jul 2003-2 san diego sierra

hard to maximize preservation and conservation in the development of Otay Mesa. Meanwhile, the North County Group has spearheaded efforts to strengthen the county’s Multiple Habitat Conservation Programs.

Our Chapter was one of five Chapters nation-wide, selected at random, for a complete financial audit by the National Sierra Club. We sailed through the process with flying colors and no major problems where found. While this list of accomplishments may not have been long, I believe it does demonstrate the many efforts of our volunteer members to fight for the future.THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

page 2 • San Diego Chapter • July/August 2003 • Hi Sierran

ADDRESS CORRECTION?Send your current

mailing label and your correct address to:

Sierra Club PO Box 52968

Boulder, Colorado 80322-2968

Or e-mail your mem-bership number and

your correct address to:address.changes@

sfsierra.sierraclub.orgPlease allow 4 - 6

weeks for processing.

HI SIERRAN, JULY/AUGUST 2003USPS–896140

The Hi Sierran (USPS 896140) is pub-lished bi-monthly by the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club, 3820 Ray St., San Diego, CA 92104–3623, for members in San Diego and Imperial counties. One dollar of the annual member-ship fee is for a subscription to the Hi Sierran. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Diego, CA.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hi Sierran, Sierra Club Members Services, PO Box 52968, Boulder CO 80322–2968.

HI SIERRAN STAFFEDITOR & Art Director

Sergio Salvador, 619-993-8465 HiSierranEditor@...

COM. CHAIR/OUTINGS EDITOR Pauline Jimenez, 619-660-9898

HiSierranOutingsEditor@...

CONSERVATION EDITOR Ellen Shively, 619-479-3412

HiSierranConservationEditor@...

ACTIVITIES EDITOR Shelley Warnick, 858-695-3552

[email protected]

Sergio Salvador, 619-993-8465 HiSierranAdvertising@...

The suffix for all above e-mails is: @sierraclubsandiego.org

With half of the year already behind us, I thought that this might be a good opportunity to men-

tion some of the Chapters achievements so far. Our committees continue to monitor, comment, and speak out for the environ-ment.

The Club delivered over 8,000 post-cards to County Supervisors, urging them to stop urban sprawl in its tracks. The County Board of Supervisors will soon be approving a proposed General Plan Update 2020. This plan will be the recipe for growth in the rural, unincorporated areas of the county for the next 20-30 years, and the Sierra Club sees the current proposal as a recipe for acceler-ated suburban sprawl.

We were successful in getting the state Coastal Commission to deny SeaWorld’s request to expand its parking lot in Mission Bay. The Club expressed its environmental concerns about the lands in the proposed expansion. The area was once a toxic dump and serious environmental and health issues exist. Until these issues can be resolved and all danger is past, the Club will continue to oppose expansion in Mission Bay.

In the South Bay, the Club is working

VIEW FROM THE CHAIRby Richard Miller, Chapter Chair

HS

* BEQUESTS: Make a gift to support the envi-ronmental work of future generations in your will or living trust. Sample bequest language is available. * RETIREMENT PLAN ASSETS: Use your tax deferred retirement plan assets to benefit the environment. * LIFE INCOME GIFTS: Transfer assets to The Sierra Club Foundation and you and your

THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO MAKE A LASTING CONTRIBU-TION TOWARD A BETTER WORLD AND ENSURE THE ENVIRONMENT IS PROTECTED FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE VARIOUS WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A FINANCIAL COMMIT-MENT TO THE SAN DIEGO CHAPTER FROM YOUR WILL, LIVING TRUST, OR OTHER ESTATE PLANS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT.

Will it to Happen!

chosen beneficiary receive income for a term of years or for life. After the conclusion of the term, the remainder of the life income gift is distributed to The Foundation. * RACHEL CARSON SOCIETY: We honor and recognize individuals who make a commit-ment to the environment by including the Sierra Club or The Sierra Club Foundation in their estate plans.

We welcome the opportunity to show you the potential benefits of making a gift to support our work. Personal discussions, visits, or written presentations incur no obligation on your part, and of course, all information discussed is confidential. For a confidential discussion of these options to support the Sierra Club legacy in San Diego, call Martha Coffman at 619-299-1741.

PLANNED GIVING OPTIONS

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO FAR THIS YEAR!

Check it out!Want to maximize your experience

as a Sierra Club member? Take a look at Sierra Club 101 (address below).

Learn how to volunteer or become a leader, find chapter contacts through-

out the country, read the mission statement, find out how to implement successful public outreach campaigns,

and so much more!

www.sierraclub.org/101/

May 13, 2003To: All membersSince the tragic events of September 11, 2001, this country has focused much of its attention on the enhancement of our national security. Our nation’s 103 nuclear power plants and the 43,000 tons of highly irradiated nuclear fuel, however, continue to remain lightly defended. The administration has repeatedly stated that nuclear plants and storage facilities are obvious tar-gets for terrorist attacks, yet the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has rebuffed attempts by citizen groups and state govern-ments to develop defense measures.

The Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club asks you to joining the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace in a campaign to form a nationwide alliance for developing defenses at nuclear power plants. The Mothers for Peace are taking a leading role in this alliance by challenging a recent decision by the NRC in Federal Court. In this litigation, the San Luis Obispo Intervenors have claimed that an Environmental Impact Statement must be made to include a full security analysis by competent third par-ties who have no connection with either the regulatory agencies or the nuclear power industry before a new high level radioactive fuel storage facility, called an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), is licensed at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant. It must assess the plant’s vulnerability to potential acts of ter-rorism and/or acts of malice or insanity, and it must consider options for improved defenses. The NRC denied the petition, but a appeal will soon be filed in the 9th Circuit Federal Court.

This analysis is a vitally important tool for ensuring NRC accountability for its decisions regarding defense of nuclear facilities. Furthermore, the case will set an important precedent for four other cases in which the NRC issued virtually identical decisions. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has stated that the NRC’s decision to dismiss these five cases “is flawed and will not survive judicial scrutiny.”

The security of nuclear plants must be addressed and resolved BEFORE any increase in high-level radioactive waste storage is allowed. The success of the appeal will depend on small and large donations from individuals. The San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace is a tax-exempt, non-profit organiza-tion, so donations are tax-deductible. For more information, call (805) 773-3881 or view www.mothersforpeace.org.

Tarren L. Collins, ChairExecutive Committee, Santa Lucia Chapter

Dear Editor,I think it would be a much better idea if Adrianna Huffington would donate her time to speak, rather than charging a fee. I’m sure the Sierra Club could use the money more than she. The preservation of our environment is what is at stake and Ms. Huffington should realize this.

Thanks. T.G. Thompson, Carlsbad, Calif.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!Send 250 words or less via email: [email protected] or by mail to our office address. Submission is no guarantee that the letter will be published, and we reserve the right to edit all submissions.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


* Mail your order with check (made payable to

Sierra Club) to 3820 Ray Street, San Diego, CA

92104-3623

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• San Diego Chapter • July/August 2003 • Hi Sierran

SIERRA CLUB LARRY DUMLAO GALLERY ANNOUNCES TWO NEW OPENINGS:July 12-August 9: JANENE FARMER, ENVIRONMENTAL ARTISTAugust 9-September 13: JACKSON (‘JACKIE’) GRAY, POTTER

JaneneFarmer,July 12-August 9During the school year Janene teaches in the arts and academics at Olive PierceMiddle School in the Ramona Unified School District. During the summer Janene works full-time as an envi-ronmental artist, painting endangered animals from around the world. ‘Angel Children Spirits of the Universe’ is the theme of Janene’s most recent series of paintings. Janene has served as an arts curriculum writer for the Ramona Unified School District and wrote and designed ‘The Artist: A Reflection Of Our Environment’, a teachers’ workbook of art and science lessons. Summer teaching includes the San Diego Natural HistoryMuseum and the SanDiegoWildAnimalPark. Janene was awarded an Arts Grant from the California Arts Council in 1982, serving as a resident artist at the University of California, San Diego. Exhibitions include San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego City Administration Building, UC Library, and Coronado Library and Art Scene Gallery.

Jackson(Jackie)Gray,August 9-September 13Jackson Gray is a long-time Sierra Club member and Chapter Outing Leader. After getting turned around in Yosemite Valley as an Intermediate COL, she decided that leading people was not her forte, and she now coordinates trips. She usually plans one high-end, fund-raising, X/C Ski Trip each year. Jackson tells the following story when asked how she started creating pottery: “Many years ago, I was hiking with long-time Sierra Club mem-ber, Hal Brody. We had hiked together before and knew each other from another venue as well. We were fantasizing ‘What would I do, if I didn’t have to work for a living’ and he shared his dream of working in some way to make the world a more peaceful place. I said, rather off-handedly, “I always thought I would like to throw pottery.” I did not know then that what Hal did for a living was to manufacture and sell potters wheels. He offered me one of his prototype wheels to use as long as I kept at it. To make a long story short, he isn’t getting his wheel back.”

All gallery shows open on the scheduled first night at 6:00 pm, with the artist present. These second Saturday of the month openings coincide with the monthly ‘Ray at Night’ arts andculturecelebrations on Ray Street, featuring over a dozen gal-lery openings presenting a variety of mediums ranging from paintings and sculpture to poetry and music. Come and have some fun!

The Sierra Club Larry Dumlao Gallery is open Monday - Friday from 12 - 5 pm, at the Sierra Club Bookstore and Office, 3820 Ray Street in North Park. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of original art directly benefits the Sierra Club Bookstore, San Diego Chapter. HS

SAN DIEGO: HOTTEST OF HOTSPOTS! ON BIODIVERSITY AND OUR ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT. ByJohnWilksThere is much evidence that we have entered into the century of the environment, during which humanity must settle down or wreck the planet. In San Diego the choice is now: coastal para-dise perpetuated, or concrete jungle in 55 years (that’s only four generations)! The global human population is now well past 6 billion and, according to best estimates, on its way to 9 or 10 bil-lion before peaking. At the same time, per capita consumption is rising at a steady clip.

As far as scientists can tell, Earth is like no other place in the universe. Among the countless stars, moons, asteroids, and other bodies arrayed across the vastness of outer space, only our tiny planet is known to support life. And it does so everywhere: on the slopes of high mountains and on the floor of the ocean, in scorching deserts and at the frigid poles. Life in shapes and sizes ranging from blue whales and redwoods to butterflies and microbes. This array of life is biodiversity. Biodiversity is both a measure of the variety of life and an indicator of the overall health of our planet. For every person in the world to reach the present U.S. level of consumption with existing technology would require the equivalent of four additional planet Earths, according to Professor Emeritus E.O. Wilson, Ph.D. Another perspective of the same issue as stated by Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day: “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be this willing-ness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

The West Coast of America is the consumption capital of the world. There are 30 million consumers in the Los Angles Basin and 25 million in San Diego Area. One hundred million more on the way! Eighty per cent of Californians now live on the coast and that number will increase. In San Diego, 95% of coastal, tidal, salt marsh wetlands have been eradicated. Is it appropriate to continue this decline? Fifty-five per cent of the endangered animal species and 25% of endangered plants depend upon wetlands habitat. Nevertheless, there is hope that we can find an enduring place for ourselves within the natural system that sustains us. Reform starts with your consumer choices. Read The Future of Life by E.O. Wilson and Or The Sinking Ark, by Norman Myers to start thinking about where you as an indi-vidual fit into the solution.

This year we are celebrating the 55th anniversary of our Chapter’s establishment. The best birthday present you can give your Chapter, and the biodiversity of San Diego, is time and effort toward this cause. A good way to celebrate life would be to visit a Wild Place and decide if you want to take direct action to preserve and enhance that place in the coming year. Discuss this issue with a neighbor and a child. Become politically active by insisting on open and honest government. Volunteer your spare time. Insist that the Union Tribuneprint news about the environ-ment and features on the local ecology. Demand from your legislature that current laws and regulations be strictly enforced, particularly if they pertain to the environment. Urge your local prosecutor to prosecute polluters and developers that are in vio-lation of permit conditions. Promptly report pollution or other crimes against nature. Join a Sierra Club conservation committee. Financially support the Chapter. HS

Chapter Notes

Did You Know?4 times more energy is yielded from ethanol derived from “energy

crops” like switchgrass and than is required to produce it, but only 34% more energy is yielded from corn-based ethanol than is required

for its production.


Conservation Corner

Sierra Club Bicycle Section• BIKE RIDES ON ROAD

AND TRAIL

• WEEKENDS AT ANZA BORREGO & WARNER SPRINGS

• POTLUCK SUPPERS AND MORE

Bike Section Membership............................. $12

SD County Bicycle Coalition Membership (normally $25 if joining coalition separately).... $10Make check out to “Sierra Club Bicycle Section” and mail

the check with form to: Sierra Club Bike Section 4543 Maryland St., San Diego, CA 92116

The monthly ride list for the Sierra Club Bike Section is also available via the World Wide Web:

sandiego.sierraclub.org/bicycle/Prospective members can receive a free sample news-letter by e-mail: [email protected] or by call-

ing Terry Frey (619)282-0425FOR A MEMBERSHIP FORM TO JOIN SIERRA CLUB

SEE P. 2

FOR A FREE NEWSLETTER CALL: 619-282-0425

2nd Saturday Each MonthSIERRA CLUB BOOKSTORE from 6-9 pm

Ray Street in North Park comes alive with the sights and sounds of original music, art writings and poetry. Celebrate the richness of the arts with the Sierra Club Bookstore and other merchants of Ray Street as we all

open our doors for an evening of entertainment.

UPCOMING EVENTS: JULY 12, 6 PM - JENENE FARMER SHARES HER ENVIRONMENTAL

ART DURING THIS OPENING.AUGUST 9, 6 PM - JACKSON GRAY SHOWS OFF HER POTTERY

AND DISCUSSES HOW SHE BEGAN WORKING WITH THE MEDIUM.

The Sierra Club Bookstore is open M-F from 12-5 pm619.299.1797

[email protected]://WWW.SANDIEGO.SIERRACLUB.ORG/GALLERY

Starting with this issue of the Hi Sierran, the Chapter’s Conservation Committee will be bringing you a new regular feature called the “Con-servation Corner”. On this page the Conservation Committee will keep you informed of current threats to the environment in San Diego and Imperial Counties, as well as current projects the various Conservation sub-committees are working on. We can always use more conservation volunteers to help with a plethora of environmental issues.

CONSERVATION ACTIVITIESIt is safe to say that there is not a major environmental issue in San Diego County that the Chapter’s conservation volunteers are not involved with in some meaningful way. Some of the general types of environmental issues that we are involved with include:

• Prevention of urban sprawl and protection of the back country by en-couraging “smart growth”, improved City and County General Plans and other forthcoming, viable growth control plans.

• Promotion of prudent population growth and distribution.

• Protection of watersheds, waterways, groundwater, coastal areas and water quality.

• Ensuring proper environmental control in wastewater and sewage treatment facilities.

• Protection of forests, deserts, parks and wilderness areas.

• Protection of wildlife, wildlife corridors, natural habitat and endangered species.

• Dealing with trans-border environmental issues and developing pro-ductive relationships with Mexican environmentalists.

• Promotion of renewable energy sources.

• Protection of air quality and promotion of fuel efficient cars.

• Promotion of mass transportation and highway alternatives.

CONSERVATION SUBCOMMITTEESIn order to work on such a wide variety of issues, the Conservation Committee is divided into a number of sub-committees that each focus on a particular type of issue. The current active sub-committees are Air Quality, Border, Canyons, Coastal, Desert, Energy, Forest andWilderness,LandUse,Parks,Population,WaterandWildlife. The Conservation Action Network is a unique sub-committee that puts out environmental alerts in support of the projects that the other sub-com-mittees are working on. In addition to permanent sub-committees, the Conservation Committee also has task forces that work on time-sensitive issues. Cur-rent task forces are the SmartGrowthtask force, working on the San Diego County and City general plan updates, the NorthCountyHabi-tattask force, working on habitat plans in north San Diego County and the WaterTransfer task force working on the Imperial County water transfer deal and Salton Sea issues.

GET INVOLVED!If you are interested in getting involved in Conservation, or just want more information, a good way to get started is to call up or email one of the Sub-Committee Chairs (see the back page of the Hi Sierran for contact info) or contact one of the Conservation Committee Board members (see below). You are also welcome to attend the Conservation Committee meeting (2nd tuesday at the Chapter office) or any of the sub-committee meetings. In addition, you can sign up for hands-on, conservation training workshops that we will be offering this Fall.

CONERVATION COMMITTEE BOARD:Diane Smith - (858) 488-0342, [email protected] Shively - (619) 479-3412, [email protected] Lorenzen - (619)435-6046, [email protected]


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TV: In what other ways do you see the Club’s role evolving?

LF: We need to continue to lead the environmental movement on a range of political and social issues. We’re going to be pushing the envelope on renewable energy and sustainable, liveable communi-ties, and we’ll probably be more engaged in issues like genetically modified foods, water privitization, and toxics contamintion. We’re developing a more positive vision of what society can be.

TV: What led to your initial interest in the Sierra Club?

LF: I’m a Sacramento native, and I became a Club member in the early ‘70s when I was an undergrad at U.C. Davis. The issues that concerned me most were clearcut logging in the Sierra Nevada and offshore oil drilling and nuclear power plant construction on the California coast.

TV: I read that you started your Sierra Club career on the U.C. campus debating a PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) engineer on the merits of nuclear power. Could you tell me about that?

LF: At the time there was a citizen’s invitiative to halt the construction of new nuclear plants in California, which I supported. I was doing a double major at Davis in rhetoric and environmental studies—both of which have served me well through the years—and I was taking an environmental studies program, so it was arranged that I would debate a PG&E engineer on the campus quad.

TV: And you’ve been active in the Sierra Club through the years?

LF: Yes. I joined the S.F. Bay Chapter Political Committee in 1984 at the time of the Democratic National Convention, which you’ll recall was held in San Francisco, and I subsequently chaired the commit-tee for three or four years. Nineteen ninety-two was one of the most stunning years ever; over 90 percent of the 60 or so candidates we endorsed– for city council, the state assembly, congress, you name it – won election.

TV: You’ve been the Club’s national vice-president for conservation for the past year. As president, is there a message you’d like to communicate to Club leaders and others who might read this?

LF: I believe environmentalism should be non-partisan. The majority of Republican elected officials have lately lost their way and become captive to corporate special interests like oil companies, mining companies, and right-wing religious fundamentalists. I would very much like to see Republicans find their way back to embracing envi-ronmental protection. One of my goals as president is to reach out to Republicans across the country. The Club’s vice-president for con-servation, Chuck McGrady, is a Republican, and so are several other national Club leaders. We have moderate Republican environmental champions in Congress, notably Reps. Jim Leach of Iowa, Sherwood Boehlert of New York, and Chris Shays of Connecticut. Leach, in fact, is the chief sponsor of the National Forest Protection Act, which would protect millions of acres of national forest land from logging. And there are a small number of Republican senators who are quite strong on the environment. I don’t see any reason why we can’t start to bring the Republican Party back into the fold. But it will take work.

We also need to inspire our members, and Americans of all political stripes – Greens, Independents, students, Libertarians, Democrats, and the disaffected who care about our issues, and emphasize that voting can make a difference. The closeness of the 2000 election should be a wake up call to all of us. With a strong grassroots mobilization effort, the Sierra Club can help turn things around.

SIERRA CLUB PRESIDENT LARRY FAHN (CONT. FROM PAGE 1)


State NEWS10TH ANNUAL CHANNEL ISLAND CRUISE SIERRA CLUB FUND RAISER!Two separate cruises are being offered this fall to mark the 10th consecutive year of this popular fund raiser, sponsored by the SierraClubCaliforniaPoliticalCommittee. The first, a four-day cruise, to be held September 19-23, will visit San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands. The second, a three-day cruise, October 23-25, will visit three of those islands. Both cruises will depart from Sea Landing, Santa Barbara, on the 68’ twin diesel Truth. All islands are unique - rugged mountains, deep can-yons, steep cliffs, and isolated sea caves are home to a plethora of sea life and birds. Each island has its own special charm: San Miguel for its white, sandy beaches, and many elephant seals; Santa Rosa for its rare Torrey Pine forest; Santa Cruz for high mountains and the Painted Cave – the world’s largest sea cave; Anacapa, for the west coast brown pelican rookery, steep cliffs, a picturesque lighthouse, a colony of friendly sea lions, and excel-lent snorkeling waters. A ranger/naturalist will travel with us to identify dolphins and whales, sea lions and seals, and numerous species of birds. Guided hikes will be conducted on all islands. Other activities will include kayaking, snorkeling, beachcombing, or just relaxing at sea. These cruises are strictly informal. Each guest will be assigned a bunk with a reading light and privacy curtains. The cost, $595 for the September 19-23 cruise and $460 for the October 23-25 cruise, covers bunk space, sumptuous meals and snacks, and guided tours. Proceeds from these events will benefit Sierra Club endorsed candidates running for office in the 2004 election cycle. To reserve space send a $100 check payable to:

Joan Jones Holtz and Don Holtz11826 The Wye, El Monte, CA 91732. For more information call Joan or Don, 626-443-0706.

SIERRA CLUB & SC FOUNDATION SCORE 4-STAR RATIING FOR FIINANCIAL EFFICIENCYOut of 213 environmental organizations ranked by CharityNavigator <charitynavigator.org>, a non-profit watchdog that ranks charities based on their IRS filings, the Sierra Club Foundation ranked second-highest overall and highest of all national organizations. The Sierra Club Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support to the Sierra Club and other environ-mental organizations for tax-deductible work. Charity Navigator awarded the Foundation a four-star rating for organizational efficiency and capacity, which was also the rating received by the Sierra Club itself. The Charity Navigator rating system uses publicly avail-able tax returns (Forms 990) filed with the Internal Revenue Service to evaluate a charity’s overall financial health. Specifically, Charity Navigator looks at an organization’s fundraising efficien-cy, fundraising expenses, program expenses and administration expenses to show users how efficiently the charity operates on a day-to-day basis. To assess the charity’s capacity to sustain its programs over time, Charity Navigator looks at average annual growth of operating revenue, average annual growth of programs and services and working capital ratio. Charity Navigator released revised ratings of 2,133 non-profits in April.

SIERRA CLUB OPPOSES DAVIS RECALLThe Sierra Club California has officially taken a position to oppose the recall of Governor Gray Davis. The official motion that passed was: “It is resolved that Sierra Club California opposes any effort to hold a gubernatorial recall election in 2003.” Supporters of the resolution stated that if a recall election were held, the replacement election would be on the same ballot as the recall, with no primary or runoff. Those motivated voters who want to remove Davis would likely dominate the turnout for such an election. This would like-ly result in a more conservative turnout than a general election. Democrats will have difficulty sending a clear message, because it will be hard to oppose a recall and campaign for a successor at the same time. There is likelihood that there would be multiple candi-dates, meaning that the vote for Davis’ replacement will be frac-tured, with unpredictable results. Current candidates with name identification include three Democrats and two Republicans. In that scenario, one of the Republicans would be the likely winner, and the more conservative of the two would have a good chance of being the one that came out ahead because the more moderate one would not pick up many Democratic crossover votes with three Democrats to choose from. An energetic campaign by a Green could divide the moderate to progressive vote even further. At the heart of the recall movement is the grass roots con-servative wing of the Republican Party, financed by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Vista). Supporters also pointed out that among Davis’ major accomplishments on the environmental front was that he called a special session of the legislature to protect the Coastal Commission and signed the bill promptly. Also, he signed the Pavley bill, a controversial bill that seeks to make California the first state in the nation to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emis-sions and that Davis made a big deal about it calling on other states to follow suit.

LOBBY DAY IN SACRAMENTO!Sierra Club California invites you to Sacramento for our annual Lobby Day on Monday, August 25th. This is your chance to meet with legislators to advocate for current environmental issues on behalf of Sierra Club. Lobby Day provides activists with an opportunity to talk with legislators and their staff about the Sierra Club’s statewide priorities and specific legislation that is pending before the Senate and Assembly. Lobby Day brings Sierra Club’s grassroots power to the State Capitol and allows legislators to see the faces behind one of California’s most influential environmental advocacy organizations We will also conduct a training session in political effec-tiveness on Sunday, August 24th. Through discussion, role-play and some real-life examples, we will instruct you on how to make the most of your time with an elected official and how to use lob-bying to help achieve the goals of a larger campaign. The training will give you the skills to become an effective lobbyist with elected officials both in Sacramento and at home. This year, we anticipate our topics to include electronic waste disposal, forest protection, land use and air quality. Sierra Club California will provide dinner Sunday, August 24th, as well as breakfast on Monday. Accommodations will be arranged and participants will be reimbursed up to $100 for travel expenses. For more details, please contact Marianne Batchelder at (916) 557-1100 x107 ([email protected]) or Pat Veesart at (916) 557-1100 x103 ([email protected]).

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20S & 30S SINGLE SIERRANSFor singles aged 20-39

(619) 544-6124http://sandiego.sierraclub.org/20s30s/

A section of the San Diego Chapter

FROM THE DESK OF THE LANDS TEAM IN WASHINGTON DCBY JESSICA HODGEBushAdministrationAction’sAttackourNaturalHeritageOver the past months, the Bush Administration has issued a series of policy changes and settlement agreements that fundamentally undermine protection of millions of acres of BLM lands across 11 western states. Recent announcements regarding the inventory and interim protection of wilderness quality lands and the resuscitation of an obscure frontier-era statute called RS2477 mean that vast swaths of the American west are now vulnerable to roadbuilding and ORV abuse, oil and gas development, and destructive mining opera-tions. To counter these brazen attacks, the Sierra Club is working on the national level with a number of coalitions to expose the magnitude of the threats and hold the Bush administration accountable for aggressively seeking to undermine protections for the public lands that American’s cherish.

At the local level, it will be important to support defensive efforts as these policies play out around the country, mobilizing public lands activists and building broad public support for protecting these important pieces of our natural heritage.BushAdministrationsays“NoMoreWilderness”?Late in the evening on Friday, April 11, the Department of Interior entered into a settlement agreement with the State of Utah in which Secretary Norton revoked existing protections for wilderness-quality BLM lands called Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), renounced its obligations to conduct new inventories and wilderness reviews of BLM lands, and rescind-ed the BLM Wilderness Inventory and Study Procedures Handbook – which outlines the criteria for considering wilderness on a level playing field with other uses for public lands. This settlement strips away special protections for millions of acres of pristine land, not just in Utah, but across the west. Moreover, it threatens citizen-proposed wilderness initia-tives such as those in majestic canyons of Arizona and red rock country of Utah.

The Interior Department oversees 250 million acres of federal lands adminis-tered by the BLM in 11 Western states as well as Alaska. This is amazingly beautiful and ecologically diverse land – deserts, mountains, forests, redrock canyon country, sweeping grasslands, icy peaks and tundra. Of this BLM land, only about 6.5 million acres have been designated as wilderness by Congress. Another 15 million acres have been formally inventoried and designated as Wilderness Study Areas before the 1991 deadline. With the Department of the Interior’s new policy, the rest of the BLM lands will not be studied for their wilderness qualities and will subsequently not be recommended to Congress for protection. The bottom line is that wilderness values that may exist on as many as 220 million acres of BLM lands (much of which has obvious and spectacular wilderness qualities) can no longer even be studied or recommended to Congress for it to designate additional wilderness areas.OutdatedStatuteAllowsRoadstoRuinAcrossourPublicLandsA new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulation could lead to the giveaway of pre-cious lands within our National Parks and Monuments, National Forests, Wildlife Refuges, and protected Wilderness Areas. The final rule on “Conveyances, Disclaimers and Corrections Documents,” issued on January 6, resurrects the 137 year-old Revised Statute 2477 (RS 2477), which allows individuals and local governments to lay claim to abandoned trails, cow paths, and even river beds on publicly owned lands, and convert them into damaging highways across our treasured National Parks, Refuges, and Wilderness areas. The rule was originally promulgated to facilitate settlement across the west. Although RS 2477 was repealed in 1976 and replaced with an updated process for addressing legitimate rights-of-ways across public lands, the new rule opens the door for states, counties, and special interests to file thousands of unsubstantiated rights-of-way claims.UnitingAgainstaCommonFoeThe scope and breadth of the Bush administration’s attack on our public lands may yield one positive, unintended consequence within the Sierra Club grassroots network. These threats provide a common ground for many different grassroots constituencies that work on a wide variety of issues affecting public lands—such as grazing, ORV abuse, national monuments, and wilderness—and unite us against a common foe. To fight these attacks, diverse grassroots activists will need to educate, train, and mobilize this grassroots army to defend our public lands.

National NEws

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S/C_ZFordAd 5/30/03 3:30 PM Page 1


Our office now hosts Paul Dana, Sierra Student

Coalition Organizer for California. Paul is

available at our San Diego Chapter office on Monday

and Wednesday afternoons. Drop by and say hello!

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JOIN THE SIERRA CLUB TODAY! Yes, I want to be a member of Sierra Club. Yes, I want to give a gift membership!

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WELCOME!

VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH! * Compiled by Cheryl Reiff

THANKS TO ALL OF THESE EXCEPTIONAL VOLUNTEERS FOR MAKING OUR CHAPTER ROCK!

MAY:JohnWilks and ScottAndrews for their work on the Mission Bay toxic waste landfill.

JUNE:LeeOlsen, for endless hours spent rescuing our server.CindyBuxton, for Forest & Wil-derness work and for Conservation Outings.JaniceMcKalson for Forest & Wil-derness and CAN work.DianneNygaard, for Land Use work in North County, especially Calavera.DebbieWestcott, for faithful help at Orientation meetings. HS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15TH, 7:30 PM CUBA: MUSIC, MOJITOS, MONTECRISTOS AND THE MALECÓN.Cuba…ah, just the sound of it, conjures up images of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Ernest Hemmingway. Crumbling buildings, and tail-finned American cars ply wide avenues and cobble-stoned side streets of a bustling metropolis. Thoughts turn to strolling lovers watch-ing Caribbean sunsets as waves splash over the beautiful Avenida de Maceo, the aroma of hand made cigars and the sounds of Cuban bands belting out afro-Latin rhythms from smoky neighborhood bars… Cuba, what an adventure!

Cuba is one of the world’s last bastions of communism and a unique destination few American’s have seen since its pre-revolution “glory days” of the 1950’s. U. S. citizens are not prohibited from traveling to Cuba. However, tour-ism is effectively prevented by the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act. There are

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro has been an obsession of mine for over 20 years. After having camped in Kenya and being smitten by the Snows of Kilimanjaro, I knew that the “Spell of Africa” would continue to haunt me until I returned to summit the mountain. The most popular route is the Marangu (aka the Coca-Cola route since it is the most traveled), but I decided

OUR MONTHLY PROGRAMS FOR JULY & AUGUST ARE FRIDAY, JULY 18, & FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO’S OTTO CENTER, LOCATED OUTSIDE THE ZOO, 100 METERS TO THE LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE. PROGRAMS ARE 7:30PM AND ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. MANNY KUGLER IS PROGRAM CHAIRMonthly Programs

certain legal exceptions to the Treasury Department rule, and determined travel-ers, journalists, humanitarian aid workers and others can get a glimpse of this magi-cal island. Despite its challenges, Cuba and the Cuban people continue to win the hearts of travelers who venture there in search of the unusual. Award winning Photojournalist Karl Grobl has visited Cuba twice since February 2003 and will present images, music and descrip-tions of today’s Cuba, 50 years after the Revolution. Karl will take us on a visual journey through historic Havana, the larg-est city in the Caribbean, rural Vinales, in the heart of Cuba’s, tobacco growing area, and the colonial city of Trinidad built in 1514, located by the sea and surrounded by picturesque mountains. Join us for an engaging evening of the sights and sounds of CUBA from returning presenter, Karl Grobl!

on the Machame Route, widely con-sidered to be the most scenic.

The first leg of the accent wound through the rainforest, one of the five climatic zones found in the region. It was a lush and exotic challenge to manage my way through the roots of the trees. The second leg meandered through the heath and moorland zones, which didn’t have much of the vegetation or animal concentration of the previous leg. The pull was getting stronger. By the third day we were camped at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro at about 16,000 feet. I put on three layers of clothes and my headlight and we started the accent at midnight. An ice ax was used to chop footholds in the snow patch. I had read that one climber had been killed grabbing onto a boulder and having it fall on him, so I took extra care that each step was secure. The Mantra for the climb is “Pole, Pole” which in Swahili means “slowly, slowly.“

Now, I had to transverse the crater and get to the point where I could make the final accent to Uhuru Peak. It was still a long, steep climb through the loose volcanic ash. After cresting the rim of the crater, I could,

PHOTO: ED CULBERTSON AT TH ESUMMIT OF MT. KILIMANJARO: ‘IN THE ZONE!

FRIDAY, JULY 18TH, 2003, 7:30 PM CLIMBING MT. KILIMANJARO!

at long last, see the flags waving vigorously at the summit. By the time I reached the summit, I was truly in the zone, and took pictures to prove to myself that I had been to the “Roof of Africa” at 19,340 feet! After the celebration, I knew that the most important part of the climb was now upon me. What goes up must come down, and falling would result in serious injury. It took about 8 more hours of slow and steady hiking to reach the last camp. To learn more about Culbertson’s adventure, and the lure of Mr. Kilimanjaro, mark your calendars for his powerpoint pre-sentation of over 100 slides!

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PHOTO BY KARL GROBL

PHOTO BY KARL GROBL


FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ CHECKS HIS TOBACCO CROP NEAR VINALES IN WESTERN CUBA (ABOVE); 80 YEAR OLD EVER-INDO “DANDY” ALFONZO ENJOYS A CIGAR IN FRONT OF HAVANA VIEJA’S HISTORIC CATEDRAL DE SAN CRISTOBAL

“AS WIDE AS ALL THE WORLD, GREAT, HIGH AND UNBELIEV-

ABLY WHITE IN THE SUN WAS THE SQUARE TOP OF

KILIMANJARO”- Ernest Hemingway


SIERRA SINGLES EVENT OF THE MONTHSHELTER ISLAND BONFIRE & POTLUCKJuly 5, Saturday, 6 pm Host: Carol Branch 858-452-1539Another bonfire for the holiday weekend. Bring warm clothing, beach blankets, chairs, tables, cook-stoves, potluckdinner to share, and your own beverages. Also bring firewood if you can, flashlights, funny stories to tell, music and something to play it on, musical instruments and anything else you can think of that’s fun. No reservations necessary. Bring a friend if you like; non-members welcome. Adults only.VISITOR/NEW MEMBER ORIENTATIONJuly 9 and Aug. 13, 7 pm (2nd Wed.)Meet at the Tierrasanta Recreation Center, 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. (building on the left). Presentations start at 7 pm and feature Singles, Bike, Photo, Ski, Family, and 20s/30s Singles sections. Also North County, conservation and chapter activities, including over 1,000 outings annually. Refreshments served. Call Jerry Ratajesak at 619-316-2220 for more information (no reservation needed).VISITOR/NEW MEMBER ORIENTATIONJuly 18 and Aug. 15, 7 pm (3rd Fri.)Free lecture/slide show at San Diego Zoo’s Otto Center. See page 11 for details.FOSTER LODGE WORK PARTYJuly 21-22, Sat. 9am-Sun. 2pmJoin us for our first fun-filled work party this summer. We will be doing painting, yard maintenance and general cleaning. Bring your tent for sleeping outside or bedding for inside. Food will be provided. Bring work gloves. Please call Dan Perkins at 760-634-2963 for more info. and required reservation. SIERRA SINGLES EVENT OF THE MONTHSILENT MOVIE AT SPRECKELS ORGAN PAVILIONAugust 4, Monday, 6 pm Host: Carol Branch 858-452-1539Movie: “The Freshman” with Harold LloydDennis James will play the Spreckels organ as background for this silent movie. Although the concert begins at 7:30, this is the most popular concert of the year and is typically very crowded. We must get there early to get seats. Bring dinner or buy food at the park. Call as early as you can so that I can reserve a block of seats together for us. Last year, this was one of our most popular Singles events! Everyone

ACTIVITIESJULY AND AUGUST ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

loved it. If you haven’t seen one yet, it’s a must. If you’ve seen one before, you’ll be back!FOSTER LODGE HOST TRAININGCall for dates“Host Refresher” and “New Host” training class, to maintain your current host status, or if you’re interested in becoming a new Lodge host. Bring lunch. Call Susan Parrish at 619-478-5188 for more info.GLS: THE GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER SIERRANSGLS continues! Membership activities will be reported in the Hi Sierran and emailed via GLS ListServe. Membership fees are your annual membership in the Sierra Club. An attempt will be made to have two hikes per month and four group activities each year, including our annual bonfire and a weekend at Foster Lodge. For further info. and/or to help out, contact Robert Bettinger at 760-944-1439, or [email protected]

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Deadline to submit Activities info. to the Hi Sierran for the September/October 2003 issue is August 1.Send to: [email protected] or call Shelley Warnick at (858)695-35a52 from 8am-8pm.

Foster LodgeThe Sierra Club Foster Lodge is in the Laguna Mountains 12 mi. north of I–8 on Sunrise Highway, across from Mt. Laguna/El Prado campground. The lodge consists of two cabins. The small one is open from 10 a.m. Sat. to 2 p.m. Sun. for Sierra Club members and their guests. The large cabin is for use by Sierra Club groups as well as guest groups with a club sponsor. Please call for reservations. The deposit per night is $200 for Sierra Club groups and $240 per night for non-club groups. This fee covers the first 20 people in your group. Both cabins are fully equipped and have everything except showers, bedding and food.

Due to special reservation, the Lodge will be closed Oct. 25-26.LODGECOMMITTEECHAIR:

RANDY PARRISH, 619-478-5188

LargeCabin Rental/Res.:Dianna Gil, 619-334-9742SmallCabinInfo.:

Susan Parrish, 619-478-5188

SMALL CABIN FEES (WITH MEMBERSHIP CARD)

Dayuse:$5 $4 $8 $6$5Family:$15included $25includedOvernight:$7 $5 $12 $8$5Family: $22included $38 included

Adults (6–12) Adults (6–12) (65+) Members Guests

*FosterLodgeT-Shirts $14 and Small Cabin overnight coupons $5. Great for Gifts! Call Mary Eggen at 858-453-1615 to order.

MeetingsJULY AND AUGUST MEETINGS CALENDAR

ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEEJuly 3 and Aug. 7 (1st Thur.), 7 pm Ken Smokoska, 760-738-6041 or [email protected].

BOOKSTORE COMMITTEECurrently no scheduled meetings.

BORDER ISSUES SUBCOMMITTEEJuly 21 and Aug. 18 (3rd Mon.), 6:30-8 pm

COASTAL COMMITTEE July 23 (4th Wed.; no Aug. mtg.) 7pmMeet at SC North Park office. Contact Eric Bowlby at 619-284-9399 or [email protected] to join or for agenda and other info.

CONSERVATION ACTION NETWORK (CAN)July 21 and Aug. 18 (3rd Mon.), 7 pmTwiggs Coffee House, 4590 Park Blvd. (corner of Park/Madison), North Park. This is steering committee for our chapter’s conservation alerts. Visitors welcome.

CONSERVATION COMMITTEEJuly 8 and Aug. 12 (2nd Tues.), 6:30 pmContact 619-299-1741 or [email protected] for info. All conservation activists welcome. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEJuly 16 and Aug. 20 (3rd Wed.), 6:30 pmCall 619-299-1743 for info.

FOSTER LODGE COMMITTEEJuly 15 and Aug. 19 (3rd Tues.) 6pmContact Mary Eggen at 858-453-1615 or [email protected] for info. Meeting location: North Clairemont Recreation Center, 4421 Bannock Ave.

GLS (GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER) SECTIONSee Activities page for info.

HI SIERRAN COMMITTEE July 14 and Aug. 11 (2nd Mon.), 6 pmPlease attend to find out how you can help!

INNER CITY OUTINGS (ICO) July 17 and Aug. 21 (3rd Thur.), 7:30 pm

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEEJuly 24 and Aug. 28 (4th Thur. ), 6:30 pmWe need new and more members. Get involved!

PHOTO SECTIONJuly 15 and Aug. 19 (3rd Tues. ), 7 pmTierrasanta Recreation Center, 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Call 619-299-1744 ext. 2070 or see http://sandiego.sierra-club.org/photoclub for current info.

POLITICAL COMMITTEEJuly 1 and Aug. 5 (1st Tues.), 6:30 pmNotice: This committee may make endorsement recommendations at meetings. All SC members are encouraged to attend.

POPULATION COMMITTEEJuly 14 and Aug. 11 (2nd Mon.), 5:15 pmThis Conservation sub-committee meets at Coco’s at 2644 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park. Contact Vice Chair J. Jones at [email protected] or 619-640-0780 for more info.

SIERRA SINGLES SECTION BOARDJuly 21 and Aug. 18 (3rd Mon.), 6:30 pmCoco’s at 5955 Balboa Ave. Come at 5:45 pm and bring $$ if you wish to dine. All members welcome. Call first to confirm date/time. For more info. contact Wanda Jackson at 858-689-4039 or [email protected]

URBAN ENVIRONMENT FORUMJuly 28 and Aug. 25 (4th Mon.), 7 pmJoint meetings of Air, Energy, Land Use, Park, Recycling, Transportation and Water Committees. Contact Fred Lorenzen at 619-435-6046 or [email protected]

WILDLANDS FORUM-FOREST COMMITTEEJuly 2 and Aug. 6 (1st Wed.), 7 pmLocal and regional forest mgmt. issues and Wild Heritage Campaign coordination. Contact Jack Paxton at 760-744-3282 or [email protected] to confirm meeting time.

WILDLIFE COMMITTEEJuly 24 and Aug. 28 (4th Thur.), 7 pmHelp us save wildlife and habitat!

Unless noted in following meeting descriptions, all meetings are held at the Sierra Club office, 3820 Ray St., in North Park. For further infor-mation on any meetings, contact the Committee Chair listed on back page of the Hi Sierran. Or, for more meeting schedules and info, visit the

web calendar: www.activistsandiego.org/environment. send updated info to: [email protected].


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SIERRA SINGLES PRESENTS: A DAY AT THE BEACH!FIVE HIKES exploring the C a l i f o r n i a Coast are scheduled for August 9th, 2003. This f u n - f i l l e d day will be followed by a BONFIRE AND POTLUCK on Shelter Island at 6pm. Just show up at your favorite hike and enjoy the day! Bring water and note any info from the leader. More info about the hikes is available in the outings section.

Call our ‘Treeline’ for more informationat 619-299-

TREE, or email Wanda at: [email protected]

opportunity is knocking!

The Hi Sierran is looking for a new Meetings/Activities editor!

This is a great way to get involved with our vibrant publication while

getting more connected to your local Sierra Club chapter. Any-

one interested should contact our current editor, Shelly Warnick, at 1-858-695-3552 or email her at:

[email protected].

answer the call!

time employee. In January of 1995 they pur-chased and moved into a 22,000 square foot building, which is where you’ll find them today and tomorrow. The most

recent in their long line of bike books is actually a new version of an old favorite. Nelson Copp and Jerry Schad have completely revised and updated the Third Edition of their premier guidebook for San Diego bicyclists, Cycling San Diego. With the addition of eight new rides in North and East County, the easy-to-use guide now contains sixty-nine tours, eight new maps, and includes GPS coordinates


North county GroupMEETINGSMEETINGS FOR THE NORTH COUNTY GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB ARE HELD THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH (EXCEPT JULY AND AUGUST), AT 7:30PM, AT THE JOSLYN CENTER, LOCATED AT 18402 WEST BERNARDO DRIVE, RANCHO BERNARDO.

DIRECTIONSTAKE I-15 TO WEST BERNARDO DRIVE. AT THE STOP SIGN, HEAD WEST (LEFT) TO THE FIRST STOPLIGHT. TURN RIGHT AND GO TO THE TENNIS COURTS; THE SMALL BUILDING IS JOSLYN CENTER. CALL DAVID BUTLER 760-489-8842 IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION.

EnvironmentalFest2003will provide a fun-filled day of outings, a picnic, educational seminars, book signings, door prizes and access to Sunbelt Publication’s vast facility. Several outings will be sched-uled in the East County area that day, including a GPS class/hike at Mission Trails Regional Park with Nelson Copp, a longtime Sierra Club outing leader and co-author of “Cycling San Diego.” Nelson Copp is also co-author of the book Wilderness Basics and a popular lecturer; he teaches Map & Compass Navigation, Land Navigation, and GPS classes for many San Diego groups and is a frequent Sierra Club outing leader. Join him to learn about GPS at his learn-on-your-feet-style GPS class and hike Saturday morning, September 13th or enjoy his “Hiking and Biking in San Diego County” slideshow at the Sunbelt Publications facility (1250 Fayette Street, El Cajon) that afternoon.

SUNBELT PUBLICATIONSSunbelt Publications is a long-time supporter of the Sierra Club and will open their warehouse for club mem-bers to purchase any of their thou-

sands of outdoor and travel publica-tions, including gift books, pictorials and calendars. Attendees will receive a 10%discount off the retail price of all purchases, with a generous portion of all proceeds for the day going toward the Scholarship Fund. Visit Sunbeltonline <www.sunbeltbooks.com> for more information about this great company.

SUNBELT: A LITTLE HISTORY It all started with a bike book. In 1985, Diana and Lowell Lindsay wrote and published a book entitled The Southern Overland Route: Cyclists’ Guide to a Major Scenic and Historic Route Through the Southwest. Two years later, they published The Southwest America Bicycle Route, written by Lowell and W.G. Hample. Not much later, they published Bicycling Baja by Bonnie Wong, and a publishing dynasty was born. The idea was to turn the pub-lishing model upside down — to not be publishers dependent on others for marketing and distribution. Instead they became distributors whose pub-lishing program could feed into their own system. The original dream to have a publishing house became a reality with the formal establishment of the Publishing Division in 1993 and the hiring of Sunbelt’s first full-

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ENVIRONMENTAL FEST 2003!A SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISERDate: Saturday, September 13, 2003Location: SUNBELT PUBLICATIONS 1250 Fayette Street, El Cajon, CA 9202011:00 am-3:30 pm

THE GOAL OF THE EVENT IS TO RAISE MONIES IN SUPPORT OF AN ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR UPPER DIVISION AND GRADUATE STUDENTS OF EN-VIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN SAN DI-EGO COUNTY. THE NORTH COUNTY GROUP HAS PROVIDED SCHOLAR-SHIPS FOR OVER TEN YEARS. THIS EVENT IS INTENDED TO EXPAND THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES AVAIL-ABLE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS. RECENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR MASTER PROGRAMS IN MARINE BIOLOGY, BOTANY, MATERIAL SCIENCE AND NATIVE HABITAT.

North county Group (cont)for the starting points all of the rides. The book guides riders of all levels of skill and experience from the board-walks and streets of the coastal and downtown areas, to the winding highways and country roads of San Diego County’s inland sections. Diana Lindsay will also be presenting a slideshow that takes you on a virtual tour of the roads

and trails through “The Anza-Borrego Desert Region.” Atendees get all of this, plus warehouse shopping with discounted prices on all books, refreshments, and more will be avail-able as part of the Sierra Club North County Groups’ Environmental Fest2003, September 13th from 11 am - 3:30 pm. A percentage of all books sold will go to the Sierra Club Scholarship Fund, so come and meet the Lindsays and the friendly Sunbelt staff that day, enjoy the authors’ slideshows, find great bargains, and help support the Scholarship Fund. Both authors will sign cop-ies of their books, and other author- autographed books will be available. A picnic lunch will be available for a donation of $5.00/person. Sierra Club members, friends, or businesses wishing to support the Fund can send contributions to:SierraClub-NCG,P.O.2481,Escondido,CA92033Be sure to mark your calendars! If you would like to assist in the event and/or need further information please contact, Donald King (760) 747-1155 or email <[email protected]>


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ORCA is the Organization of Regional Coastal Activists. It is a newcoalition of environmental groups being formed to work more effec-tively for coastal protection. The goal is to form a state-wide network to monitor coastal development, work with the California Coastal Commission staff and, when necessary, meet with the Coastal Commissioners directly. The intention is to start with local development monitors in every coastal community, coor-dinate their efforts and exchange information through both county and state-level coordinators, and designate some key individuals to meet with the Coastal Commission staff and the Coastal Commissioners. The initial organizing efforts are being facilitated by a coastal activistorganization called “Vote the Coast”, and are focused on the southerncounties from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Several of these are a little further along in the orga-nizing process than San Diego. One preliminary meeting was held in San Diego on March 28. It was attended by a number of local organizations including SierraClub,Surfrider Foundation, Baykeeper,SanDiegoAudubon,EnvironmentalHealthCoalition and others. A sec-ond organizing meeting and train-ing session is planned for June 26th. The Sierra Club will be an important par-ticipant in this effort, since wealready have an infrastructure in place. We will need volunteers tosupport our participation. In particu-lar, we will need local activists to mon-itor development in their own com-munities, and share information with the other participating groups. We

will also need to add some volunteers to enhance the existing document review process and identify poten-tial problem developments early. If you are interested in being part of this exciting new initiative, andcan give some of your precious time on a regular basis, contact Dave Grubb, E-mail [email protected] Phone:760-753-0273.

UPCOMING COASTER HIKES AND WALKSJuly 12 - Oceanside Harbor walk, Mac Downing, 760 439-8774July 17 - Carlsbad mid-week evening beach walk, Terry Flood, 760 729-8221Aug 14 - Carlsbad mid-week evening beach walk, Terry Flood, 760 729-8221Aug 23 - Indian Head Canyon, Ann Geireman 760 944-3962* Note other coastal area walks and hikes in the outing pages.

LOOK - THE ORCA IS COMING!

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PHOTO BY JIM MCCLEARY


One of the most important issues facing Americans today is rarely being discussed: corporate control over the media and the increasing degree to which a small number of huge corpo-rations decide what the American people see, hear, and read. In recent years in San Diego and throughout this country, corporate control of the media has expanded dra-matically by means of takeovers and mergers. As bad as the situation is today, it might become even worse if Congress does not stop the Bush administration’s efforts to do away with almost all regulations limiting concentration of media ownership. The reality now is that a handful of huge media con-glomerates like Viacom, AOL Time Warner, News Corporation, General Electric, Clear Channel, and Disney, with enormous conflicts of interest, largely determine the information the average American receives. In my view, this is a very dangerous trend. A vibrant democracy requires a full, free, and equal airing of all points of view. Increasingly, this is not the case. With few excep-tions, the mass media now presents to the American people the perspective of the wealthy and powerful, while largely ignoring the needs of the middle class, working families, and the poor. The essential problem with the media is not just the transformation of politics and government into entertainment and sensationalism. It is not the need for public officials to explain complicated issues in six-second sound bites. And it is not the constant bombardment of advertising. It is that the most important issues facing most people are rarely dis-cussed. Yes – we can turn on talk radio and hear Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Oliver North, Michael Savage and dozens of others tout the line of their corporate sponsors. But how much serious discussion do we hear on these programs about the wisdom of providing hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to the richest one percent of our population, while the Republican leadership cuts back on Medicare, Medicaid, education, the needs of our veterans, and creates a huge national debt? Yes – we can watch hundreds of TV ads from the pharmaceutical industry telling us to buy this or that pre-scription drug, but how often do we see TV news shows talking about why the United States remains the only indus-trialized nation on earth that does not provide health care to all of its citizens? Yes – we can read editorial after editorial from the largest newspapers in America giving us the Fortune 500 position on the virtues of the global economy and unfettered “free trade.” But how many editorials do we read that tell us what happens to America’s workers when two million decent-paying manufacturing jobs are lost in the last two years – as companies move their production to China, Mexico and other low wage countries? If you think the media situation is bad today, you should be very worried about the new regulations that

Corporate Control of the Media

the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Powell, will be implementing in the next few months. Earlier this year, I, along with 30 of my colleagues in Congress, signed a letter to Chairman Powell. The letter urged the FCC to not move ahead with new rules on media ownership until they are able to demonstrate how changes in media ownership will benefit the public interest and not jeopardize the democratic goals of diversity, competition, and localism. Now that the FCC has voted to disregard the best interests of the American people, I have co-sponsored several bills in the U.S. House of Representatives that would overturn the FCC decision and to prohibit the agency from allowing further consolidation of the industry. This is a frightening time in America. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are two of our most vital American values. But these values are being threatened by those now in power in our own government. We must speak out against corporate control of the media. We must demand that all views are heard. And we must support local and inde-pendent voices, lest they be silenced.Congressman Bob Filner represents the 51st Congressional District of California.

BY CONGRESSMAN BOB FILNER

WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE MASS MEDIA NOW PRESENTS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL, WHILE LARGELY IGNORING THE NEEDS OF THE MIDDLE CLASS, WORK-ING FAMILIES, AND THE POOR.

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