We work to advance conservation issues that the National Sierra Club and the Colorado Sierra Club advocate, as well as our own regional issues. Here are some current ones, followed by more information and links for them below:
* Toxic chemicals on our farmlands
* Safeguard Inflation Reduction Act money
*Stop a sham bill from harming wildlife.
* HB25-1040 - adding Nuclear Power as a Clean Energy Resource.
* Support this Colorado Wildlife Bill.
* Keep Toxic Chemicals out of our Food!
Toxic sewage fertilizer is contaminating farmland across America. This sludge often contains toxic PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," that are linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, and a host of other illnesses. These chemicals shouldn't be allowed anywhere near our food. Tell your governor to ban the use of toxic sewage sludge on farmland. For years, America's farmers have used sewage sludge, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, as a cheap fertilizer. But here's the problem: Surveys have found that this sewage sludge can contain PFAS levels high enough to make the farm's produce unsafe to eat.1 The Environmental Protection Agency says that no amount of PFAS exposure can be considered safe. Even in the tiniest quantities, PFAS are linked to cancer, birth defects, thyroid disease, and a host of other problems.2 We shouldn't let these toxic chemicals anywhere near us, let alone in the farms that grow our food. But increasingly, farms have discovered that crops and animals raised on land fertilized by sewage sludge are also contaminated with PFAS. A Maine study found that 68% of farms using sewage sludge fertilizers were contaminated with PFAS. That's a scary statistic, especially considering that as many as 70 million acres of U.S. farmland use sewage sludge fertilizer.3 Maine, Michigan and Connecticut have already banned the use of PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge as fertilizer. Toxic PFAS sludge has turned up in Texas, Tennessee, New York, and numerous other states. We're only scratching the surface of the problem. Tell your governor to ban the use of PFAS-contaminated fertilizers and keep toxic chemicals off our plates. How did it come to this? Industries started using PFAS decades ago without examining the health effects of the chemicals. Now they appear in everything from clothes to water bottles to breast milk. We leapt before we looked, and now we're paying the price.4 And here's the scariest part: PFAS aren't going away. They're called "forever chemicals" because they can take thousands of years to break down. Any PFAS that we release into our farms or homes are there to stay. There's no reason to spread "forever chemicals" on thl where we grow our food. Let's end this source of contamination so we can stop worrying about our food being grown in toxic soil. Send a message to your governor: Let's stop growing our food in soil fertilized with toxic PFAS.
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*Safeguard Inflation Reduction Money already allocated for Climate and Energy Projects
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* Stop a sham bill from harming wildlife!
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*HB25-1040 - adding Nuclear Energy as a clean energy resource.
This bill is trying to rebrand nuclear energy as clean energy. The Sierra Club and our group urge voters to contact our congress people to vote against it. Here are some points to make:
Nuclear power is a false solution for climate change, and only diverts public/private funds and support for true renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
Creates waste that is radioactive for thousands of years.
Uses LOTS of fresh water, both for energy production and for cooling spent fuel. Colorado has little water to spare.
Is linked to increased cancer rates.
Requires uranium which must be mined and enriched; processes which disproportionately impact already vulnerable communities.
Often requires massive taxpayer money for construction, operation and decommissioning.
Has a long history of environmental injustice; as has been the sad historic norm, disproportionately impacting minorities, using them as a sacrifice zone.
There is a Sierra Club Youtube channel:https://youtube.com@nuclearfreeteamsierraclub
* Colorado Wildlife Bill
Dear Janet,
A groundbreaking opportunity to modernize Colorado's wildlife management needs your support!
House Bill 25-1258 would transform how Colorado manages its wildlife by requiring the Parks and Wildlife Commission to use the best available science in decision-making, rather than defaulting to hunting, trapping, and fishing as the primary management tools. This crucial shift would benefit wildlife, ecosystem health, and all Coloradans.
Tell your legislators to vote YES on HB25-1258!
This forward-thinking legislation would:
- Require evidence-based wildlife management decisions guided by the latest scientific research
- Support whole ecosystem health rather than focusing solely on single-species management
- Give commissioners more flexibility to choose the most effective wildlife management approaches
- Create a stronger legal framework for protecting Colorado's diverse wildlife
Current law mandates that the state use hunting, trapping, and fishing as the primary methods of wildlife management. HB25-1258 would modernize this approach by allowing commissioners to consider the full range of scientific evidence and management tools available. This change would help ensure that our wildlife policies reflect current ecological understanding and benefit entire ecosystems.
By implementing a "best available science" standard, this bill would:
- Enable more comprehensive ecosystem management approaches
- Support evidence-based decision-making
- Provide legal grounds to challenge policies that ignore scientific evidence
- Allow for consideration of new research on wildlife behavior and ecosystem dynamics
Please take action today:
- Sign up to testify in person or via Zoom and submit written testimony supporting HB25-1258 here. The hearing is on Thursday, March 6 and will start between 10am-12pm MT. Join us in person at the hearing in HCR 107 at the Colorado State Capitol (200 E Colfax Avenue, Denver) or sign up to testify remotely via Zoom.
- Call these state legislators on the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee and urge them to vote YES:
Rep. Karen McCormick: 303-866-2780
Rep. Meghan Lukens: 303-866-2923
Rep. Katie Stewart: 303-866-2914
- Email your legislators and urge them to support this bill. Find your legislators here.
- Share this alert with other Coloradans who care about wildlife!
This is a rare opportunity to fundamentally improve how Colorado manages its wildlife. Please take action today to support this important legislation!
For the Wild Ones,
Mark Surls
Colorado State Coordinator
Project Coyote
P.O. Box 5007
Larkspur, CA 94977
United States
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