With such a busy April behind us, it’s natural to ask: what’s next? The rest of the year will be filled with opportunities to take action — from stopping new fossil fuel infrastructure and protecting affordable energy bills to engaging in critical elections and building people power across Wisconsin.
As we head into summer and fall, there will be no shortage of ways to get involved. Here’s what we have in store:
Protecting the Roadless Rule
Our undeveloped national forests are the heart of our public land. But now one of the most important -- and most underappreciated -- conservation policies is on the verge of being cut by the Trump Administration. If the Roadless Area Conservation Rule is repealed, 69,000 acres of pristine national forest across in Wisconsin would be opened up for the first time in over 20 years to road building and the logging, mining, and extractive industries that come with it. These forests make up .02% of Wisconsin’s lands. They are precious and important for wildlife and ecosystems and need to be protected.
25 years ago, the US Forest Service held more than 600 public meetings in the process to create the Roadless Rule, one of the most important conservation measures in history. The Forest Service’s process to repeal may not include a single public meeting – so our community is hosting our own.
Join us on June 4 in Rhinelander to speak up for our National Forests.
Thu, Jun 4, 2026; 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Nicolet College, Northwoods Conference Space, 5350 College Dr, Rhinelander, WI 54501
Event Hosts include Sierra Club - Wisconsin, Wisconsin's Green Fire, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Environmental Law and Policy Center, League of Women Voters of the Northwoods
Special guest: Mike Dombeck, who led the rulemaking process for the roadless rule as chief of the U.S. Forest Service.
Bonus event! Can't get enough of the Northwoods? Prior to this town hall, Sierra Club - Wisconsin will be hosting a hike and providing boxed dinners. Registration is required for the hike.
RSVP here
Raising the Issues You Care about this Election Season
With the wrap-up of the legislative session, legislators and those running for office are interested in learning what matters to Wisconsinites and what they should prioritize in future legislative sessions. Now is the time to attend events and ask them about the issues you care about. This could mean attending a debate, going to a ‘meet-and-greet,’ calling into a radio program, responding to a post on Facebook, talking to an elected official that you run into at the county fair or grocery store, or writing a letter-to-the-editor.
This is important because we need to show the people who will be making decisions that we care about these issues. Candidates and (once-elected) legislators hear from people all the time about a lot of different issues. Consistently showing up and asking about the issues we care about will tell them that this is an important issue for their district. These questions and statements also help educate the audience and the media that attend the forums about the issue. If the media hears the question frequently, they are also more likely to report on it because they will know it matters to their audience.
Attend a town hall meeting, a candidate forum, write to your legislators, submit a letter-to-the-editor, or otherwise make it clear what you would like to see them do. Below, we have included sample statements/questions related to our priorities that you can use as you attend these events or raise questions.
We have a new team assembled to attend forums and town halls and raise the issues that matter most: the climate crisis, skyrocketing energy bills, endangered and disappearing wildlife, and more. Check out our new Birddogging Guide here.
Wanna join the new team? Contact Cassie Steiner at cassandra.steiner@sierraclub.org.
Dark Skies, Bright Future
Our dedicated volunteer Teams are fighting to stop the worst impacts of climate change, safeguard Wisconsin’s lands and wildlife, and ensure that when you turn on the tap, your water is safe to drink. Whether it’s morning, afternoon or evening in Wisconsin, you can bet that plans are being made, actions being taken and strategy is being implemented throughout our state.
This is your chance to support them and the important work they are doing for our environment and our communities. From the full Strawberry moon of June to the new moon of August (June 29-August 13), each Team will be raising funds and offering fun ways to celebrate grassroots activism and Wisconsin’s special places.
Every day they stand up for our environment. This is your chance to stand with them. Donate to help one (or more) of the Teams meet their goal by clicking the team links below. Or support the overall goal by using the donate form on this page. Either way, your gift will help brighten Wisconsin’s future for many moon phases to come.
Mark your calendar and join us online, July 29 to celebrate Wisconsin’s special places-and how they come alive at night. It’s a new take on some of the places our volunteers love to visit to relax and rejuvenate. Places that they work to protect. You might just learn about a new hidden gem to add to your explorations list or be inspired to join one of our in-person outings, all while furthering the work of the Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter.
Shutting Down Line 5
This Spring, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and environmental groups, including Sierra Club and our partners at the Midwest Environmental Advocates, Clean Wisconsin, 350 Wisconsin, and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, asked a Wisconsin circuit court to consider whether state permits for the Line 5 reroute were appropriately granted. In doing so, we also asked the judge to pause construction while he considers the case. Our petition clearly shows significant risks to wetlands, water quality, and treaty-protected resources, and that the permitting process did not meet state environmental laws. Enbridge is urgently asking the court to allow construction to proceed.
Earlier this month, a Wisconsin circuit court ordered Enbridge Energy to halt pipeline construction at certain locations while it reviews a lawsuit challenging state regulatory approvals for the Canadian energy giant’s controversial plan to build a new 41-mile segment of its Line 5 oil pipeline around the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Judge
John P. Anderson allowed most construction activities to continue but also ordered a stay of construction at specific water crossings, providing time for him to complete his review. The partial grant of a stay is based on the court’s finding that Enbridge’s eligibility for permits at those locations “may be on tenuous legal footing.”
Enbridge is still awaiting some permits, and the Judge will rule later this summer about whether the Department of Natural Resources should not have granted Enbridge permits to move forward.
Across the lake in Michigan, the future of Line 5 continues to be in question, following legal action by Governor Whitmer and Attorney General Nessel to protect the Great Lakes from the Line 5 pipeline. The State of Michigan is now taking public comments on a key permit for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 oil tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac, a proposal created to skirt Governor Whitmer’s call to shut down the pipeline in the Straits.
Learn more and submit a comment here.
Pushing Back on the Gas Rush In the Midst of Skyrocketing Electricity Bills
To fuel all the proposed data centers across Wisconsin, our utilities are doubling down on fossil fuels and proposing large gas plants. Power- and water-hungry data centers will use enormous and unprecedented amounts of energy. Instead of saying no to these proposed data centers, or fueling them with clean energy, our utilities are recruiting Big Tech to Wisconsin and asking permission to build new gas plants to pay for them. This summer we’ll be pushing back against new gas plants and advocating for transparency, strong regulations and clean energy.
Some of the proposals include:
- Foundry Ridge Gas Plant in Darien- this 300mw gas plant proposed in the same part of the state where We Energies is already building two new gas plants.
- Red Oak Ridge Gas Plant in Kenosha- This massive 1,100mw (that’s a big plant!). This proposed gas plant has already faced a lot of scrutiny because of the big public health concerns. A report by the Climate Solutions for Health Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that the plant would lead to higher particulate matter and premature deaths. Despite these concerns, the Trump Administration is fast-tracking the approval. We have filed a lawsuit to stop this fast-tracking.
- Calumet Gas Plant- Little is known about the plant, but Invenergy has begun making plans to build another 1,200mw gas plant in Calumet County.
Public hearings have been scheduled for the Foundry Ridge and Red Oak Ridge Gas Plants on July 16 and July 23, respectively. Stay tuned for more information about how you can get involved!
These proposals are in addition to the South Oak Creek and Paris Gas plants that are under construction in the southeastern part of the state. That’s almost 4GW--that’s enough electricity to power about 3 million average homes. To put that in context, Wisconsin only has 2.84 million homes. In addition to these new plants, 4 coal plants in Wisconsin (two that were scheduled to be shut down) are converting to gas. Learn more about the proposed gas here.
The cost of all this new gas is especially concerning, given that energy bills in Wisconsin are already skyrocketing. Earlier this year, We Energies announced that it is seeking permission to once again raise electricity rates for its customers. This is the 6th rate increase in 6 years. We Energies’ rates for residential customers have more than doubled in the last 20 years .
All of this gas is especially concerning for our climate. This new fossil fuel infrastructure will lock Wisconsin into these carbon impacts for decades to come. When released into the atmosphere, methane acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping UV rays from the sun and heating the air, and is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the U.S. behind carbon dioxide (CO2). Although methane has a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere than CO2(approximately 12 years compared to CO2’s potential of thousands of years), it is a much more potent greenhouse gas.
Week without Driving
This fall, we will again participate in the national Week Without Driving. Last year, local events happened across the state, including several in La Crosse. One of the statewide events was a webinar about why Wisconsin needs Regional Transit Authorities. We partnered with staff from the La Crosse MPO to discuss their RTA feasibility study, for which they received IIJA funding. We’re making plans this year to continue to elevate the need for more transit, biking, and walking infrastructure and support Regional Transit Authorities.
Making a Difference in the Elections
We have a huge opportunity to elect people to office who will protect our lands, water, and wildlife and will take bold action to stop the worst impacts of climate change. There are a lot of opportunities this season, but there is so much at stake as well. We’re hitting the streets, knocking on doors, calling voters, and doing more to ensure that our future leaders will be in the fight with us.
…and so much more!
If you’re interested in getting involved with any of these, contact Volunteer Coordinator Heather Wittrock at heather.wittrock@sierraclub.org