The Sierra Club Board of Director created the Climate Adaptation and Restoration Team in 2019. The Board spells out the Team's authorities and responsibilities in its Charge Document

These include the following:

1) Federal Agency Actions:

Submit official comments that establish Sierra Club positions regarding proposed federal agency actions. Lobby federal agencies on behalf of Club positions.

Limit of Authority:  

Authority of the team is limited to commenting and lobbying at the federal agency level. Team is not authorized to take positions or lobby on agency actions at the state or local level without consulting with relevant chapters or groups.

 2) Federal Legislation:

Team is authorized to review proposed federal legislation and submit recommendations to the Vice-President of Conservation and National Program Director (or their designee), who are charged with establishing Sierra Club positions on federal legislation. Team is authorized to develop lobbying plans, within limitations, for federal legislation that the Sierra Club supports.

 Limit of Authority:  

Lobbying Members of Congress and U.S. Senators can impact the Club beyond the purposes of any individual team. Therefore, team actions to lobby on behalf of federal legislation requires consultation and coordination with relevant staff. Team is not authorized to take positions or lobby on legislation at the state or local level without consulting with relevant chapters or groups.

3) Identify Intersecting Public Policy Impacts:

Team is encouraged to identify public policy decisions at the federal, state and local level where team's outcomes intersect with, and can be impacted positively or negatively by, those that others have been authorized to act on for the Club.

Limit of Authority:
Reach out and consult with those who are authorized to take positions and/or comment for the Sierra Club in these arenas.

4) Strategic Thinking:
Provide strategic thinking for the team's issue area(s), develop projects, and seek funding or other support from the Grassroots Network Support Team for strategically prioritized work.

Limit of Authority:
Resources may not be available for all work prioritized by the team.

5) Legal Actions:
Initiate new matter forms for approval of legal action relative to team's outcomes. 

Limit of Authority:
Legal actions pertaining to a specific site within the boundaries of a single chapter must be coordinated with the relevant chapter.

6) Other Organizations:
Connect with the leadership of other regional, national, and/or international organizations similarly working to achieve the team's stated outcomes,and represent Sierra Club's existing policies and positions in meetings and forums with other organizations.

Limit of Authority:
Team does not have authority to prepare, or sign-onto, joint materials with other organizations, such as reports, websites, media ads, press statements, etc., unless the team has consulted in advance with the Grassroots Network Coordinating Pair, and joint work with another organization has been specifically approved as a project.

7) Media:
Team members are authorized to act as Sierra Club spokespersons regarding the team's goals and work.Teams are authorized to develop media plans, within limitations:

Limit of Authority:
The Club's national media staff are responsible for implementing media strategies and messaging nationwide. Team must consult and coordinate with national media staff regarding contact with national media and with chapters regarding local media. Teams are expected to work with local activists as spokespersons in local media.

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