Thanks to you, our entire slate of nominated (endorsed) conservation candidates won. The margin of victory was substantial: almost 2 to 1.
For our Chapter Executive Committee, our nominated candidates’ vote totals are as follows: Sue Chow 1006, Shruti Chandrasekhar 976, Nicole Lee 935, and Robin Montoya 922.
The petition candidates’ vote totals are as follows: Lucas Ramirez 533, Natalie Geise 516, Mike Swire 464, and Michael Regula 455.
We are especially thankful that a significant majority of our members who voted stated resoundingly that they want our Chapter to maintain its focus on multiple conservation issues and climate actions rather than narrowing our work to a single issue.
However we must remain focused since next year’s challenge may be a repeat of this year’s.
We see this win as a huge victory for the big-tent environmentalism that the Loma Prieta Chapter has always represented, one that embraces a wide range of conservation and climate actions.
It also tells us that our members stood firmly behind our conservation leaders and rejected the aggressive campaign by outside interest groups seeking to oust our experienced and dedicated conservation leaders.
Thank you for having our backs. We could not have won without your support!
Please join us at upcoming member meetings; see our calendar.
If you wish to start or expand your environmental advocacy journey, email us with the subject line “Would Like to Explore Advocacy” to barbara.muir@sierraclub.org, or call (650) 390-1184 and leave your name and contact info (phone and email).
Thank you, Sue Chow, Chair of Executive Committee Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
Environmental Stewardship Program Grows with Insight and Inspiration
The Environmental Stewardship Program continues to thrive, with new members enthusiastically joining the now well-loved social dinner and meeting format. The relaxed setting fostered lively conversation, connection, and a shared sense of purpose, proof that learning together can be both meaningful and fun.
The focus of the evening was Soil and Regenerative Agriculture, a topic that resonated deeply with everyone in the room. Ankur Jain of SaveSoils.org offered a concise and compelling overview of why
it is very important to support legislation that funds regenerative agriculture. His remarks highlighted how smart public policy can accelerate practices that restore soil health while addressing climate change. Read more about the Environmental Stewardship Program.
Forest Protection Forum
“Forests on an Overheating Planet" Monday, February 2nd 4:00 pm (Rescheduled from January, no need to re-register if already registered.)
This talk will explore how forest extraction projects are being misrepresented as environmentally friendly, and much more.
Renowned author, educator, and environmentalist Bill McKibben helped found the global grassroots climate campaign 350.org, and more recently helped
found Third Act to build a progressive organizing movement for people over the age of 60. For over 40 years, Bill McKibben has been raising the alarm about the climate crisis, starting with his groundbreaking book The End of Nature. Now Bill says, for once in his life, he is spreading good news. In his latest book, Here Comes the Sun, he explains why the recent boom in solar and wind power has given him hope for the planet's future, and he implores everyone to buy in. Learn more and register for the Forest Protection Forum.
Save the Date!
Join Redwood City’s Public Meeting on the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project
The City has started planning the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project, a FEMA-funded levee upgrade.
Because the FEMA grant expires in 2026, this project to design the levee is moving very fast, before the City develops its long-term sea level rise plan.
That long-term plan must follow the standards and guidelines set by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission in their new Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP), which requires cities to prioritize nature-based solutions, wherever possible, like horizontal levees, wetlands, and habitat restoration.
The City says it intends to make this levee project RSAP-compliant, but because it’s happening first, decisions made now could constrain the City’s approach to long-term planning and forestall more resilient sea level rise strategies.
The City is planning a community event on January 29 to show options that they are considering. Please save the date and join us at the meeting on January 29 to learn about the City’s plans and offer valuable community feedback. Learn more and register for the community event today.
Join the Bay Alive Campaign
The Bay Alive Campaign is a three-chapter effort that promotes Bay wide collaboration addressing sea level rise (SLR) that threaten human and diverse ecosystems. We successfully influenced the development of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission's (BCDC) Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) guidelines to instruct localities to use nature based solutions whenever possible to address flooding, to address toxins, and to emphasize environmental justice when planning for SLR.
Help us succeed in having a healthy bay and protected communities. Help us:
Gather volunteer experts to assess and guide local plans
Educate the public with pre-scripted presentations
Strengthen the Guidelines and make sure they’re followed
If you ever wonder whether your voice can make a difference, San Francisco Bay’s history has a clear answer: absolutely yes! The Bay we all depend on exists today because generations of residents refused to accept the idea that our shoreline was disposable. That same persistence is exactly what is reshaping how the Region responds to sea level rise.
Today, San Francisco Bay is undergoing one of the most important planning shifts since the creation of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) in 1965. That transformation is happening because countless small acts of advocacy have built upon each other, year after year. Learn more about the power of advocacy for San Francisco Bay.
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.
Why is Housing in California so Expensive?
How did our regional housing supply get so out of balance and how does that impact our cities?
Biotech (high-tech, and AI) are quickly replacing more traditional industries which have historically supported lower-income jobs in the region’s cities.
Many of the new biotech, high-tech and AI employees earn higher incomes. This puts upward pressure on home prices and rents by increasing the supply vs. demand imbalance. This enables regional housing developers
and owners to increase the prices they charge to either buy or rent housing because housing demand exceeds housing supply. It also increases competitive bidding for housing which allows higher-income families to outbid lower-income families. Read the full article.
Loma Prieta Chapter Organizational Chart
The Sierra Club has several layers, each with their own jurisdictions (National, Chapter, Group), but your Loma Prieta Chapter recognizes that the true source of our power is our Chapter members. To accomplish our successful local work, we depend upon local members, local volunteers, local activists and local donors (who critically provide >80% of our funding)! Follow your passion to protect local nature and people by becoming a member, volunteer, activist and/or donor. See our website and/or contact Chapter.Director@LomaPrieta.SierraClub.org
"The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter is concerned with the proposed ballot initiative, discussed by the City Council in October and November of 2025, to un-designate the O’Keefe Open Space Preserve and rezone it for multifamily housing development. Furthermore, we are alarmed at the City’s intent to avoid the CEQA process in its October and November discussions. Los Altos Hills should provide affordable housing without sacrificing open spaces or avoiding CEQA. Los Altos Hills, rather than building on open space, should prioritize other parcels as it seeks to meet its housing goals."
Now Available: Immersive “I Love Nature” Activity Books
Grab your crayons and colored pencils because the Open Space Authority's "I Love Nature” activity book is now available! Immerse yourself in whimsical illustrations of wildlife and brain-teasing puzzles and activities that will help you, or a young person in your life, forge a deeper connection with nature. Download a free copy of the activity book in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Traditional Chinese. Thanks to our dear friends at the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.
Join the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club for our 2026 Basic Backpacking Course (April - May, 2026). The course is offered as a four-part online symposium followed by a day of outdoor instruction, demonstration, and hiking. You’ll learn the essentials of backcountry travel that make it safe and enjoyable for you, and sustainable for the places you visit. We will place special emphasis on the gear, skills, and planning required to be responsible stewards of our precious wilderness ecosystems. Learn more and register.
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 (January 25th and February 14th), and Cleanups (January 31st, February 8th and 21st) 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.
"I am an old man now and have come to the summit of my years. But in my heart is the joy of youth for I have learned that the essentials of life are near at hand and happiness is his who but opens his eyes to the beauty which lies before him." John Burroughs
2026.01.10, Your Chapter Director joined our Day Hiking Section, from Ed Levin Park: 15 miles, 3000 ft gain.
