On February 25th at Goat Patch Brewery, over 30 folks from around the region joined the Pikes Peak group for a member and supporter meeting focusing on the environmental priorities and issues facing the region. With the Federal Government's environmental action in a tailspin amid mass firings and promises to "drill baby drill", people were looking for ways to channel anger and confusion into action by getting involved right here at home. Jane Ard-Smith, Group Chair and Jim Lockhart, Conservation Chair, both gave presentations on the group's current campaigns and how to get involved. The presentations were followed by a Q & A, then more informal discussions among the participants. We all left the event feeling energized and ready to make a difference in the Pikes Peak Region. 
If you were unable to attend the event, and would like to get involved with the Group, please reach out to one of the following group leaders. Remember, when we stand together, we can win! 

General Inquiries: Jane Ard-Smith, janeardsmith@comcast.net
Open Space and Development, Oil and Mining, Wilderness and Wildlands, Parks, Outings: Jim Lockhart, jlock@datawest.net
Wildlife and Wolves: Judy Shulman, boatgirl@gmail.com
Politics/ Elections: David Bryan, dlbsierra@gmail.com
Clean Ups: Chuck Donachy, donachy834@aol.com

On March 1st, hundreds of thousands of people rallied at over 170 National Park sites across the nation. The goal was to show support for National Park employees who have been the victims of recent mass firings of federal employees and to oppose the Trump Administration policy of wholesale firing of employees. The nationwide protests were organized by Resistance Rangers, which describes itself as "The official resistance account of NPS Rangers. Community of 730+ off duty park rangers rallying to save public lands." Information about the event was spread by social media and word of mouth, it was literally a grassroots event.

Locally, over 100 people turned out at the Florissant Fossil Beds to protest. People of all kinds and ages showed up, including Teller County and Colorado Springs residents who traveled about an hour to attend the event.
 
More than a dozen people from the Pikes Peak Group attended the rally. Our Chapter Chair Jane Ard-Smith said, "It was so wonderful to see over 100 people show up at Florissant Fossil Beds to support our national parks and monuments and the people who work there. Our public lands are under attack - and this was one small way that I can say no."

When asked about future plans to support the National Park Service, our Conservation Chair, Jim Lockhart, who also attended the rally, answered "Sierra Club plans to continue to energetically support the Park Service, also Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, employees." 

Click here to read Sierra Club's Statement on Mass Firings

By Jim Lockhart, Conservation Chair

It has been a busy month for our Conservation Committee. Please follow the link below for updates from our Conversation Chair on all of our issues and priorities.

March 2025 Conservation Report

By Judy Shulman, Wildlife Chair

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is in the process of tracking the collared wolves that were released in Colorado over the past couple years. See Map Here.

CPW is planning to hire 12 riders for the 2025 season as part of their Range Rider Program. The riders would ride 4-5 days a week, from late April through end of September. The plan is to have 2 riders per county in areas of past and projected wolf/ livestock conflict, setting up trail cameras and working with local authorities and land owners on mitigating and preventing any possible conflicts. 

In early February, a non-collared wolf killed a cow in Jackson County. CPW is working with the producer and neighbors to make sure they have non-lethal conflict mitigation tools

How to tell a Wolf from a Coyote:

Wolves (30 in. tall at the shoulder, 80-100 lbs) are twice the size of coyotes (18 in. tall at the shoulder, up to 45 lbs)

Wolves have blockier muzzles and shorter and more rounded ears than coyotes. 

Click here for a ‘Living With Wolves’ brochure.

by Jim Lockhart, Conservation Chair

Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are not a solution to the climate crisis. Nuclear power is inherently dirty, dangerous and expensive. From the environmental costs associated with mining the fuel, to the risks of operating nuclear plants, to the unresolved question of how to store spent fuel and other high-level nuclear waste permanently and safely, every step of the nuclear power production process is loaded with serious environmental concerns. Nuclear power is already more costly than renewables, and this gap will only widen as new clean energy technologies are developed to use wind, solar, and battery storage. SMRs are more costly still.

Despite these economic and environmental problems, the Colorado General Assembly is currently considering a bill to redefine nuclear energy as a source of “clean energy” which can be used to meet Colorado carbon-free goals. Colorado Springs Utilities has recently announced that it is exploring the possibility of using SMRs to reduce its dependance on fossil fuels and help it meet these goals. Substituting one dirty energy source for another is not the solution.

Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club has scheduled a virtual meeting via Zoom on March 25, at 6 PM, for local Sierra Club members and others interested in discussing the push toward nuclear at the state and local level, and how we can effectively make our voices heard. Please register at the link below.

Please join us if you are concerned about these nuclear power proposals and ask your friends to join us. RSVP

Check back for next Member and Supporter Meeting happening in April, just in time for Earth Day!