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NEWS

Latest Chapter Digital News

Recent information appears in reverse chronological order below based on date (i.e., date of event or of publication). Information on Central Arkansas Group (CAG) monthly meetings is on Home page or on CAG web page. Items with Bold Stand-alone Header normally relate to the Sierra Club and/or the Arkansas Chapter. Other items (without a stand-alone header) that may be of interest to readers may also be included below. Scroll down to indicated date. To submit new information for possible inclusion in the digital newsletter, check the About Us > Contact Us web page for webmaster address.  

2/1/24 - This year, the west coast has again received a lot of rain and snow. For links to a selection of Web Cams in California, click HERE.

Central Arkansas Group Elections

12/30/2023 - If you received a ballot for the Executive Committee elections, you need to submit your ballot NOW before the deadline.

Pinnacle Mountain State Park News

7/26/23 - LR - The new Visitor's Center (north of the West Parking Lot) will likely open this Fall.
8/5/23 update - Sometime in the last two weeks, the park has installed a new park bench on the West Summit Trail at the #3 marker.
10/10/23 update - It appears that a hiking or biking trail from the new Visitor's Center to the Arboretum is being built. This trail will run between the Base Trail and Little Maumelle River.
11/28/23 - Tu - The new Visitors Center had their grand opening this morning with short speeches by park officials and Governor Sanders. There is now a short extension of the Base Trail that connects to the Visitors Center with the new bike trail accessible nearby. The new Visitors Center is just south of the gravel park maintenance road that parallels part of the lower West Summit Trail.

Trivia Question of the Month - 10/10/23 - If you headed due east from the old Visitor's Center at Pinnacle Mountain State Park until you crossed a county line, what county would you be in? The correct answer: Faulkner County

11/19/23 - Su - Two trees, a hackberry and a catalpa, in Springdale have been designated as champion trees, i.e., the largest of their type in Arkansas. For more info, check page 5B of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

AR-DoT Public Informational Meetings - 4 to 7 pm. For more info, go to ardot.gov > Events Feed:

.....8/24/23 – Little Rock - Proposed widening of Highway 10 from Taylor Loop Road to Pleasant Ridge Road. Comments due by 9/8.

.....AR-DoT  is conducting a study of the Highway 59 and Highway 72 corridors in Benton County. These corridors have experienced significant growth in recent years, and this study will consider if improvements are needed to satisfy these new demands. Public Meetings: Tu 8/29 – 4to7 pm – Gravette HS; Th 8/31 – 4to7 pm – Gentry Library. Comments due by October 2.

.....9/7/23 – Conway - Proposed widening Highway 65B (Harkrider Street) from Highway 64 to Bruce Street. Comments due by 9/22.

8/5/23 - Pinnacle Mtn SP - West Summit Trail Update - A new park bench has been installed at the #3 marker (sometime in the last two weeks). Observer turned back (thunder & lightning) at the park bench just below the #5 marker so don't know if any changes have been made beyond that point.

8/1/23 - 4 to 6 pm - Conway City Hall Council Chambers, 1111 Main St. - AR-DoT / Metroplan / Conway public involvement meeting  on improving Salem Road. On day of meeting, more info will be available at    https://salemroad.transportationplanroom.com/

7/26/23 - Pinnacle Mountain State Park News - The new Visitor's Center (north of the West Parking Lot) will likely open late September. Eventually the entry to the West Parking Lot may be re-routed through the visitor's center parking area. Even with the recent high temperatures, the shaded hiking trails are seeing a moderate amount of hikers.

7/22/23 - After record snow fall in California this year, Yosemite National Park expects to open the east-west Tioga Pass road today after spending recent months plowing snow and repairing the road. (The road normally opens around late May.) The nearby Mammoth Mtn Ski Area has announced that August 6 will be the last day of skiing this season.

7/9/23 - Su - Tick Season is Here - For more info, check page 2B of today Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

7/9/23 - Su - Canine Flu in State - For more info, check page 1B of today Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

6/27/23 - Bismarck - Forestry Seminar - Updated research on forestry management - For more info, check page PB1 of the Sunday 6/18/23 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

6/18/23 - Su - Flatside Wilderness Area Expansion? - Congressman Hill has introduced legislation to expand the Flatside Wilderness by 2200 acres. For more info, check page 1B of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

6/7/23 - Blue Mountain Hiking Trails - One of the newest hiking/biking areas in Central Arkansas is the Blue Mountain area, west of the Maumelle Pinnacles and Rattlesnake Ridge. The parking area is slightly less than 5 miles west of Chenal on Hwy 10, just after passing a long white fence. The main trail for hiking is similar to the Base Trail at Pinnacle but without all the rocks. For a description of the area, check pages 36-37 of the June issue of Arkansas Times. ...or click HERE for a news story/video. [unofficial trail map     (vertical red line at left of map is Hwy 10 just west of Lake Maumelle) ]

6/5/23 - National Park Entry Requirement - Some parks within the National Park System (including Rocky Mountain) no longer accept cash and require a debit or credit card for entry. For more info, click HERE [msn.com web site].

Sierra Club BoD Election Results

Sierra Club BoD Election Results

5/23/23 update- New Club officers are:
Allison Chin, President, Ross Macfarlane, Vice President of Conservation
Patrick Murphy, Vice President of Chapters, Groups, and Volunteers
Cheyenne Branscum, Treasurer, Meghan Sahli-Wells, Secretary

4/27/23 - Shruti Bhatnagar, Rita Harris, David Holtz, Patrick Murphy, and Dave Scott have been elected to serve three-year terms on the volunteer Board of Directors.

4/27/23 - Shruti Bhatnagar, Rita Harris, David Holtz, Patrick Murphy, and Dave Scott have been elected to serve three-year (2023-2026) terms on the volunteer Board of Directors.

4/23/23 - This Wednesday April 26 at 11 am CT is the deadline to vote in the annual election for Sierra Club Board of Directors. For more information, refer to e-mail messages you received from Ramon Cruz on the following dates: Ballot Login Info 2/28; Election Reminder 3/30; Final Reminder 4/20. Refer to one or more of these messages for more information on the candidates. This is your chance to have a say in who is part of the Board. Please vote!

4/26/23 - Arkansas Natural Sky Association - The April 24-30, 2023, issue of the Daily Record has a front page article on the Arkansas National Sky Association (ANSA), with a short interview with ANSA chapter chair Bruce McMath on light pollution and the need for dark nighttime skies. Bruce has been a former speaker at a CAG monthly meeting.

4/1/23 - On April 12, Faulkner County will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of its formation. For information on planned events, check page A1 of the April 1-2 Weekend Edition of the Conway Log Cabin Democrat.

4/1/23 - Annual Plant Sales - Master Gardener groups throughout the state conduct annual plant sales. For a listing of such sales during April and May, check the Saturday April 1 issue of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The article starts on page PB1 with the listing continuing on PB2 and PB3. (PB = Pine Bluff Commercial section of the paper.)

3/12/23 - Central Arkansas Water - Today's Arkansas section of the Democrat-Gazette includes information on the water utility and mentions a plan to increase rates over the next 10 years. It also mentions use of $16 million in herbicide applicaton and construction of a new 5-foot diameter pipeline. For more information, refer to the article's continuation on page 5B.

3/6/23 -Tick  Season has Arrived - I'm normally not concerned about ticks until mid-March or later. However, one was spotted today in the Ozark NF north of Russellville after brushing against tree limbs. So, be warned! It is time to apply insect repellent.

News Articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that our viewers may have missed that may be of interest – Refer to the indicated source for more information.
Environment:
1/29/23 pg 1H - Flatside Wilderness Area Expansion in Congress

Technology:
2/13/23 pg 1G - Asia to use half of all electricity by 2025
[...shift to renewables...] ...report warned that demand and supply are becoming increasingly weather dependent...

2/12/23 - More Large-Scale Pig Farms - In recent decades, we have heard of a desire for free-range chickens (and other animals). And we have heard of the large pig farm on the Buffalo. Page 1G (Business Section) of the Sunday 2/12/2023 Democrat-Gazette has an article on the latest innovation: A high-rise for pigs. The story mentions buildings receiving a million pounds of feed a day with waste products re-purposed for other uses/needs. There are no free-range pigs here. I recommend that our members read the article.

1/17/23 - Tu - Central Arkansas Group - Please join us on January 17, 2023 for our monthly meeting. April Ambrose with the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association will speak on her new role working on sustainability. April will also discuss The Inflation Reduction Act’s environmental benefits and the tax credits. We meet at Hibernia Irish Pub at 6:30.

COVID-19 INFO PREVIOUSLY IN RIGHT COLUMN

 Temporary COVID-19 Links 

News updated daily    
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/coronavirus/    

Corona Virus Tracker
https://www.bing.com/covid/local/unitedstates?form=msntrk     
Statistics by Date From the Beginning
https://www.bing.com/covid/local/unitedstates?form=msntrk&timeline=1

School Closure Extended ...read more

Curriculum-based programming for the state’s pre-K through 8th grade students  
https://www.myarkansaspbs.org/arkansasami    

Information on local businesses, restaurants, services, etc.     
https://www.upliftarkansas.com/    

Arkansas State Parks - Latest Info    
https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/covid-19-update    

National Park Closures  
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a31919987/national-parks-closed-coronavirus/

Corona Virus in the US – Map     

The primary portal for public information maintained by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force at the White House, working in conjunction with CDC, HHS and other agency stakeholders.   https://www.coronavirus.gov/   

What the Government is doing:
Government Response to Coronavirus, COVID-19  
https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus   

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   -   https://www.cdc.gov/   

AR Dept. of Health     

Restrictions - State-by-State - an msn.com listing

New Zealand: A Likely COVID-19 Success Story – A 4-week total lockdown

How long can virus live on different surfaces? ...Click HERE     

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NOTE: Older news has been moved to News > News Past Years pages:

 News-2023     |    News-2022     |     News-2021     |     News-2020    |     News-2019

 News-2018     |     News-2017     |     News-2016     |     News-2015     |     News-2014

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 Older (Printed) Newsletters

A selection of older newsletters:

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2017 Fall - PDF 8.2 MB     #
Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2016 Fall - PDF 4.3 MB     #
Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2016 Spring - PDF 4.5 MB     #
Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2015 Fall - PDF 3.7 MB     #
Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2015 Winter - PDF 1.7 MB     #
Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2014 Fall - PDF 4 MB    
Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2014 Summer - PDF 8 MB     #
Arkansas Chapter Newsletter, 2011 Spring - PDF 500 KB
Arkansas Chapter Newsletter, 2001 Spring - PDF 266 KB
Arkansas Chapter Newsletter, 1990 Summer - PDF 8 MB (11x17)

A Table of Contents is provided below for issues marked with a pound sign ( # ) above.

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Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2017 Fall - PDF 8.2 MB

      • Page 1 - What Part of "Environmental Quality" Don't You Understand?, by Glen Hooks (Chapter Director)
      • Page 2 - Sustainability Plans & Progress in Fayetteville, Arkansas, by Rachael Schaffner
                        (Fayetteville City Project Coordinator)
      • Page 3 - Forestry Bills Threaten Arkansas Environmental Activism, by Dr. Bob Allen (Chapter ExCom)
      • Page 4 - 2nd Annual Arkansas Environmental Policy Summit a Hugh Success
      • Page 4 - Paperless Option for Newsletter
      • Page 5 - Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign Celebrates Milestone
      • Page 6 - Sierra Club & City of Fayetteville Celebrate "Drive Electric" Week
      • Page 6 - Chapter and Group ExComm Elections Switch to Electronic Voting
      • Page 7 - New Sierra Student Coalition Chapter at Little Rock Central High School, by Sophie Ryall (Senior, Little Rock Central High Schjool / Arkansas Sierra Club Intern , Fall 2017
      • Page 7 - Sierra Club & Audubon Arkansas Partner to Screen "An Inconvenient Sequel"
      • Page 8 - Collaboration and Grassroots Networking by George Wise, Chair, Central Arkansas Group

A selection of past newsletters:

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2016 Fall - PDF 4.3 MB

      • Page 1 - Victory: Sierra Club Lawsuit Leads to Cleaner Air in Arkansas, Glen Hooks (Chapter Director)
      • Page 2 - Solar Energy Booming - Even in Arkansas, Dr. Bob Allen (Chapter ExComm)
      • Page 3 - Update on the C&H Hog Farm and its Effects on the Buffalo National River, Carolyn Shearman (CAG)
      • Page 5 - Sierra Club Co-Sponsors First Arkansas Environmental Policy Summit
      • Page 5 - Calendar of Events
      • Page 6 - From the Chair - George Wise (Chapter Chair)
      • Page 7 - Arkansas Sierra Club Want Ads
      • Page 7 - Support Your Arkansas Sierra Club With an End-of-Year Gift
      • Page 8 - 2016 Arkansas Sierra Club Executive Committee (list)

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2016 Spring - PDF 4.5 MB

      • Page 1 - Let's Bring Clean Energy to Arkansas Cities, Glen Hooks (Chapter Executive Director)
      • Page 2 - Alternative Energy Alternatives, Dr. Bob Allen (Chapter Vice Chair)
      • Page 2 - Paperless Option for Newsletter
      • Page 3 - The Best Medicine for Flint - and America, Michael Brune (Sierra Club Executive Director)
      • Page 4 - TPP Update: Recent Events Provide Some Clarity on how Trade Agreements Will Undermine US Environmentally Relevant Laws and Regulations, Robin Rumph (CAG Executive Committee)
      • Page 4 - Calendar of Events
      • Page 6 - Central AR Group Report - Help Wanted, Help Needed, George Wise (CAG Chair)
      • Page 7 - Arkansas Sierra Club Want Ads
      • Page 7 - Your "Green" Helps Keep Arkansas "Green"
      • Page 8 - 2016 Arkansas Sierra Club Executive Committee (list)

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2015 Fall - PDF 3.7 MB

      • Page 1 - Clean Energy in Arkansas-It's Happening, Glen Hooks (Chapter Executive Director)
      • Page 2 - Victory! Entergy Proposes End of White Bluff Coal-Fired Power Plant
      • Page 2 - Slacktivism or Activism, George Wise (Chapter Chair)
      • Page 3 - Council of Club Leaders Report, Veronica Mobley (Chapter CCL Delegate)
      • Page 5 - Buffalo River Hogwash, Dr. Bob Allen (Chapter Vice Chair)
      • Page 6 - Coming clean - The Pipeline Stops Here, Michael Brune (Sierra Club Executive Director)
      • Page 7 - TPP Poses Grave Threat, Robin Rumph (CAG Executive Committee)

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2015 Winter - PDF 1.7 MB

      • Page 1 - Your Arkansas Sierra Club: Strong and Growing, Glen Hooks (Chapter Executive Director)
      • Page 2 - Solar Power in the Ozarks, Dr. Bob Allen (Chapter Vice Chair)
      • Page 2 - Arkansas Sierra Club Chosen for "Youth Engagement Training"
      • Page 3 - 700 Miles, 18 Hours - A Piece of Cake (and a piece of pizza too)!, Scharmel Roussel (Executive Director, Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light)
      • Page 5 - Council of Club Leaders Report, Brian Broussard
      • Page 5 - EPA to Host Environmental Justice Training in Little Rock
      • Page 6 - Central Arkansas Group Report, George Wise (CAG Chair)
      • Page 7 - Campus Report: Hendrix College, Hanna Davis
      • Page 8 - 2015 Arkansas Sierra Club Executive Committee (list)

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2014 Fall - PDF 4 MB

Arkansas Sierran - Chapter Newsletter, 2014 Summer - PDF 8 MB

      • Page 1 - EPA Issues 1st-ever Carbon Dioxide Limits for Power Plants
      • Page 2 - Cache River Restoration Project Nearing Completion
      • Page 3 - Building a Stronger Sierra Club: It Starts with Us, Glen Hooks (Chapter Executive Director)
      • Page 5 - The Trick of Quiet, George Wise (CAG Chair)
      • Page 6 - Efficiency is the Answer, Dr. Bob Allen (Chapter ExComm)
      • Page 6 - Arkansas Sierra Club 2014 Officers
      • Page 7 - Member Survey
      • Page 8 - Chapter Chair Report, Karen Sykes

Arkansas Chapter Newsletter, 2011 Spring - PDF 500 KB
Arkansas Chapter Newsletter, 2001 Spring - PDF 266 KB
Arkansas Chapter Newsletter, 1990 Summer - PDF 8 MB (11x17)
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CAG and OHG Group news is now included in the Chapter newsletter.
For older copies of the Group newsletters, go to their Group pages.

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E-MAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST

If you would like to be added to the Chapter e-mail distribution list or if you would like some information on a specific environmental issue in the state, please contact: Sierra Club - Arkansas Chapter, P.O.Box 1158, North Little Rock, AR 72115.
 

In-person Sierra Club events are currently on hold. In-person meetings and outings will likely not be conducted until TBD.  If you have not been receiving e-mail messages about on-line CAG meetings, please send an e-mail message to the CAG Chair George Wise at bgcdwise@swbell.net     for info on future CAG on-line meetings.