacts on habitat andbiological resources,including listed species,that have not been ad-equately analyzed inthe DSEIR; and (3) The

“The DSEIR con-tends that the proposedproject is not subject tothis Policy because theproject is outside theCambria Urban Area

We hate to tell the CCSDwe told them so when itcomes to the let’s-see-how-much-we-can-get-away-with approach to shoving adesalination plant into En-vironmentally SensitiveHabitat Area with after-the-fact environmentalreview…but we told themso. A lot. (See “Cambria’sShock Doctrine,” Jan.2015, “A Regulatory Real-ity Check,” May 2015,“Backwards Still RunsCambria’s Water Scheme,”Jun. 2016, etc.)

In a particularly pointedpassage pertaining to theCambria CSD’s claim thatthe project is not subject topolicy provisions related todesalination facilities, theCommission popped theCCSD’s favorite balloon:

TheFirstPolluters

Although writer Vicki León has called thecentral coast home for 36 years, she returnsregularly to the Mediterranean basin, the focusof her antiquity research. From the 1980s on,she honed her sleuthing skills by unearthing over2,000 largely unsung achievers for her UppityWomen book series, which now numbers seventitles. As a journalist, León has written for the L.A.Times, New York Times and other periodicals. Asa nonfiction author, her output includes 37books ranging from ancient science and super-stition to women’s history, travel, and the naturalworld. In the 1990s, she also developed andedited a book series for younger readers onthreatened ecosystems and endangered speciesthat’s still in print. A Sierra Club member since 1999, Vicki isacutely aware of climate change and our urgentneed for decisive action. She’ll be writing aseries of columns for the Santa Lucian on herunique perspective of our ancient past and whatcan be learned from it. As she notes: “Historical research is a com-

pelling way to gain insight. When we recognize the environmental mistakes ofhuman societies of long ago, we see more clearly how to avoid them.” Her columns will cover a variety of relevant topics. Here are three snippets togive you a preview:

The timber wars A celebrated Athenian egghead named Plato once lamented about the land-scape of his native Attica: “What remains is like the skeleton of a body emaci-ated by disease. All the rich soil has melted away, leaving a country of skin andbone.” He jotted that down around 400 b.c. By then, Greeks had been going to warover timber for over a century. Yes, warfare over trees—not territory. Thus it was two millennia ago that de-forestation, erosion, mining activities, and animal grazing began to turn Greeceand its islands into the arid landscape we see today.

When polluters were scapegoats The Greeks had a word for almost everything, thanks to their loquacious cropof philosophers and early natural scientists. “Pollution,” for instance, which theydefined as a crime against the gods. Also called “miasma,” it often referred to acareless act that physically defiled or degraded something. “Scapegoat” hadmuch crueler repercussions than it does today—sometimes exile; at others, ritu-alistic death. It wasn’t always the guilty polluter who got scapegoated, either.Pollution in the modern sense— contamination of waters, toxic fumes, and slagfrom mining—also impacted ancient lives in unexpected ways.

Arena addiction When the Roman Empire really got rolling in the first century a.d., so did newcities, most following the same template: a downtown core of right-anglestreets, with public baths, aqueduct, and marketplace. Unsurprisingly, after the50,000-seat Colosseum in Rome opened to excited acclaim, every city acrossthe empire howled for its own amphitheatre. Initially, arenas were to host blood-and-sand duels of human gladiators. Overtime, they largely became a slaughterfest of exotic large animals. By 200 a.d.,230 towns and cities had arenas needing animals to bring in the crowds. Over11,000 animals were killed for Trajan’s triumph. During a spectacle put on byPompey Magnus, 600 lions and 410 leopards were dispatched.

The result? A host of species extirpated in their native lands—and, it’sthought, extinction of a few unlucky species.

The Word from the Mayor

2017 Chapter ExecutiveCommittee Seated Congratulations to Santa Lucia Chapter Executive Com-mittee election winners Chuck Tribbey, Marcia Alter,Stephanie Gong, Christine Mulholland and Sue Harvey! Four elected candidates were seated, with a fifth ap-pointed to fill the seat of Patrick McGibney. Patrick, newlyelected to the California Valley Community Services Dis-trict, stepped down from the Chapter Executive Committeeso that all the candidates could be seated. “Patrick has served on the ExCom for five years, with ayear to go on his second term,” said Chapter Chair KarenMerriam. “We appreciate this generous action by Patrickthat reflects his strong commitment to renewing and sus-taining the creative, energetic leadership of the Santa LuciaChapter.” The Chapter also thanks Heidi Harmon for her service asChair of the Chapter’s Climate Change Task Force, whichshe has vacated to take up her new duties as Mayor of SanLuis Obispo. At their December 10 meeting, the Executive Committeeelected officers for 2017.

Her Honor SLO Mayor-elect Heidi Harmon met the press andchatted with constituents at her first post-election press confer-ence on Nov. 28 on the steps of city hall. “It’s time to get informedand get busy,” she said, “I’m proud to be part of a growing pro-gressive movement. I’m asking every one of you to show up andlead the city with me and to become leaders in the most importantissue of our time, and that’s our changing climate.” The press conference began with a blessing from VioletCavanaugh of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council.

Come to order The 2017 Santa Lucia Chapter Executive Com-mittee, clockwise from left: Karen Merriam, Cal French, MarciaAlter, Stephanie Gong, Christine Mulholland and Sue Harvey (ab-sent: Lindi Doud) at its first meeting, December 10, at the SLOUnitarian Universalist Center.


WHERE’STHESTATUETO SARAH?

The most momentous and least noticed local news story of the year was the April 22nd openingof the Los Osos sewer plant after 30 years of fierce contention and futile effort. The differencebetween success and failure came down to four months of hearings and the work of one publicservant over the spring and summer of 2009. Read all about it at sierraclub.org/santa-lucia/blog/2016/12/ground-truth-los-osos

nomic boon they have beeneverywhere they have beendesignated. The moment ispreserved on YouTube at“NOAA-hosted marinesanctuary session.”

As the proposed TridentWinds floating turbinesproject off Morro bay andSan Simeon gained atten-tion, we published a con-densed version of the SierraClub’s policy on offshorewind energy (see “Do WeWant a Wind Farm?,” Jan.2016). Trident and state andfederal agencies must en-sure that the 70 squaremiles of marine habitat andocean floor proposed forthe project are the rightplace to put Trident’s pro-posed wind farm, based ona full environmentalbaseline study and review.

After bird-dogging the LosOsos Wastewater Projectfor years, we continued tovoice concerns about theLos Osos Basin Manage-ment Plan drafted by theCounty and the commun-ity’s water purveyors. Ourcritique of the plan’s flawsgot the attention of the Re-gional Water Quality Con-trol Board, which directedthe County to answer keyquestions at their Jan. 28hearing.

Chapter Director AndrewChristie’s opinion piece“Wading into the tar pit,”examining the multipledecisions facing SLOCounty on whether or not toexpand crude oil productionand refining activity andchoose a future as a sacri-fice zone for Big Oil, ap-peared in the Jan. 14 editionof New Times.

The Chapter joined withconcerned residents in ex-pressing alarm over a draftordinance that would haveallowed the application ofsewage sludge on agricul-tural lands used to growfood for human consump-tion, replacing an existingmoratorium on the practice.(See “Rush to Sludgment,”Jan. 2016). At their Jan. 12meeting, after getting anearful from citizens aboutthe failure of the ordinanceto include protective mea-sures and alternatives asrequired by the Board of

Supervisors in 2002, theCounty decided to halt theapproval process and putthe matter on a futureagenda. At their Nov. 8meeting, the board voted towithdraw the draft ordi-nance and maintain themoratorium through March2021.

By the skin of their teeth,every city in the countyvoted to join a regionalfeasibility study for Com-munity Choice Energy onJan. 29, the deadline for allinterested Central Coastcommunities to do so. Theyjoined with dozens of otherCalifornia communitieswho are realizing that this isthe best and surest way tobuild a local green economyand end our dependence onfossil fuels. (See “All In,”March.)

In the Jan. 27 issue of NewTimes, the Shredder quotedthe Sierra Club on the inter-esting fact that the websitecreated to promote the Phil-lips 66 oil train terminal

Yearcontinued from page 1

project wasprominentlyfeaturing lauda-tory quotesfrom letters tothe editor –written by aPhillips 66employee –directly beneaththe logos ofNew Times andThe Tribune and a bannerreading “In the News,” asthough the planted p.r. rep-resented the editorial opin-ions of those newspapers(until The Tribune madethem stop).

FebruaryOn Feb. 4, hundreds ofopponents to the Phillips 66oil train terminal projectcame to SLO from aroundthe state, joining local resi-dents for the first meetingof the SLO County Plan-ning Commission deliberat-ing on the project, the larg-est turnout for a publicmeeting in years. This fol-lowed 24,000 commentsreceived in opposition tothe project from Californiacities, counties, school dis-tricts and labor groups. The

Sierra Club and our alliesplayed a crucial role in or-ganizing turnout and layingthe administrative recordfor the project’s environ-mental review, helping en-sure that the project’s likelyenvironmental impacts werefully analyzed.

We submitted comments tothe County Planning Com-mission on a proposed Va-cation Rental Ordinancethat was supposed to regu-late the morphing of vaca-tion rentals into event cen-ters. We noted that de-coupling agricultural pro-duction from event venueswill directly undermine theviability of agriculture inthe county. The ordinancewas taken off calendar.

The California CoastalCommission gathered inMorro Bay on Feb. 10,where a developer-friendlymajority of commissionersmade a long-term dream ofcoastal developers cometrue by voting to fire Execu-tive Director Charles Lester

without public explanationand despite an avalanche ofpublic protest from virtuallyevery member of their staff,the editorial boards of everymajor newspaper in thestate, ninety environmental

and social justice organiza-tions, three dozen formerCoastal Commissioners,two dozen state and federallegislators, and the 253

members of the public whospoke at the meeting.

On Feb. 12, PresidentObama made history, pre-serving some of the mosticonic places in the Califor-nia desert -- the MojaveTrails, Sand to Snow andCastle Mountains NationalMonuments -- thanks to 20years of effort by the Wild-lands Conservancy, theSierra Club and SenatorDianne Feinstein.

Chapter Director AndrewChristie examined the cur-rents of money and powerthat flowed behind the fir-ing of the Coastal Com-mission’s executive directorin the Feb. 18 edition ofNew Times (“Coastal Com-mission is under water”).

The Benicia planning com-mission rejected the oiltrain project proposed fortheir Bay Area refinery,underlining the very similarproblems for the oil trainproject targeting the Phil-lips 66 refinery in Nipomo,

undergoing review beforethe SLO County planningcommission.

MarchValero Oil appealed theBenicia Planning Com-mission’s rejection of theiroil train project to theBenicia City Council, wherethe city attorney falselyclaimed that SLO Countyhad determined that “thepermit cannot be denied”for the Phillips 66 oil trainproject based on environ-mental impacts of oil trainsbeyond the immediate areaof the proposed construc-tion site on the NipomoMesa.SLOCountyplannersand thecountycounselhad, infact, concluded the oppo-site, as did the CaliforniaAttorney General.

The Paso Robles Ground-water Management Districtwent down to overwhelm-ing defeat when it finallyhad to face the voters – anoutcome foreseeable toanyone who had been fol-lowing the torturous saga ofthe “hybrid” district asrelated in these pages overthe previous two years. Aswe editorialized in theMarch 11 edition of TheTribune in the aftermath ofthe special election, “thedoom of the proposed land-owner-based district wassealed…by the forced com-promise that created itsRube Goldberg structure[and assured that] districtboard members with a fi-nancial stake in irrigatedagriculture would rule the

basin and dominate all deci-sions regarding the disposi-tion of its water in perpetu-ity; those not thus involvedwould be consigned to aperpetual minority. Thiswas deemed ‘local con-trol.’”

Sea World announced it willstop breeding captive orcasand will phase out its orcashows. A bill introduced byAssemblyman RichardBloom in 2014 to achieve

the same end was shot downbecause SeaWorld fought itfuriously, charging that itwas backed by “well-knownextreme animal rights activ-ists, many of whom regu-

larly campaign againstSeaWorld and other ac-credited marine mammalparks and institutions.”Assemblyman Bloomreintroduced the bill onMarch 17. This time, it

wrote SeaWorld’s commit-ments into law and appliedthem to all state operators.And this time it wasn’t shotdown, because it was backedby SeaWorld, which issued apress release proclaimingthat “Society is changingand we’re changing with it.”(Thanks to all those activ-ists, both well known andlesser known.)

We sent a letter to the EPAon the proposal by the StateWater Board to exempt the“Pismo Formation” from theSafe Drinking Water Act,which is supposed to protectthe aquifer from the ArroyoGrande Oil Field, home toseveral of the 50,000 oilwells in the state found to beillegally dumping oilfieldwastewater into aquifers.The exemption requestcomes as plans are on thetable to significantly expandoil extraction operations in

the A.G. oil field. Though oilfield injection wells are nowknown to trigger earth-quakes, the County’s exten-sion of the current permitwas granted largely on theassurance that the earth-quake fault that forms ageological barrier betweenthe oil company’s waste-water disposal and nearbypotable water sources isimpermeable and permanent.The EPA’s action on theArroyo Grande oil field

exemption request will seta precedent for the state.EPA was expected to re-ceive more than 50 aquiferexemption applications bythe end of the year.

A letter from Chapter Di-rector Andrew Christiefocusing on the above-citednew information and rais-ing concerns about earth-quakes induced by oil fieldinjection wells appeared inthe March 28 edition ofThe Tribune.

AprilWe worked with theCounty to get the word outto Los Osos residents onthe Los Osos WastewaterProject’s Conservation andSeptic System RepurposingProgram and the environ-mental and economic ad-vantages of turning theirseptic tanks into rainwater,graywater or recyclingassets instead of destroyingthem when hooking up tothe sewer.

We pointed out the highlevel of unknowns in theCounty’s rush to ink a$900,000 desal projectpermit for PG&E to rampup desalinated water pro-duction at the Diablo Can-yon Nuclear Power Plant,including the question ofwhether “Diablo Canyonwould still be open andfunctional when a desalproject comes on line” (see“Diablo + Desal + Haste =County’s Next Mistake,”April) and printed a full listof the conditions makingrenewal of the plant’s li-cense an unlikely prospect.

MayOn May 2, Lois Capps helda press conference on thePismo Pier accompaniedby local elected officialsand Chumash elders toannounce her formal re-quest of the National Oce-anic and Atmospheric Ad-ministration to begin thedesignation process for theChumash Heritage Na-tional Marine Sanctuary.

At the sixth hearing of theSLO County PlanningCommission on the Phillips66 oil train terminalproject, commissionerstook a straw vote not ap-proving the project butdirecting Planning staff tocome back with conditionsof approval and a statementof overriding consider-


ations in case the projectwas to be approved.

JuneOn June 3 in Mosier, Or-egon, on the banks of theColumbiaRiver, an oiltrain de-railed,spilled andburned, un-derscoringthe risingthreat of oiltrains in themidst of theSLO CountyPlanningCommission’songoing deliberations on apermit for Phillips 66 tobring the same level of haz-ard to the Central Coast ofCalifornia.

The week of June 9, theCounty was jolted by thenews that Justin Vineyards,under the aegis of BeverlyHills billionaires Stewartand Lynda Resnick, hadclear cut some 8,000 oaktrees. Holly Sletteland,leader of the Santa LuciaChapter’s Wildlands Stew-ardship campaign, testifiedat the June 21 board of su-pervisors meeting on anurgency oak protectionordinance, urging theCounty to “impose an im-mediate moratorium onfurther clear cutting anddirect staff to develop apermanent ordinance withina few months’ time. Theordinance should prohibitremoval of any oak speciesover a sensible thresholdwithout a permit and in-clude penalties severeenough to deter future vio-lations. There must also berequirements for adequatereplacement planting andenforced monitoring thatwill sustain the woodlandswe have left, and recoversome of what we have lost.”

California Coastal Commis-sioner Martha McClurebecame the first member ofthe commission’s devel-oper-friendly “gang ofseven” to face the voters inher home district after firingExecutive Director CharlesLester in February. Thevoters took the occasion tooust her from her 20-yearseat on the Del NorteCounty Board of Supervi-sors, and thereby her seaton the commission, in arepudiating vote of 64% to35%, electing a formerschool board member toreplace her.

PG&E acknowledged thatDiablo Canyon’s day isdone and announced itsdecision to shut down theplant by 2025, pending theapproval of the Public Utili-ties Commission. The SierraClub filed for intervenorstatus in the PUC case toensure that the utility meetsCalifornia’s renewable en-ergy and carbon reductiontargets and that the 12,000acres of undevelopedcoastal land around theplant are not sold off anddeveloped.

Working with our LosPadres Chapter in SantaBarbara, we convened anEvening with Jean-MichelCousteau that packed theSanta Barbara Library’sFaulkner Gallery on June20. Audience members satrapt as Cousteau narratedvideo of his team’s dives innational marine sanctuaries.A subsequent panel discus-sion of the campaign to

designate the ChumashHeritage National MarineSanctuary featuredCousteau, Fred Collins ofthe Northern Chumash

Tribal Council, UCSB Pro-fessor Douglas McCauley,and Santa Lucia ChapterDirector Andrew Christie.

The Chapter contracted withformer Sierra Club cleanenergy intern Nancy ColeBorges to coordinate volun-teer activities, coordinatecampaigns and build up oursocial media presence. Nanwas a Cal Poly student andvice-president of the Em-power Poly Coalition whenshe first lent her formidabletalents to the work of theChapter (see “On the Euro-pean Energy Tour,” May2008, “Morro Bay Empow-ered,” Feb. 2009, and “Lo-calize It,” Sept. 2009.) Wel-come back, Nan!

The lawsuit Save Adelaidav. County of San LuisObispo succeeded in strik-ing down the permit for agiant event center in a smallrural community after citi-zens went to court to solvethe problem of the County’songoing failure to protectrural lands from the impactsof traffic, noise, trash, de-struction of wildlife, in-creased fire hazard anddwindling water supply.

JulyThe ProtectSLO coalitionbrought Mosier, Oregon,Mayor Arlene Burns toSLO, where she told severalhundred people in MitchellPark what her town was stillgoing through in the after-math of the oil train derail-ment the month before andthat, unlike in Oregon andWashington, “you can stopthis before it starts. And it’sa hell of a lot easier to stop

it now than once it’s beenapproved.”

After the Chapter conferredwith Save Adelaida! activ-ists on how to go aboutpressing their case with SLOCounty Supervisors, thesupervisors voted 5-0 tomove forward with amend-

ing the Land Use Ordi-nance to can regulate vaca-tion rentals in the Adelaidaarea instead of allowingneighbors continue to ex-ploit loopholes to turn agri-cultural land into commer-cial wedding venues andevent centers.

AugustThe Santa Lucia Chapter’sExecutive Committeepenned “Ensuring 20 MoreYears of Happiness inSLO,” recapping the his-tory of citizen activism thathas protected natural openspace in the City of SLOand laying out what needsto be done in the future topreserve that legacy, as a

Viewpoint in the Aug. 4edition of The Tribune.

“The Best of Big BlueLive,” a one-hour docu-mentary about the amazingabundance of marine life inthe Monterey Bay NationalMarine Sanctuary, wasshown at the SLO Unitar-ian Universalist Fellowshipon August 6. A panel dis-cussion about the proposedChumash Heritage NationalMarine Sanctuary withNorthern Chumash TribalCouncil Administrator FredCollins, land use attorneyP.J. Webb, and Santa LuciaChapter Director AndrewChristie followed the film.

The Board of Supervisorsagreed to extend the NativeWoodlands and Agricul-tural Pond urgency ordi-nances necessitated by theJune clear-cut of some8,000 oak trees on theproperty of Justin Vine-yards after Justin was pur-chased by Beverly Hillsbillionaires Stuart andLynda Resnick. Hearten-ingly, the debate on theBoard was not over if theurgency ordinances’ protec-tions should be extended,but for how long. Theysettled on nine months,putting planners on a fasttrack to come back withpermanent ordinances.

SeptemberOn Sept. 22, the SLOCounty Planning Commis-

Community Choice Energy is a Powerfuland Rapidly Spreading MovementBy Woody Hastings, Renewable Energy ImplementationManager, Center for Climate Protection.

[Looking ahead: This spring, the County Board of Supervi-sors will elect to either join all the other forward-lookingcommunities in California choosing clean CommunityChoice energy, or recede into a fossil-fueled past.]

As 2016 drew to a close, Community Choice Energy hadspread to 26 out of 58 counties and over 300 cities in Cali-fornia as either operational, on track for launch of service,or at some stage of evaluation. Community Choice Energyhas become a powerful and rapidly spreading movement. The Center for Climate Protection began advocating forCommunity Choice in 2005 and advocated strongly for theestablishment of Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) as a repli-cable model for other communities in the state to follow. When SCP launched in early 2014, there were only abouta dozen jurisdictions considering Community Choice.Five Community Choice Energy agencies are nowoperational. They all have renewable energy levels andgreenhouse gas reductions that exceed the incumbent util-ity. These agencies are MCE Clean Energy, Sonoma CleanPower, Lancaster Choice Energy, Peninsula Clean Energy,and CleanPowerSF (see “Keep It in the Ground, page 6).Silicon Valley Clean Energy is on track to launch in early2017 with several others in the queue to follow in 2017 andbeyond. Last year the Center for Climate Protection launched theClean Power Exchange, dedicated to providing resourcesand tools for emerging Community Choice agencies. Oneof the key features of the website is an interactive map thatprovides information and updates on Community Choiceactivity in all 58 counties and 482 cities in the state. One ofour biggest challenges is to simply keep up with the dailynews that comes in from around the state. The movement, while impressive, is just beginning, andwe anticipate accelerated growth based on the powerfulimpacts we’ve already seen.

Woody Hastings can be reached at [email protected] or 707-525-1665 ext. 117.

sion held its seventh full-day meeting in eight monthsof deliberations on the pro-posal by Phillips 66 to buildan oil train terminal at itsNipomo refinery. The com-mission pondered devel-oper-written conditions ofapproval and a statement ofoverriding considerationsand continued its delibera-tions to October 5.

The Chapter submittedcomments on the fatallyflawed Draft EnvironmentalImpact Report for theOceano Dunes Dust ControlProgram. The Draft EIRprepared for the CaliforniaDepartment of Parks andRecreation leaned on a mis-

reading of a singleclause in the Guide-lines for the CaliforniaEnvironmental QualityAct and attempted tostand CEQA on itshead, shifting the focusof the EIR to ponderthe dust control pro-ject’s potential impactson OHV recreationalopportunities insteadof impacts on the envi-ronment. The EIRattempted to create anew CEQA category of“significant conflict”out of the unsurprisingfact that a dust control

project does not “perpetuateand enhance recreationaluse of OHVs in the SVRA.”Even if the Draft EIRshould go forward with itsunique concept of “recre-ational impacts” intact, theproject’s Overriding Con-siderations -- necessary topermit theproject -- won’tgo away: Long-term exposure toparticulate mat-ter pollution cancause decreasedlung function,chronic bronchi-tis, pulmonarydisorders, pre-mature death inpeople withheart or lungdisease, and increase therisk of cancer by 50 per-cent.

The Sierra Club presentedRepresentative Lois Cappswith our Distinguished Ser-vice Award at a Sept. 10ceremony at our nationalheadquarters in Oakland, inrecognition of her long-standing commitment toconservation throughout hercareer in public service.

Chapter Director AndrewChristie’s letter explainingthe reasons why Countyleaders should set asidespurious “green nuke” argu-ments and support the clo-sure of Diablo Canyon ap-peared in the Sept. 28edition of The Tribune.

OctoberAt their Oct. 5 meeting,after eight agonizing hear-ings and Herculean levelsof organizing by Stand.earth, the Center for Bio-

Opposition to status-quo trade deals has reached unprec-edented heights. The 2016 election cycle featured a wide-spread, trans-partisan rebuke of trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership that prioritize corporations over therest of us. And while Donald Trump eventually, and tragically, as-cended to power, he did not stop the TPP. That was thework of an international movement, including millions ofAmericans and thousands of diverse organizations thatfought for six years against the TPP’s threats to workers,communities, and the environment. The question now: What should come next? SinceTrump’s approach to trade is rooted in the same xenopho-bia and hypocrisy that drove his campaign, we, as

After the TPP: Here’s a ProgressiveVision for TradeBy Ilana Solomon, Director, Responsible Trade Program,Sierra Club, and Ben Beachy, Senior Policy Advisor,Responsible Trade Program

AFTER TPP continued on page 8

logical Diversity, Surfrider,350.org, Mesa RefineryWatch Group, the SierraClub et al, the SLO CountyPlanning Commission de-nied the proposed Phillips66 Nipomo oil terminal fortar sands crude oil “bombtrains.” Phillips immedi-ately appealed the denial tothe Board of Supervisorsand sued the County. On October 14, ChapterChair Karen Merriamjoined with concerned EdnaValley residents in voicingconcerns to the CountyPlanning Department overthe proposed rubber-stamp-ing of an events permit forGreengate Farms in theEdna Valley. The permitposes significant cumulativeimpacts on noise, traffic andair quality in conjunctionwith proliferating eventcenters in the area. TheSierra Club’s interventionhelped persuade planners topull the permit from theconsent agenda for themeeting and our commentsresulted in tightening con-ditions of approval, elimi-nation of loopholes, addedmonitoring, en-forcement, and arequirement that allevents on the prop-erty will be subjectto the same restric-tions. The administrative lawjudge presiding overPG&E’s application toretire Diablo Canyon, inresponse to filings bySierra Club and Friends of

Wild Cherry Canyon argu-ing against PG&E’s conten-tion that it need not addressthe preservation of DiabloCanyon lands -- 12,000acres of undevelopedcoastal property around theplant owned by the utilityand its subsidiaries -- ruledthat “PG&E shall servesupplemental testimonyproviding factual informa-tion on land ownership andacquisition and relatedproperty rights for the landsadjacent or contiguous toPG&E’s Diablo CanyonPower Plant.”

After eight public hearings,the SLO County PlanningCommission voted to denythe Phillips 66 oil trainterminal on October 5. Phil-lips appealed the decisionto the Board of Supervisorsand sued the County.

NovemberThe Chapter alerted ourmembers to join withprotectpricecanyon.org andthe Center for BiologicalDiversity in support ofCBD’s lawsuit against thestate’s oil regulators and thefight to stop Big Oil fromusing a Pismo aquifer as adump for toxic oil fieldwaste water.

The Chapter’s series offull-page ads urging readersto sign the online petitionfor designation of the Chu-mash Heritage NationalMarine Sanctuary began inthe Nov. 25 edition of TheTribune.

The Sierra Club filed forintervenor status in the Phil-lips 66 lawsuit against SLOCounty over the denial of apermit to build an oil trainterminal at its Nipomo re-finery. We will support thecounty’s defense of the suiton both procedural andsubstantive grounds. Proce-durally, the lawsuit is pre-mature, and substantively itis without merit. The Plan-ning Commission’s detailedfindings on public healthand safety issues and incon-sistencies with the county’sLocal Coastal Plan providefirm legal grounds for thedenial of the project.

December


volve nearly every part ofthe Sierra Club. Part of thisresistance will includestanding strongly with ourallies, particularly commu-nities of color, and continu-ing to speak out againstracism, xenophobia, sexism,bigotry, and hate.

2. Recruit – We have seenan outpouring of supportfrom the public in the formof donations, memberships,volunteer recruitment, andsocial media posts. We willcontinue to aggressivelyrecruit new activists, newvolunteers, and new donors.Our grassroots are the foun-dation of our strength, andwe will work to engage andactivate a new generation ofSierra Club leaders.

3. Train – Having a largermembership and a deeperpool of activists will help.How we develop those re-sources is just as important. In 2017, we will investmore deeply in staff andvolunteer training than wehave ever done before. Forexample, every staff mem-ber and the lead volunteersfrom every chapter will get

training on equity and inclu-sion as we accelerate ouranti-racism work.

4. Sustain – We havetough fights ahead, but werefuse to be in a defensivecrouch for years to come.We will continue to makeclean-energy progress incities, in the private sector,with public utility commis-sions, and internationally,and we will increase ourinvestments in those areaswhere we can stay on theoffensive. We must be re-lentless in our fight againstfossil fuels and for cleanenergy and smart transpor-tation policies at the cityand state levels.

Donald Trump may bepresident for the next sev-eral years, but the SierraClub has been doing thiswork for nearly 125 years.We’ll still be here when heis gone, and our movementwill be bigger, stronger, andmore innovative than everfor having opposed him.For many of us, these willbe the biggest environmen-tal fights of our lives, butthey’ll also be the mostmeaningful. We’re ready to give iteverything we’ve got.

Strongercontinued from page 1

The Yosemite Conserva-tion History Center (for-merly known as LeConteMemorial Lodge) is a Na-tional Historic Landmarkthat represents the rich heri-tage of the Sierra Club inYosemite Valley. The build-ing houses several interpre-tive displays, a children’snature corner, a wonderfullibrary, art projects andevening programs. Since 1904, a curator andSierra Club volunteers haveprovided information topark visitors. Today theprogram welcomes over15,000 visitors to the SierraClub’s spiritual home inYosemite Valley and volun-teers are needed now as thebuilding reopens for its113th season on May 3. Volunteers spend a weekin the park assisting the

Volunteer Opportunity in Yosemite

Well EarnedCarla Saunders receives Chapter awardfor 25 years of conservation advocacy

club’s curator, BonnieGisel, PhD. by interactingwith park visitors and carry-ing on the Sierra Club tradi-tion of helping others ap-preciate and protect ournatural environment. Volun-teers get free park admis-sion and camping in a groupcampsite during their ser-vice week.

Potential volunteers must:

Be outgoing and comfort able interacting with park visitors Have visited Yosemite within the last two years and have current park knowledge Be familiar with current Sierra Club programs and initiatives

Be able to stand for up to 3 hours per day Tent camp only Bring their food and supplies Not bring children, pets or guests

To become a volunteerfor the 2017 season,please contact BonnieGisel at 209-347-7300.

JackBeiglepassed awayon Decem-ber 14 inPacificGrove. Hewas 87. ManySierraClubbers and members ofKayak-morrobay will re-member Jack, who ran theSierra Club canoeand kayak monthly paddleevents in Morro Bay andwrote the “Paddlers Corner”column in the Santa Lucianfrom the late ‘80s, encourag-ing people to get out intonature in canoes and kayaks,until he and his wife Gracemoved to Pacific Grove in2006. Jack was close to chapterfounder Kathleen GoddardJones. “He loved the dunesand followed in KathleenGoddard Jones’s footsteps,using education and persis-

tence as atool to getthingsdone,” saidChapteroutingsleaderGaryFelsman.

“Jack was always there tohelp when needed.” “Jack was special,” saidChapter Chair Karen Mer-riam. “Everybody who wenton his overnight trips onSanta Margarita Lake re-members his ghost storiesand campfire songs, or hispicnics on the Morro Baysandspit. He was our onlyoutings leader who includedhaikus in his outing re-ports.” Anyone who would like tosend Grace a note or a cardcan write to:

Grace Beigle651 Sinex Ave., Apt D 114Pacific Grove, CA 93950

In Memoriam: Jack Beigle

Oak Tree Planting Party

On November 5, Holly Sletteland, chair of the SantaLucia Chapter’s Wildlands Stewardship Group, led volun-teers on the group’s inaugural project: alleviating the treemortality that Bishop Peak has suffered in the drought. Sierra Club worked with the City of SLO’s Natural Re-sources Program, along with volunteers from ECOSLOand One Cool Earth. We especially appreciated the effortof Junior Ranger Shea Carscaden (right) in getting coastlive oak seedlings into the ground. To join future Wildlands Stewardship Group projects,contact Holly Sletteland at [email protected] or805-239-3928.

By Luis Amezcua, San Francisco Bay Chapter

The City of San Francisco has taken a bold stand againstprofiting from climate disruption, passing legislation onNovember 29th that prohibits the leasing of city-ownedland for fossil fuel extraction. The unanimous decision bythe Board of Supervisors is a win-win-win for the envi-ronment, for clean energy jobs, and for city residents. The passage of the ‘Keep It In The Ground’ ordinance ismore than just a symbolic move; Supervisor John Avalosintroduced the legislation in response to the revelationthat for decades, San Francisco has benefited from leasing800 acres of city-owned land in Kern County — the heartof California’s oil and gas country — to Chevron foroil drilling. This arrangement is at odds with San Fran-cisco’s reputation as a leader in seeking solutions to lowerour nation’s dependency on dirty, climate-destabilizingfossil fuels. The ordinance takes effect in 2020, when Chevron’s 26-year lease with the city expires. The ordinance requires theCity to develop a just transition plan for the properties toensure responsible and constructive re-use of the land, andensure that impacts on workers are avoided or minimized. Now that San Francisco is getting out of the fossil fuelbusiness, it’s making the correct assessment and examin-ing how to take advantage of California’s famous 300days of sunshine and generate alternative energy and greenjobs through the installation of solar fields. According to a

Photo: Paul Matthies

SF “Keep It in the Ground”Ordinance Will TransitionKern County Oil Field IntoSolar Fields

OIL 2 SOLAR continued on page 8

Every year, we hold a Vol-unteer Hob Nob in apprecia-tion of the Santa LuciaChapter’s most valuableplayers, the Sierra Clubmembers out there doing thework. At this year’s volunteerappreciation event, heldDecember 10 at the SLOUnitarian Universalist Cen-ter, the most appreciatedvolunteer was Carla Saun-ders, who received theKathleen Goddard JonesAward, the Santa LuciaChapter’s highest honor. It was a long time coming.Carla was instrumental inpressing the 1994 SLO City

Council to form an Environ-mental Quality Task Forcewhich shaped the Land Useand Circulation Elementand created the office ofNatural Resources Man-ager, which in turn createdthe Greenbelt that is largelyresponsible for earningSLO the title of Hap-piestCity in America. She has never let up in thedecades since, making surethe City honors the will ofits citizenry and the letterand intent of ordinances andpolicies protecting naturalopen space. The City has yet to honorher, so we’re glad we did!

She rocks Santa Lucia Chapter Chair Karen Merriam (left) andChapter Director Andrew Christie flank a totally surprised CarlaSaunders, winner of the 2016 Kathleen Goddard Jones Award.

James Herman

Dominic Perellodied on Novem-ber 23 at age93, leavingbehind a legacyof service to hiscountry inWorld War II,decades ofteaching tens ofthousands of students at CalPoly, and years of volunteeractivism with the SierraClub. “Besides relying on Domfor information on all thingshistoric and politic aboutSLO and our Chapter, Domand I shared some very spe-cial moments discussing hisfriendship with Antoine deSt. Exupery, the extraordi-nary author of Night Flightand The Little Prince, amongother fascinating booksabout his experiences as apilot,” said Chapter Chair

Karen Merriam. Both menflew solo, reconnaissanceflights during the SecondWorld War. Dom had manythrilling stories to share.One of his favorite autobi-ographies, which he kindlyloaned me, was The Tale ofthe Rose by St. Exupery’swife. “Dom was a mentor, afriend, and a strong sup-porter of the Sierra Club.” Per his wishes, there willbe no services. Instead, gettogether with a friend andtell a story about Dom.

In Memoriam: DominicPerello


ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is January 16. To get a rate sheet or submit your ad and payment,contact: Sierra Club, P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 [email protected]

CYNTHIA HAWLEYATTORNEY

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONLAND USE

CIVIL LITIGATION

P.O. Box 29 Cambria California 93428Phone 805-927-5102 Fax 805-927-5220

Now accepting applications!

The City of SLO’s Boards and Commissions areaccepting applications through January 20, 2017.See the specific Advisory Body web pages for gen-eral information concerning them, as well as linksto Agendas and Minutes.

www.slocity.org/government/advisory-bodies

For detailed information see the Advisory BodyHandbook.

Applications may be submitted to:

The City Clerk’s Office990 Palm StreetSan Luis Obispo, CA 93401

For more information call (805) 781-7100.

City of San Luis Obispo:Annual AdvisoryBody Recruitment

Before Jan. 20, tell the White House:Designate the Chumash Heritage NationalMarine Sanctuary!

Go to:tinyurl.com/CHNMSpetition

tinyurl.com/CHNMSpetition

8 Santa Lucian • Jan. 2017Outings and Activities CalendarSeller of travel registration information: CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. Please bring drinking water to all outings andoptionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are within area code 805 unless otherwisenoted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult must accompany children under the age of 18. If you haveany suggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outingsleader, call Outings Chair Joe Morris, 549-0355. For information on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader.

This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.

Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for

the most up-to-date listing ofactivities.

(805) 549-0355

Sat., Jan. 14th, 8:30 a.m.Stony Creek/CaldwellMesa Trails Hike. Comeon two rarely used trails,accessed by a locked gateto Stony Creek trailhead.This is a strenuous,twelve-mile hike, 2000 ft.gain, in and out on thesame trails. Some poisonoak along the way. Bringlunch, water, and sturdyhiking shoes. Meet infront of Pacific BeverageCo. in Santa Margarita.Rain postpones to a laterdate. Leader: CarlosSaavedra, 546-0317.

Sun., Jan. 15th, 2 p.m.Historic Walk of ArroyoGrande Village. Join uson an easy, guided strollthrough the well-pre-served, century-old down-town of Arroyo Grande.We will discuss such sightsas the old storefronts onBranch St., the 1901 one-room schoolhouse, thefamous swinging bridge,Victorian homes of thetown’s pioneers, and AGcreek (plus its chickens).Duration about 1 1/2hrs. Meet at corner ofBranch and Bridge Sts.,off-street parking nearby.Leader: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Sat., Jan. 21st, 8:30 a.m.Big Sur Coastal Hike to

Now taking orders for the

2017Sierra ClubCalendar

Accept no substitutes. Yourdesk will thank you. Your wallwill thank you. Your friendsand family will thank you. Andwhen you buy direct from theChapter, you support the SierraClub’s conservation work inSan Luis Obispo County. Wethank you.10% off!wall calendar: $13.50desk calendar: $14.505 or more: 15% off!

To order, call:805-543-7051

Dutra Flat. Take a moder-ately strenuous hike alongBig Sur Coast with greatviews, nine miles RT and2400 ft. gain. We will startup the Salmon Creek Trailto a saddle overlookingDutra Creek, then traversethe valley to Dutra FlatCamp. Bringlunch, water, and non-sliphiking shoes, and dress forweather. Meet at Wash-burn Day Use Area, SanSimeon State Park, 2 milesnorth of Cambria. Leader:Gary Felsman, 473-3694.Rain or threat of rain can-cels the outing.

Sun., Jan. 22nd, 8:45 a.m.Reservoir Canyon LoopPlant Walk. Come on abotanist-led plant ID walkin Reservoir Canyon andBowden Ranch, focusing onriparian and serpentineplants commonly found ingreenbelt around city ofSLO. This 5-1/2 mi. hike ismoderate, ascending 1,200ft. to ridge top. Learneasy ways to identify plantspecies and pick out attrac-tive ones for leader ID.Bring water, snacks, sturdyshoes, sunscreen, hat, andjacket. No RSVP needed.Meet at Santa Rosa Park inSLO. If a list of trailsidespecies is wanted, contactleader at least 24 hrs, inadvance. Leader: Bill

Waycott, 459-2103 orbill.waycott@ gmail.comRain cancels.

Sun., Jan. 22nd, 10 a.m.Quarry Hill Trekking-Pole Hike. Come on a two-mile, 320 ft. gain hike tolearn the techniques andadvantages of trekking-poleuse. Meet at the Quarry/Cabrillo Peak trailhead, offSouth Bay Blvd., MorroBay. Need to confirm inadvance you are coming toLeader: David Georgi, 458-5575 or [email protected].

Tues., Jan. 24th, 10 a.m.Crespi Loop Hike inMorro Bay State Park.Come on a native-plantwalk and enjoy sweepingviews of ocean and moun-tains, 2.25 miles RT, 350 ft.gain. From South Bay Blvdbetween Morro Bay andLos Osos, turn onto TurriRd. and drive half mile toparking lot on left. Leader:Vicki Marchenko, 528-5567.

Wed., Jan. 25th, 7-9 p.m.8th Annual Environmen-talists’ Rendezvous: Be-hold the Animals! Tonighthear the stories of the dedi-cated protectors of our wildneighbors of land, sea, andsky. Speaking will be lead-ers of the Friends of the

Elephant Seals, PacificWildlife Care, MonarchButterfly Grove at OceanoDunes, and Morro CoastAudubon Society. Prof.Emily Taylor, director ofgrad studies in BiologicalSciences and winner of theDistinguished TeachingAward at Cal Poly, will giveus an overall scientific per-spective. Your questionsand comments will be wel-comed. Meets at SteynbergGallery, 1531 Monterey St.,SLO. Info: Joe Morris,549-0355.

Sat., Jan. 28th, 9:30 a.m.Pt. Sal Road Hike. Yourchoice of a five- or ten-mile hike. Five-mile hike,moderately strenuous, as-cends hill to long views ofcoast, cliffs, and pristinebeach, lasting about 2hours. The ten-miler,strenuous, continues fromthere with some tricky hillscrambling, then down to aremote beach for play/relax-ing time. Bring plenty ofwater, snacks, sunscreen,hat, and sweater in case ofchanging, cooler weather.Meet at main gate to Pt. SalPark, end of Brown Rd.,3.9 miles from Hwy 1.Rain cancels. Leader:Andrea Ortiz, 264-4527 [email protected].

April 2-4 May 7-9 June 11-13 July 16-18August 20-22 September 24-26 October 22-24

Join us for a 3-day, 3-island, live-aboard cruise toCalifornia’s Channel Islands! Hike wild, windswept trailsbordered with blazing wildflowers. Kayak rugged coast-lines. Snorkel in pristine waters teeming with colorful fish.Swim with frolicking seals and sea lions. Look for unusualsea and land birds. Watch for the highly endangered islandfox. Or.....just relax at sea! All cruises depart from SantaBarbara. The cost, $650, includes an assigned bunk, allmeals, snacks and beverages plus the services of a natural-ist-docent assigned by the national park to help lead hikes,point out items of interest and give evening program. Formore information contact leader: Joan Jones Holtz; 626-443-0706; [email protected]. To make a reservation senda $100 check, written to Sierra Club, to leader, 11826 TheWye St., El Monte, CA 91732.

Island Hopping in Channel IslandsNational Park 2017report from the City’s bud-

get analyst, this move isn’tonly sensible for the envi-ronment — it also makessense for the city’s budget.Leasing the land to a solarprovider is expected toproduce more than twiceas much revenue per acrethan Chevron’s operations. The decision to divestCity resources from fossilfuel extraction and redirectthem to solar comes at atime when the demand forrenewable energy is boom-ing — while the price ofthe technology and thecost to consumers fallssharply. In fact, since theimplementation of theIndividual Tax Credit(ITC) for solar in 2006,the cost to install solarenergy has dropped bywell over 70 percent. In 2004, San Franciscowas one of the first citiesin the nation to make acommitment to transitionto 100% renewable elec-tricity. To achieve that goalby a target date of 2030,the City has invested inenergy efficiency, brokendown barriers to installingrooftop solar, and

Oil 2 solarcontinued from page 6

progressives, must offer ouralternative — one that’srooted in fighting inequal-ity, respecting workers’rights, fostering healthycommunities, and seekingclimate justice. On November 16, theSierra Club unveiled a dis-cussion paper that presentsfresh, bold ideas for onecomponent of a broad newapproach: how to movefrom polluter-friendly dealsto ones that support tacklingclimate change. The template for tradedeals like the TPP was writ-ten decades ago under theadvisement of fossil fueland other corporations.These deals serve one func-tion: to boost corporateprofits. They seek to maxi-mize trade and investmenteven if the goods traded orthe investments protectedspell more climate pollu-tion. They even empowercorporations to sue govern-ments in private trade tribu-nals over climate and otherprotections that affect cor-porate bottom lines. To build a new approachto trade that supports - notundermines - climate action,we must turn the status quomodel on its head. We start

After TPPcontinued from page 5 from a simple premise that

is fundamentally at oddswith the status quo: Tradeand investment should betreated as tools for advanc-ing human priorities - notends in and of themselves.Deals should encouragetrade and investment thatsupport a more stable cli-mate, healthy communities,and good jobs, while dis-couraging trade and invest-ment that do the opposite. We offer 15 proposals forhow to bring decades-oldtrade rules into alignmentwith today’s climate im-peratives. These proposalshave been informed by in-put from over 50 academicand civil society trade andclimate specialists. Theyrange from the relativelysimple to fundamental shiftsthat, while difficult, may benecessary to achieve poli-cies that reflect today’sstark climate realities. Our proposals seek tofulfill three core goals:

1. Changing trade rulesto protect climate policies:Trade rules that conflictwith climate action shouldbe eliminated to allow com-munities and governmentsto advance bold climateprotections without fear ofbeing challenged in tradetribunals. Our proposalwould not allow corpora-tions to sue governments inprivate tribunals over cli-mate policies - or any poli-cies. We also propose aprovision stating that when-ever trade rules clash withclimate policies, the climatepolicies win.

2. Using trade rules toincrease climate protec-tions: Trade pacts shouldestablish a floor of climateprotection among tradepartners to avoid a race tothe bottom in climate stan-dards. While status quodeals like the TPP don’teven mention the words“climate change,”tomorrow’s trade agree-ments should require en-forcement of internationalclimate commitments,elimination of fossil fuelsubsidies, and financing forrenewable energy invest-ments. Under this newmodel, if a governmentor corporation failed tolive up to its climate

responsibilities, the commu-nities most affected by cli-mate change could seekjustice before a panel ofclimate experts.

3. Mitigating the climateimpacts of trade: A cli-mate-friendly trade modelshould encourage trade ingoods that support the pub-lic interest, but discouragetrade in climate-pollutingfossil fuels. Trade pacts alsoshould tackle climate pollu-tion from shipping. Wepropose a new way to doso. And to ensure that acountry’s climate protec-tions don’t offshore jobs orclimate emissions, tradeagreements should includetaxes on imported goodsmade under highly climate-polluting conditions. These proposals and oth-

ers detailed in our discus-sion paper will be refined aswe continue to collect feed-back on what climate-friendly trade policies couldlook like. Please help usbuild a new trade model bysending your input to [email protected]. We look forward to work-ing with our partners tostitch these climate-focusedideas into a broader pro-posal for an approach totrade that promotes goodjobs, healthy communities,and a livable planet. Usingour grassroots power andmomentum from the diversemovement that defeated theTPP, we are eager to buildsupport for this new ap-proach that puts people andplanet over profits.

launched Clean PowerSF: anew local power utility inthe “Community Choice”clean energy model. The Keep It In TheGround ordinance has thepotential to help San Fran-cisco each its renewableenergy goal by providingpower to its CleanPower SFcustomers. Just before the first read-ing on November 15th,Supervisor Avalos reiteratedthe importance of this ordi-nance, saying: “With thepending Trump presidency,local leadership on climatechange is more urgent andimportant than ever. SanFrancisco and other citiescan help lead this countryinto the clean energy futurewe need.” Indeed, San Francisco haslong been a leader in theenvironmental movement.By once again demonstrat-ing that aligning financialassets with environmentalvalues makes economicsense, let’s hope more citiesfollow suit and divest capi-tal from the fossil fuel in-dustry, joining San Fran-cisco in building a vibrantclean energy economythat benefits all of us: work-ers, communities and ourenvironment.

sierraclub.org/tradeRead “A New Climate-Friendly Approach to Trade:”

santa - sierra club...the official newsletter of the santa lucia chapter of the sierra club ~ san...

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