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Chesapeake Bay |
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Chesapeake Bay |
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SIERRAThe Newsletter Of | ||||||||
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The Nature Conservancy now has its own Tidewater office. This a very good sign for us. It means there is enough TNC activity in this area to warrant an office. We are further very fortunate to have Brian Van erdeen in this office. Brian is an outstanding young ecologist with a dedication to Nature. Our March meeting is going to present Brian as speaker giving us the status of TNC's efforts in the area and what we can to do to help. We have already assisted with a couple of projects and are anxious to do more. The Nature Conservancy is most important in Virginia. States like N.C. are planning to invest 200 million over 10 years preserving natural areas. In Virginia the state legislature for the first time considered setting aside 4 million for 5 years. However, this year Governor Gilmore is asking to use those funds to help pay the car tax pay back. Capitalistic societies are not good at investing in the things that make life meaningful. The rate of return on investment does meet the competitive criteria. Some things need to be done by government. Progressive states do set aside natural areas for all to enjoy. Fortunately, in Virginia we do have The Nature Conservancy. An outstanding organization. Time is 7 PM, the place is the Virginia Beach Central Library and the date is Monday, 5 March. You'll be glad you came!!
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| Contact Nancy McAdoo (464-4483). |
| The Sierra Club should be the guardian or the watchdog for the quality of our local drinking water. In view of events in Chesapeake, we have decided that now is the time to prepare for this function and to act. There is an additional problem with local water quality. A recent Hampton Roads District Planning Commission Report states that the EPA recently overruled the exemptions given by the Virginia Health Department for the excessive use of Florine. This had been going on for 25 years. Norfolk and Virginia Beach have not had the problem. All the other local municipalities do have a problem. Therefore, we are sponsoring a panel of experts to bring us up to speed on the quality of our drinking water and what is the role of the responsible citizen. On the one hand there is gloom and doom, the two favorite items of the environmentalist. There is a good case for some gloom. Acid rain which comes from the air, kills forest and sterilizes streams and lakes. What do the ingredients of acid rain do to our drinking water. Are there methods of removing these ingredients from the water supply and are they being effectively used by the local treatment facilities. On the other hand, it can be stated that in this country anyway there is the Drinking Water Act as well as the Clean Water Act. Some say the quality of water today is better than it was 10 years ago and even just 5 years ago. We promise to keep the approach to the situation balanced. All gloom is not what we want to be about. We do want to be informed and to be in a position to act responsibly. The panel is designed to have some one from public health, some one who operates a treatment facility and someone who is an environmental health specialist. The time is 7PM at the Virginia Beach Central Library. The date is Monday, April the 2nd.
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| In April spring will be coming in strong. We want to be there to see the plants and wildlife greeting the new year. We will be checking with the refuge manager to see if we can gain excess to Lake Drummond, but that may well depend on the weather at the time of the outing. If there has been considerable rain, there is no way anyone can get to the Lake. Anyway join us for an always interesting and wonderful visit to our favorite refuge. The refuge now consists of over 108,000 acres. It is by far the largest refuge in the northeastern region of the refuge system. It is also one of the few refuges on the East Coast that is not primarily for ducks. As a result its wilderness is intact and the wildlife appreciate that. And remember, there is always the chance of seeing a black bear. We did see a cub black bear just a couple of years ago. However, I'm just as interested in all the birds, plants and flowers and the insects that will be coming out. We will meet at the Central Library in Virginia Beach and carpool over. The time will be 8:30 AM. Bring a good lunch. The date will be Saturday, the 28th of April.
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| Contact Nancy McAdoo (464-4483). |
| You might want to get involved in one or more of our current Service Outing projects, or you might have another service project that you would like us to get involved in. Those projects that are currently underway include:
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| You probably have an environmental issue that you are concerned about and would like some support. We would be interested in assisting. The Sierra Club does have available expert consultants. Many of you know one and that is Glen Besa. Glen is our Virginia chapter Executive Director. There are limitations to how many issues we can get involved in, however, the only real limitation is dependent on what the members are willing to do. So ask! We currently are actively involved in the following community issues: the golf course at Fort Story, the Mattaponi reservoir, local drinking water quality, sprawl and particularly sprawl on the Eastern Shore, local air quality, Sandbridge Road, the Chesapeake Bay, local wetlands, and a special vision for what the Dismal Swamp could be for the region. You are invited to get involved in any of the above or by suggesting one of special concern to you. Give Fred a call at 467-2775.
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