Loma Prieta Chapter eNewsletter: November, Volume 2
November 24, 2025
For generations, people have turned to the Sierra Club because they believe in protecting nature and the natural places we love and ensuring a livable future. From the founding of our National Parks system to today’s fights for clean energy and climate justice, members join to be part of something bigger, a movement that blends conservation, community, and action.
The Loma Prieta Chapter is proud to be one of the first and most active chapters in the nation because of members like you. Your support of volunteers with dedication have fueled strong environmental victories, from protecting our local ecosystems to advocating for policies that safeguard the planet for future generations.
In this issue, we highlight the many ways your support is making a difference and how you can become involved today.
Support the Work That Protects Our Planet by Casting Your Vote Today! Votes must be received by December 15th.
YOU Can Make a Difference. Read How Here.
► Chapter elections are now open, vote by December 15th.
► Read Sierra Club Executive Director's letter on recent New York Times coverage.
► Read a report on a recent three-day study trip in the Diablo Range as potential contribution to 30x30.
► Learn how we can adapt to and prepare for sea level rise.
► Take a hike! See the comprehensive list of Chapter activities available through mid-December.
Local Chapter Executive Committee Voting is NOW OPEN Help Promote Our Environmental Mission
Each year, your Loma Prieta Chapter volunteers contribute tens of thousands of hours to successfully protect the natural places we love, from public education campaigns to advocating for many climate solutions. Their dedication keeps your local Chapter vibrant and effective.
Now it’s your turn to support Chapter volunteers and our local environment, by voting for candidates that you believe will best fulfill the Sierra Club's mission.
You should have received your mail-in ballot before November 15th. Online voting is an option and is open now at sc.org/lp-elections.
Chapter Executive Committee votes must be received by December 15th. Please vote early, and don’t forget to sign your ballot so your vote counts!
Save your envelope! It has your membership number and group number too! You need these when you complete the ballot.
Together we can continue the vital work of protecting our planet and our future.
Letter From Executive Director Loren Blackford on Recent New York Times Coverage
"I know many of you are reeling right now, inundated with questions from friends and supporters who read the New York Times article. Some find the article to be a vindication, a wake-up call, or a learning opportunity. I strongly believe in the importance of learning from what has worked and what hasn’t and constantly evolving to meet the moment. Our ability to do so has made Sierra Club the vibrant, powerful organization it has been for over 130 years and we are not stopping now! We must learn, heal and adapt to move past some difficult years, face some of the greatest challenges we’ve known, and together build a future worth being part of." Read the full letter.
Diablo Range Exploratory Trip Report
With the state goal to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 (30x30) and increased interest in conservation in the Diablo Range, members of the Sierra Club California/Nevada Wilderness Team took a three-day study trip through part of this vast mountain area which has tremendous potential to contribute to the 30x30 goal. The purpose was to better understand the value of the landscapes in the central Diablo Range, and the potential for greater conservation. Currently, only 28 percent of this landscape has any protection. Read the full report.
How Do We Adapt to and Prepare for Sea Level Rise?
In our most recent article we focused on the hidden threats from sea level rise. Now, we’re going to focus on how we need to adapt to and prepare for sea level rise.
While there are no true solutions, there are ways for us to adapt in preparation for and with sea level rise in order to minimize the risks and impacts to the Bay itself and our communities, especially our most vulnerable communities. The two types of adaptations that the Bay Alive Campaign supports and recommends are natural and nature-based solutions.
However, what does this mean? What are natural and nature-based solutions? Natural and nature-based solutions (NNBS) utilize nature itself to protect against shoreline erosion, buffer against storm surge, and absorb unwanted inundation. NNBS provide flood resilience for our communities while also creating conditions for our natural ecosystems to adapt and survive. In the long run they can be cheaper than man-made structures such as sea walls, because they can naturally adapt to changing conditions, and they often offer more benefits to communities. Read the full article.
Sea Level Rise Webinar Series
Learn how nature can help fight sea level rise with cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Watch recordings of our webinar series with SF Bay experts and please share with your local elected officials.
What Does Your Chapter Executive Committee Do? See Short Vidoes then Please Vote to Show Your Appreciation!
COMMENT LETTERS
Sailing Lake Habitat Island Restoration Alternative 2
"The Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, Green Spaces Mountain View, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, and Green Foothills strongly support staff’s recommendation to approve Habitat Island Restoration Alternative 2 (Repair Eroded Slopes and Expand Island Size) and Barrier Improvement Alternative C (Drilled Wooden Piles) for the Sailing Lake Habitat Island project. The island supports critical nesting and roosting habitat for sensitive and declining species, including Black Skimmers, Forster’s Terns, American Avocets, and Black-necked Stilts, making its protection a high priority for our members. We appreciate that Alternative 2 clearly advances ecological goals by restoring and expanding the island footprint, improving slopes to enhance fledgling survival, incorporating native and structurally diverse habitat features, and reducing ongoing erosion. These actions will strengthen shoreline biodiversity and long-term habitat resilience."
"In reviewing the letter sent by Stanford University to the City, the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter has some responses that are relevant to consider as Council deliberates on topics raised by this ordinance. 1. Safety concerns regarding motion sensor outdoor lighting are already addressed by the ordinance [...] 2. The lighting levels established by the ordinance offer sufficient lighting for public safety, and avoid the hazards of glare caused by overly bright and ‘cool’ lighting. [...] 3. The ordinance as written establishes clear precedence for state and federal laws."
"The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter supports the adoption of the 2025 CALGreen reach code to encourage that all air conditioning (AC) replacements in single-family homes include both cooling and heating modes. These two-way ACs, commonly known as heat pumps, reduce climate pollution, improve indoor air quality, and lower energy costs. Our communities are already directly experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis, and the time for bold action is now."
City of Mountain View Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan
"We appreciate that the Plan is not entirely anthropocentric. It is refreshing to see a Vision that recognizes the city as a shared environment for both people and native species, rather than focusing solely on human benefits. This positions Mountain View as a leader among cities acknowledging that human wellbeing and ecological health are interdependent. The Plan’s strong scientific foundation offers a meaningful roadmap that, when implemented, will strengthen the interconnected health of people, nature, and the broader environment. With this strong foundation, we believe that there are some additions that would further strengthen the Plan, so we offer the following comments and recommendations."
The Mercury News: Water District Picks Five Projects Totaling $3.9 Billion to Boost Water Supplies by 2050
"“The Delta tunnel is a huge mega-project like high speed rail,” said Katja Irvin, with the Sierra Club’s Loma Prieta chapter. “It’s going to continue to have problems. The cost is going to continue to go up. It’s unclear if water agencies are ever going to want to pony up to pay for it.”
A massive threat looms over one of our most cherished natural treasures. San Bruno Mountain is not just any mountain, it is a sanctuary for endangered butterflies, a haven for rare plants, and a refuge of unparalleled ecological significance. The proposed project threatens to unravel the delicate balance of this natural treasure, and we urge you to take action to protect it.
The City of Brisbane is considering a plan to build a massive 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse, 100 feet tall, right in the heart of San Bruno Mountain, at the historic Guadalupe Quarry.
This industrial facility would bring hundreds of workers (1,500!) and an incredible amount of traffic through our city and into the heart of sensitive habitat. Sign the petition today.
In the Community
BioBlitz (December 6th) and Cleanups (December 14th and 20th) from our friends at Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful.
One of the best ways to safeguard a thriving and just future is by ensuring that your Loma Prieta Chapter remains a champion for the environment of Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Benito Counties. Naming us as a beneficiary in your bequest will provide meaningful and enduring resources that will allow continued local and powerful environmental activism.
Please contact our Chapter Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman for the specific language for your estate planning and/or read more here. For additional information about planning a bequest please contact Julia Curtis, (800) 932-4270.
Photographers, see the great images in our Chapter Annual Summaries and help protect local nature with your images! Share with us your high-resolution photos of local nature, with or without people, to inspire local residents to support Loma Prieta Chapter work. Please contact Chapter Development Coordinator Justyna Guterman.
“Look underfoot. You are always nearer to the true sources of your power than you think. The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are. Don't despise your own place and hour. Every place is the center of the world.” John Burroughs
2025.10.25 Chapter Director joined Day Hiking Section in Joseph Grant County Park: 15 miles, 3000 ft gain.
