Michigan Chapter Director Gail Philbin is retiring at the end of this year after a long tenure overseeing Sierra Club work to shut down coal plants, protect wolves, improve protection for the Great Lakes and fight for environmental justice. We’re preparing for an exciting new transition in leadership at the Chapter and we hope you will join us in celebrating Gail’s legacy and hard work.
Please donate today to ensure the Chapter will continue Gail's strong legacy.
VOTE! The 2022 general election is underway by absentee ballot or in person by 8 p.m. on November 8. Sierra Club’s endorsements in state, federal and some local elections can be found at this link. Contact tim.minotas@sierraclub.org with questions.
Join Michigan Voting Rights expert Melanie McElroy on October 18 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. Melanie will go over important deadlines for voter registration, absentee voting and troubleshooting basics. There will be time for questions and volunteer opportunity suggestions. Michigan’s voting laws have changed in recent years. Along with this long-awaited expansion of voters’ rights Michigan voters now have to keep a new list of important deadlines and procedures in mind when voting. Register today.
Settlement Speeds Up Clean Energy at Consumers: The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved a settlement struck by Sierra Club and partners with Consumers Energy that puts the utility on a faster path to clean generation. As part of the settlement, the J.H. Campbell plant will close in 2025, fifteen years earlier than planned. Read about the settlement here.
Consumers Energy Gets a "B", DTE Gets an "F": Sierra Club has released The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges Version 2, an update that examines the long-term plans of the 50 U.S. utility parent companies that remain most invested in coal and fossil gas generation. Since the original report, Consumers Energy climbed from a C to a high B, becoming the second best parent company analyzed for the report. But Michigan’s largest utility, DTE, slid from a D to an F. Read about the findings here.
Listen to Michigan Radio’s coverage of the report here.
Line 5 Update: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) received input from thousands of people urging a comprehensive review of cultural, environmental and economic impacts of the Line 5 tunnel proposed by Enbridge under the Straits of Mackinac. Sierra Club joined dozens of organizations in submitting detailed comments in the scoping process for the environmental impact statement (EIS) the Corps will be conducting in coming months. Find the comments here.
On Indigenous Peoples Day, Newsweek printed a commentary by Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, calling out the “war” on native rights by oil companies like Enbridge.
Natural Gas is Not a Bridge Fuel: The fossil fuel industry promotes natural gas as a bridge fuel in the transition to clean, renewable energy. Natural gas is indeed a bridge fuel - but it is a bridge to disaster. Find out more here.
The Michigan Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) is elected by Sierra Club members in Michigan. The ExCom sets the state Chapter’s priorities and policies, ensures financial stability and solvency and monitors and evaluates Sierra Club activities statewide. Seven Michigan Sierra Club members are running for the five at-large spots open this year. Their willingness to serve illustrates the strong commitment to grassroots activism that makes Sierra Club the most effective environmental group in the country.
Fill in and mail the ballot found in The Mackinac newsletter for fall 2022 sent to Sierra Club members in Michigan.
Voters must include their Sierra Club membership number or name and address in order for their votes to count. Details on voting are found on the webpage and in The Mackinac newsletter. All votes must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2022. Questions or concerns should be directed to ExComElectionCommittee@michigan.sierraclub.org.
Welcome Laura Zylstra! Laura has joined the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter as our new Development Director, taking over from Jan O’Connell who served in that role for 12 years. Get to know Laura here. Laura can be contacted at laura.zylstra@sierraclub.org or 207-380-0432.
In Memoriam: Kathy Guerreso
Kathy Guerreso, a longtime outings leader with the Huron Valley Group, passed away on July 22, leaving a void in the hearts of her many Sierra Club friends. “She believed in the message of the Sierra Club and was very passionate and thankful to be able to volunteer for so long and be involved with your community,” said Kathy’s daughter Claire Guerreso.
The Michigan Chapter expresses our deep condolences to Kathy’s family and friends. Read her obituary here.
2023 Sierra Club Wilderness and Engagement Calendars Are Here: The original nature calendar and bestseller for over 30 years with more than 10 million sold. Filled with breathtaking landscape photos of the grandeur of the North American wilderness and natural beauty, Sierra Club calendars will inspire you every day to explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Name Mix-Up on Some Mackinac newsletters: The Michigan Chapter is aware that some of our members received a copy of The Mackinac newsletter in the mail with the wrong name listed. A data sorting error, which occurred after the contact information was downloaded from the database, caused a misalignment on the name and address columns for a portion of our list. We assure you the names and addresses match in our database, as provided by members. The newsletters reached the correct households with the correct Member ID number, only the name was incorrect. We apologize for any confusion or concern this may have caused.
Autumn colors in the Lansing area (l) and tree hugging in Tahquamenon Falls State Park (r). Photos by Anne Woiwode.
Explore and Enjoy: Seeing the Trees for the Forest: Appreciating and identifying Michigan trees year-round is a wonderful way to explore and enjoy the wide range of habitats in the Great Lakes state. Find out useful sources to help identify trees from their bark, buds and shape even after their leaves have fallen by clicking here.
