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Act Now to Help Save Local Park Land! Why is this important?
Arena Green is a narrow strip of park space that strides the confluence of the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek which is already heavily impacted by downtown urbanization. These streams are critical riparian corridors and habitat for endangered steelhead anadromous fish, migratory birds, and other wildlife trying to negotiate within and through an urban center.
Read about the Current Threat
San Jose Op-Ed by Loma Prieta Chapter Chair of Open Space Committee
Latest News
At the San Jose Light Tower Corporation's only public meeting, February 21, The Corporation's own environmental consultant said that Arena Green is the most environmentally sensitive area that they considered, AND their "environmental impact report" only considered the effect of the environment on the project, not the effect of the project on the environment!
Note from the Chapter Director
The SJLTC's leaders expect the project to cost more than one hundred million dollars. If they truly want to create a landmark that will endure and benefit the City, then they should take the advice I gave at the Feb 21 meeting; instead of taking park land from the citizens they should spend that money to create desperately needed park land, and buy land in Coyote Valley to help protect our water supply and reduce risk of flooding!
What Can You Do?
San Jose City Council is planning to vote on March 12th, so please write now!
Write to the City Clerk at cityclerk@sanjoseca.gov (letters will be forwarded to Councilmembers).
Use the subject line: Mar 12 Council Meeting - San Jose Light Tower Project.
You may use the follow text or your own:
“Dear Mayor and City Council,
I strongly oppose taking Arena Green's park land, an environmentally sensitive area, for the San Jose Light Tower project. I heard about this from Sierra Club.
Respectfully,
(your name and city)” |
March for Fossil Freedom
Wells Fargo Bank has a dirty-energy secret: it’s a leading lender to the fossil-fuel industry. Join 350 Silicon Valley, the Loma Prieta Chapter and Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club in a campaign to expose “Oily Wells.” The March for Fossil Fuel Freedom is a 3-day, 32-mile walk from Palo Alto to the bank’s San Francisco headquarters on March 16-18.
Learn more and register now at http://oilywells.com/
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A Message from San Jose, City Councilmember Sergio Jimenez
Earlier this year environmental stewards [including Sierra Club - Loma Prieta Chapter] and I brought forward a plan to protect our most cherished city lands from development. Coyote Valley [photo above] -- the treasure of both District 2 and San Jose that cleans our air, filters our water, and provides a crucial path for our animals -- has been the subject of much debate. I know as well as you do that once land is paved over, whether by a data center or a warehouse that adds to our carbon output and creates few low paying jobs, we lose the land forever. This truth is what drives me and many others to stand for the protection of our pristine lands. Now is the time to act!
I continue to urge my colleagues to move quickly and do right by the voters who supported Measure T last November. $50 million must be invested for the preservation of crucial land in Coyote Valley. Moving swiftly is necessary in order to leverage millions of dollars from organizations like Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), which has committed to being a partner with the City. Organizations like the Open Space Authority (OSA), which is based out of South San Jose, are committed partners who strive to conserve our natural lands for the benefit of future generations. |
“Coyote Valley Preservation”: Presentation & Discussion
By: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Open to the Public. Sponsored by the District 10 Leadership Coalition.
Date: Saturday, March 16, 2019. Time: 9:15 to 10:45 AM
Location: Almaden Community Center, third floor Conference Room, 6445 Camden Ave., San Jose, CA 95120
Obtain answers, formulate your viewpoint, influence the future of Coyote Valley. |
Saving Wildlands: The Case of Jumbo Valley
The mountain tops of Jumbo Valley sparkle and shimmer with pure and untouched snow. A blanket of clean white covers the entire wild valley. Wild grizzly bears, a population that has been extinct in California since 1922, call this valley home. Here in Jumbo Valley, they live peacefully, uninterrupted by the loud and obnoxious presence of humans. For now. Read more of the story.
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Photo above: thanks to the Loma Prieta Chapter's Black Mountain Hiking Section for hosting their Chapter Director on their March 2nd hike in Racho San Vicente and Calero Parks, Santa Clara County Parks.
Dear Friend,
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian invites you to attend his Town Hall about the Stanford University General Use Permit Application on Thursday, March 14th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in Palo Alto City Council Chambers (250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto).
The event is co-hosted by the Palo Alto Weekly and will provide an update on where we are in the review process, including a high-level overview of the staff-proposed conditions of approval. After brief welcoming and introductory comments, the staff of the Palo Alto Weekly will interview Supervisor Simitian and then turn to the audience for questions they have for the Supervisor. We hope this format will ensure we get to the information of most interest to the public.
If you can’t attend the meeting, it will be taped and available on Supervisor Simitian’s website: www.supervisorsimitian.org.
We hope to see you on Thursday 3/14.
Best Regards,
Kristina Loquist
Office of Supervisor Simitian |
Looking for 3-4 Volunteers to promote the Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter at the Sunnyvale Fit and Fun Fair. Please help us reach out and spread the word about all the good work our local Sierra Club Chapter does. The Sierra Club offers many opportunities to make a difference and we need to let people know how they can help. Please contact John Cordes, email john.cordes@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org to volunteer. With 4 volunteers we would each work a 2 hr shift (11-1 or 1-3). Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Columbia Neighborhood Center, 785 Morse Ave. |
Reach Codes For New Construction
In November 2018, Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) began collaborating on a new program to help new buildings and vehicles go zero carbon with electric power instead of fossil fuels. The “Building Electrification and Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure reach code program” would serve all 32 PCE and SVCE member cities to help them update local building codes for all new residential and commercial construction. To find out more or to join the CALT campaign for reach codes in your city contact Gladwyn d’Souza, godsouza@outlook.com, Co-Chair of Loma Prieta Conservation Committee.
One of the biggest threats facing the natural gas industry is inside the house
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This month the City of San José will switch electricity suppliers from PG&E to San José Clean Energy. This change is part of the City's goal to improve environmental sustainability with cleaner energy. San José Clean Energy is also known as Community Choice Energy program. San José Clean Energy is a non-profit that aims to provide clean energy options to customers. Right now, only about a third of PG&E's energy is from renewable sources and about 78 percent is carbon free.
For more information visit the website sanjosecleanenergy.org.
For specific questions call 833-432-2454 or email: customerservice@sanjosecleanenergy.org. |
National Sierra Club Elections are Underway – VOTE!
Voting Online is Quick and Easy!
A Democratic Sierra Club Demands Grassroots Participation. Your participation is critical for a Strong Sierra Club.
Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club election will receive in the mail (or by Internet if you chose the electronic delivery option) your national Sierra Club ballot in early March. This will include information on the candidates and where you can find additional information on the Club's web site.
The Sierra Club is a democratically structured organization at all levels. The Club requires the regular flow of views on policy and priorities from its grassroots membership in order to function well.
You can learn about the candidate here.
Please note your ballots must be received by no later than Election Day, April 24, 2019. |
The Sierra Club has layers, which helps make us powerful!
Sierra Club National, which promotes and organizes national campaigns,
Sierra Club California, which organizes CA legislative initiatives, and
Your local Loma Prieta Chapter, which does all the local conservation work, but receives less than 20% of the membership dues which you pay to Sierra Club National, so your local donations are critical to support our effective local work in conservation, public education, environmental politics, and outings.
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Photo above: thanks to the Loma Prieta Chapter's 20s - 30s outing section for hosting their Chapter Director on their Feb 24th hike in the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve.
Did you joined the Sierra Club to make a difference for our environment?
So what are you doing?
There are many ways to become a local environmental hero!
1. Support financial: Join/Renew Membership,
Shop thru Amazon, Legacy/Planned Giving, Employer Matching, One Time Gift for our Education Programs, Donate a vehicle, Gifts of Stock
2. Volunteer by joining one our local conservation teams, or political action teams, or environmental education teams, or outings teams.
3. Volunteer as an Environmental Writer/Reporter
Commitment is 5 - 10 hours per week.
The Loma Prieta Chapter has done and is doing an incredible amount of conservation work, but while our conservation activist are busy doing the work, we need reporters to write about it. If you are interested in this impactful opportunity to investigate and explain local conservation, write to chapter.director@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org.
4. Volunteer as a Social Media Coordinator
You don't need to be an expert. You'll be provided all content and only need to post on a regular basis. Commitment is 2-3 hrs per week.
See all our channels and opportunities listed below.
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| For more information, contact Chapter Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman at justyna.guterman@sierraclub.org or (650) 390-8411, or Chapter Director James Eggers at james.eggers@sierraclub.org or (650) 390-9604. |
Social Media Channels for the Loma Prieta Chapter
See the many Loma Prieta Chapter social media channels that can give you the first (and often exclusive) information about local conservation, political action, environmental education and outings opportunities.
Spotify: your Loma Prieta Chapter is the first in the Sierra Club to have a Spotify music channel, featuring modern music about environmental protection. Do you know of (1) songs produced since 2000 and (2) about environmental conservation? Send recommendations to chapter.director@lomaprieta.sierraclub.org. Meetups: Chapter (2438 members), Hiking (4804 members), Day Hiking (1401 members), Singleaires (1289 members), Guadalupe Regional Group (450 members), Peak Climbing (365 members), Gay & Lesbian Sierrans (202 members), Black Mountain Hiking section (184 members), YouTube videos about Loma Prieta Chapter events. Four videos just added:
Tomales Point 1 & 2, Henry Coe State Park, Almaden Quicksilver County Park
facebook: chapter's main page, 20s – 30s outing section page twitter instagram
Social Media volunteers needed. Contact James.Eggers@sierraclub.org |
Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Happy trails to you,
James Eggers, Director
Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter |
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