It's been a busy January for the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter, and we don't expect things to slow down any time soon. In this newsletter, we have plenty of opportunities for you to take action, join us on the trail, or learn more about the work that we're doing.
To that end, we're hosting a gathering at The Lost Druid Brewery & Distillery on February 22 from 2-5 PM. This event will be a fantastic chance to meet your fellow Sierrans, get plugged into our work, and hear from Chapter staffers and volunteers leaders.
We hope you'll join us!
We'd love to see you at one of our upcoming events. Our calendar is full of educational meetings, outings and hikes, and opportunities for fellowship. Check our online calendar at any time to see what's coming up!
Clean Energy
Together with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Southern Environmental Law Center, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, and the Southface Institute, we have asked the PSC to reconsider its decision. Georgia Power has filed a reply to our request, and we now await to see what the PSC, which has two new members, will do.
You may be interested in a public pension funds report by Sierra Club , which shows the progress (or lack thereof) in the investment strategies of 29 city and state pensions and one permanent fund. The report shows that investing in real-economy decarbonization is feasible, financially responsible, and fully consistent with fiduciary duty. Georgia was not one of the studied states, but the report and article clearly show a lack of progress on divestment away from fossil fuel companies by many public pensions. Key takeaways are identified to better manage climate risk and strengthen long-term retirement security; these takeaways are likely applicable to Georgia.
A heartfelt welcome to our two new PSC Commissioners, Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson, who began their term of office earlier this January. They are both aligned with our goals of a livable, sustainable planet. Commissioner Hubbard will be up for re-election this November, as he is filling a seat that became vacant. The other open District in the November election is District 5, currently held by Commissioner Tricia Pridemore.
It’s time to step up for maintaining the livability of our world! Later is too late, join us! Donate your time to working on clean energy issues with us. Contact Scott Presson at spress51@gmail.com to volunteer or to learn more about our Chapter’s clean energy work!
Legislative
Help pass SB 34 and prevent skyrocketing power bills!
SB 34 will ensure that these electricity costs caused by data centers are paid by the data centers themselves — not by other Georgia Power bill payers and constituents like you! Take action and tell your senator to put communities over computers, and vote yes on SB 34!
Transportation
Despite this approval from the public and official MARTA board, anti-transit groups have been lobbying Mayor Dickens heavily against the extension, which would include over a mile on the Eastside Atlanta Beltline to Ponce City Market. Last year, the Mayor changed his position and pulled support from the project and directed MARTA to no longer work on the expansion.
This act behind closed doors to stop work on this project betrays public trust and outright denies the public process for prioritization of projects that took place, in favor of back-room decisions at the request of anti-transit groups.
In response, our partners at Beltline Rail Now are organizing a push to get people to the next MARTA Board Meeting on February 12th to comment and protest against the lack of progress. You can sign up to participate here.
Wildlands & Wildlife
Cumberland Island National Seashore is one of Georgia's crown jewels. It offers visitors uniquely primitive recreational experiences and harbors the largest Wilderness Area of any barrier island on the East Coast.
The Park Service just proposed a new Visitor Use Management Plan that would substantially increase the visitation, development, and commercialization of the National Seashore. These changes would degrade the visitor experience and threaten the island's ecological integrity and wildlife. NPS is collecting public comments on the plan until February 21 at 11:59 PM MT.
Use this link to take action on this issue. It will guide you through the process of providing a public comment and give you more information about what is being proposed.
Centennial Group
The Centennial Group, representing the Northwest Atlanta suburbs, meets the first Thursday of each month. Meetings can be attended in person at Life University in Marietta or virtually via Zoom.
Join the Centennial Group next week to get an update on the action happening under the Gold Dome! On February 5, we’ll be hosting Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Legislative Chair Mark Woodall and Neill Herring, the Georgia Chapter’s contract lobbyist. We will discuss current status of environmental bills in this year's 40-day Georgia legislative session. Register on this page for more information and to receive the Zoom link.
Our recent outings have included a hike through Sweetwater Creek Park (see photo above) and attending the Sandhill Crane Migration Festival in Tennessee.
Next month, we have outings planned at Altoona Pass Battlefield (register here) as well as a hike at Currahee Mountain/Taccoa Falls.
We look forward to a year of continued support of local environmental issues, fun outings, and interesting programs.
To receive the Centennial Group newsletter, email Lee Graham.
Greater Gwinnett Group
The Greater Gwinnett Group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30 for social times and 7:00 for the meeting. Our new meeting location is the Wynne Russell House, located at 4684 Wynne Russell Dr NW, Lilburn. We conduct hybrid meetings with both in-person and virtual attendance options.
Some of our recent meetings have included a preview of the 2026 legislative session from Chapter Legislative Chair Mark Woodall and Chapter Lobbyist Neill Herring as well as a meeting featuring Chapter Director Adrien Webber presenting the Georgia Chapter’s Annual Report.
Greater Gwinnett Group plans to meet February 5 for another legislative update. We will meet in-person at Wynne Russell House or members can join us virtually at 7 pm via Zoom. RSVP here get the Zoom link.
Gwinnett members continue to attend meetings of environmental interest groups or organizations, such as the Gwinnett County Sustainability Commission, and participate in projects. Michael Hallen and others continue to conduct monthly stream monitoring at the Martin’s Farm landing on Martin Farm Road on the Suwanee Greenway (3rd Sunday of every month). We look forward to more progress in 2026!
Metro Atlanta Group
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, our group gathered at Glen Emerald Park for a morning of service with an aim to honor Dr. King's legacy through reflection on how to work toward justice and by taking care of the places we share (see photo above). Thanks to DeKalb County naturalist Tasha Messer and Cheryl Rosenblum of the DeKalb History Center for coordinating with us on this project!
Glen Emerald Park is one of DeKalb County's hidden gems: 27 acres of woodland, lake, park and a very unusual rock garden with moss-covered boulders, stone bridges, and millstone table tops, and, thanks to our group, a bit less English ivy and nandina berries (for now!). Our maintenance will hopefully open up the understory for a greater diversity of wildlife. We recommend a visit if you haven't been lately!
Our next outing will be to the top of Arabia Mountain on Saturday, Feb. 28, a favorite hike of ours for so many reasons. Follow the well-marked cairn trail with us to great views! We will look for diamorpha (maybe even quill wort and pool sprite!), find the loblolly pines, and listen for upland chorus frogs. Learn more and register for this outing at this link!
Thanks to all who have already signed up for our boat trip in the Okefenokee Swamp on March 28!
Data centers update:
We have multiple opportunities to push back against the data center takeover in metro Atlanta. Reach out to our group or Chapter Organizer Hannah Baker if you'd like to get more involved!
City of Atlanta: Council Member Antonio Lewis has proposed ordinance 26-O-1097, which would permit the construction of a data center near public transit and the Beltline near Adair Park. This proposal may be considered at a Zoning Review Board (ZRB) hearing soon. Members of the public may contact Atlanta City councilmembers on this issue and voice concerns at the ZRB hearing. ZRB meeting agendas can be found here.
Middle Chattahoochee Group
Our February Outing, scheduled for February 28, will be an East Alabama Birds and Art Viewing. Participants will start by looking at Audubon paintings at the Jule Collins Smith Museum in Auburn, then we'll visit the Opelika Wood Duck Preserve to try to see some of the birds in those paintings in the wild. Join us! Register at this link.
We are still attempting to staff numerous volunteer positions for our Group including: a webmaster, a newsletter editor, several bluebird box monitors, another outing leader, and numerous folks to attend local municipal meetings to keep informed about and influence data center initiatives. The Group has also built numerous blue bird boxes and are soliciting donations for a box to promote/finance this effort. Please contact us should you have any interest in any of these opportunities.
February's general meeting is a legislative update planned for 7 PM on February 17th at the LaGrange Memorial Library. The public is encouraged to attend.
To get involved with the Middle Chattahoochee Group, contact them at midchattsierraclub@gmail.com.
Savannah River Group
The Savannah River Group (SRG) has been busy this month educating the public on data centers. More than 50 people attended our town hall meeting held by SRG in conjunction with the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter and other groups to learn about the data centers coming to Columbia, Richmond, and McDuffie Counties (see photo above).
The proposed White Oak Data Center in Columbia County would be among the largest in the country. The Columbia County Commission is expected to vote on a request to rezone the property for this project on February 3rd at 6 PM at the Evans Government Center Auditorium, Bldg A (630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans). The only way to stop these centers is to attend and voice your objections. Be Active!
We recently hosted representatives from the CSR Land Trust at our January monthly meeting. Executive Director Russ Lumpkin told us how they work with landowners to develop conservation easements. These easements allows landowners to continue to work their land but does not allow their heirs to divide it up and develop it when the landowner is gone. We had a follow up outing at Sugarberry Hill and the 344 acres it sits on.
Other outings this month include a New Year's Day bike ride and a dog walk on the Augusta Canal. We hope you will join us at our monthly meetings and outings in the new year!
Thank you to everyone who made a donation to the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter in 2025! Your support truly makes all the difference to protect wildlife and wild places, ensure clean air and water for all, and fight the impacts of climate change here in Georgia.
There’s so much at stake this year, but if we come together to power our movement, we will win. Please consider making a 2026 donation today!