October 2026 Newsletter SSJ Sierra Club

Something powerful happens when people realize they are not powerless.That is the story of Spare-a-Bear, Bag-a-Tag.What began as a simple idea,   - enter Florida’s bear-hunt lottery, win a permit, and use it to spare rather than kill a...

Sabal Trail is a massive interstate natural-gas pipeline system owned by Enbridge, NextEra Energy and Duke Energy. Now, nearly a decade after the original fight over the pipeline, landowners across Alabama, Georgia and Florida are receiving notices...

On October 5, the City of Alachua Commission will consider Ordinance 26-17, imposing a temporary moratorium on data centers, large-scale data centers and large-load facilities.Sierra Club, along with many others, strongly support the pause. But...

 25% More Bear Permits. Still No Current Count.Florida’s black bears are already under pressure from drought, extreme heat, disappearing habitat and deadly roads. Yet Florida is expanding the 2026 bear hunt.FWC has announced 215 permits for...

Water Summit, Data Centers, Fun Outings and more

The City of Alachua is updating its Comprehensive Plan, and new language would allow data centers on Industrial land.That may sound technical, but the meaning is simple: the City is creating a legal pathway for data centers.The draft says future...

Marion County residents prepare to protect their natural resources.

Poe Springs has long been part of the rhythm of life in North Central Florida—a place where families swim, paddlers begin their journeys, and clear groundwater rises from the Floridan aquifer before joining the Santa Fe River.Now that rhythm has...

If you have ever wondered how a tree farm becomes a big-box shopping center and 203-home subdivision, the answer is apparently: one marathon meeting at a time.After roughly ten hours of testimony - continuing proceedings that began June 22 - the...