Initially known as the Moreno Valley Group, members of The Box Springs Group reside and advocate both in the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley, as well as neighboring areas. Our group is one of many within the Sierra Club, San Gorgonio Chapter.
Our group is currently determined to:
- Protect the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.
- Assist in the preservation of local trails, open-spaces, hilltops, and natural skylines.
- Inform and advocate on behalf of residents and our environment on local land-use, transportation, and air-quality issues.
- Inform and oppose the adverse effects of irresponsible development.
- Challenge all local logistic and distribution warehouses, AI data centers, and negligent developments; especially those in communities with heavy environmental justice disparities.
For more information on our platform, please see our local issues page.
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. We amplify the power of our millions of members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club has grown and evolved dramatically during its more than 125 years of existence. During that time, many gifted and dedicated advocates have helped to shape the organization's direction, while the Sierra Club itself has played an important role in influencing conservation policy and environmental history.
Mission Statement
- To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth;
- To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources;
- To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
For more information about Sierra Club's History, please visit the organization's Library Website.
San Gorgonio Chapter
Initially known as the Riverside Chapter, our local chapter was established on October 10, 1932, with 52 members. The San Gorgonio Chapter operates and serves on behalf Sierra Club, residents, and the environment in both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. We are the third oldest chapter in the club, following the Bay and Angeles Chapters.
The San Gorgonio Chapter was instrumental in local environmental and conservation efforts including: the recognition of the Joshua Tree , San Gorgonio, and San Jacinto National Monuments; recognition of the Providence Mountains as a State Recreation Area; protected the Dinosaur National Monument and Grand Canyon from development; improved & limited development of the Palm Springs/San Jacinto Aerial Tramway; among countless other conservation and restoration efforts for nearly a hundred years.
In November 1949, Clark Jones applied for membership within the chapter. Clark had been a journalism major at USC and then librarian for the Los Angeles Times before moving to San Bernardino. His experience preceded him and was immediately appointed to a new publications committee and as editor of a proposed news-letter which Joe Momyer, Chapter Chair at the time, had been advocating for. The "Palm & Pine" newsletter was established at the February 1950 meeting. Palm & Pine continues to be the chapter's newsletter to this day.
A Basic Mountaineering Course was started in 1970, with Bill Zauche and Jerry Lawrence heading it up. The program continues to this day training new outdoor enthusiasts now known as the Wilderness Adventure Course.
The Tahquitz Group in Palm Springs Area, was the first group to be formed within the chapter in 1970. Then came the Mojave Group in 1972 with members from the High Desert communities. With the assistance of Bill Havert, the Tahquitz and Mojave Groups were revitalized and the Moreno Valley and Mountain Groups were established.
Box Springs Group
Originally The Moreno Valley Group (which included the Soboba/Hemet areas) began as a coordinating committee in October 1984, at the Sunnymead School Library. Some of the first people involved with this group were George Hague, Bill Stahlberg, CIara Gorenfeld and Steve Hammond.
Around this time, there were plans to build a toxic incinerator in the hills to the east of Moreno Valley, near Highway 60 and Gilman Springs. The committee organized a meeting to inform citizens of this plan. Thirty people attended. The toxic incinerator was never built. In 1986 George Hague led a successful campaign to recall three city councilmembers who had rubber-stamped every development in Moreno Valley. The early group was also successful in getting Moreno Valley Ranch developers to donate over 200 acres of Stephens Kangaroo Rat Habitat to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.
The coordinating committee officially became the Moreno Valley Group in July 9, 1990. The first officers were: Theresa Carson, Chair; George Hague, Vice-Chair; Sala Ponnech, Secretary; and Tony Jabbour, Treasurer. We had 153 members then.
Today, The Box Springs Group remains an integral part of the San Gorgonio Chapter and of the Sierra Club. We now have more than 700 members advocating and organizing with us in the larger Riverside and Moreno Valley areas. We remain dedicated to the legacy and mission that began over 40 years ago as a committee: to defend, educate, improve, and restore all natural environments locally.
The Inland Empire is unceded land taken from its original stewards and peoples: the Tongva (Kizh/Gabrieleño), Taaqtam (Maarrênga'yam/Yuhaaviatam/