Chapter Home - In the Media
Oregon Sierra Club in the Media
Time for a Coal-Free Northwest
BlueOregon November 19, 2009
Last week, the Sierra Club, the Northwest Energy Coalition, and numerous other Oregon conservation and ratepayer organizations sent an open letter (pdf) to Governor Ted Kulongoski, asking him to work with other regional Governors to push the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) to set a plan to phase out burning coal for electricity in the Northwest over the next decade.
Geothermal - just add water
Bend Bulletin November 13, 2009
The sierra Club’s Asante Riverwind raises concerns about the amount of water needed to operate a proposed geothermal energy project near the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
Take This Plan and Shred It: Detailed growth plan rankles conservative county commission
The Source Weekly November 11, 2009
Conservation groups such as Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited and the Upper Deschutes River Coalition have all weighed in favor of retaining the portions of the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan that lay out the county’s short and long-term strategies. Depending on how much the planning commission backs out of the draft, conservationists fear it could end up looking a lot like the current, three-decade old plan, which they say is not only out of date, but out of touch with current values.
Lone Pine bear returns, is legally shot
Medford Mail Tribune October 28, 2009
Sally Mackler, wildlife chairwoman for the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the bear’s death stands as a lesson for people to do their best not to lure animals intentionally or accidentally into urban settings. “A lot of times, relocation sounds warm and fuzzy, but it may not be the answer,” Mackler said. “The phrase, ‘A fed bear is a dead bear’ exists for a reason.”
Two women offer guidelines for a healthier planet
El Hispanic News Y Mas October 22, 2009
As guests of the Sierra Club, de la Torre and environmental author/editor Laurie Mazur delivered warnings about the ecological threats in the world’s future.
Green Oregon’s Dirty Secret: Coal!
Portland Mercury October 21, 2009
Locally, the Sierra Club has launched a campaign to get Oregon off coal. Two weeks ago, the group packed a meeting of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, a governor-appointed group that writes up recommendations for the region’s future energy use. There was not a seat left in the Power Council’s Ecotrust meeting room, as dozens of people waved red “No Coal” signs on popsicle sticks during a public hearing on the most recent power plan. This afternoon, the Sierra Club marched a human “Coal Train” around an inflatable replica of Boardman in Pioneer Square.
Activists at power-planning hearings push for cleaner energy
Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce October 16, 2009
The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign brought people out to testify and offer support. “The message came through loud and clear,” Sierra Club spokeswoman Cesia Kearns said. “People don’t want to wait any longer to address global warming and they want groups like the council to address this. “If we’re going to address global warming, the best way to do this is to phase out coal,” Kearns said.
Staying power
East Oregonian October 6, 2009
The Sierra Club and several others are suing PGE, saying the Boardman plant violates the Clean Air Act. They say PGE should have obtained a permit under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration program when it was first built or when it made modifications in the 1990s.
Northwest salmon advocates make the rounds in D.C.
The Oregonian October 6, 2009
“There is strong support in the region for a bold solution to this crisis and we don’t have the time for more political side-stepping,” said Jeff Hickman, a Portland fishing guide and Regional Conservation Organizer for the Sierra Club.
Forest travel plan decision will take time
The Observer October 5, 2009
Discussing the Oregon Sierra Club’s efforts to address off-highway vehicle abuse by influencing the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest’s Travel Management Plan.
Judge rejects Portland General Electric argument in coal plant pollution case
The Oregonian October 1, 2009
The Sierra Club and other environmental groups are suing PGE, alleging that the utility has improperly evaded pollution controls at Boardman required under the Clean Air Act.
Students Stand Up to Coal
Yes Magazine September 30, 2009
“Oregon Deserves Clean Energy” read the banner fluttering above a group of students and local citizens gathered in Eugene, Oregon yesterday. They were part of one of dozens of actions held nationwide to promote cleaner alternatives to coal power on college campuses. “Old energy sources like coal are holding us back from a prosperous clean energy future,” says Cesia Kearns of the Oregon Sierra Club. “We cannot let coal stand in the way.” That’s the central message of a growing movement of students and activists determined to topple the coal industry’s influence on national energy policy, starting with their own campuses.
Controversial cougar study comes to end
Mail Tribune September 25, 2009
Sally Mackler, wildlife committee chairwoman for the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, said she was happy the agency was ending the study and not surprised by the findings.
Study: Killing cougars didn’t stop complaints
Associated Press September 25, 2009
“Science tells us that randomly killing predators is not a proven method for reducing conflict,” said Sally Mackler, of the Oregon Chapter of Sierra Club. “There’s a built-in assumption in the management plan that thinning cougars will increase (deer and elk) herds and decrease conflicts, and that’s not ever proven to be the case.”
Pot still boiling in Clatsop County over LNG; demonstration set Wednesday
The Oregonian September 22, 2009
The Oregon Sierra Club, Citizens Against the Pipelines and Columbia Riverkeepers plan to bus in demonstrators from Portland and Eugene to stage a rally where the Clatsop County commissioners will meet and expected to vote on the request for rezoning of the Bradwood Landing LNG Facility.
College students protest coal use on campuses
Corvallis Gazette-Times September 16, 2009
Students at Oregon State University and other schools nationwide have mounted a Sierra Club-led campaign targeting coal-based power at colleges, whether generated at on-campus plants or purchased from private utilities.
Emission goals prove elusive
Portland Tribune September 17, 2009
The Sierra Club, which is campaigning to shut down all coal-burning power plants in the country, promptly denounced the draft as a “19th century energy plan” that will increase global warming. “PGE needs to step up to the plate,” says Cesia Kearns, regional representative of the organization’s Beyond Coal Campaign.
PGE’s plan for the future shirks its responsibility
The Oregonian September 10, 2009
Sierra Club volunteer Christine Lewis’s guest column criticizing Portland General Electric’s draft Integrated Resource Plan.
State Board to re-examine where state forests’ value lies
The Oregonian September 9, 2009
“I would urge you strongly to not mess with the current greatest permanent value rule,” Jeff Hickman, an angler and Sierra Club organizer, told the board Wednesday.
Oregon Forestry Board votes to increase logging
Associated Press September 9, 2009
“They are moving much more towards an industrial timber management approach for these publicly owned forests which provide clean water, tens of millions of dollars in recreation income for rural north coast counties, hunting and fishing opportunities and carbon sequestration,” said Ivan Maluski of the Sierra Club.
Liveblogging: Oregon forestry board moving forward with Tillamook logging plan
The Oregonian September 9, 2009
Jeff Hickman, an angler and advocate with the Sierra Club, challenged Marvin Brown, the state forester, on a statement he made in June that recreation in the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests generated about $800,000 in revenue.
Portland General Electric unveils contested power plan
The Oregonian September 4, 2009
The Sierra Club and other environmental groups have sued PGE over the adequacy of those controls. Shuttering Boardman is also a key part of the Sierra Club’s national “Beyond Coal” campaign. Robin Everett, the campaign’s Northwest representative, said PGE “doesn’t want to do the hard stuff” it would take to replace the coal plant’s electrical supply, including pursuing more renewables and low-cost energy efficiency.
Opponents of LNG fight county’s OK for Bradwood Landing
The Daily Astorian September 2, 2009
The Sierra Club and our partners filed notice that we will appeal the Clatsop County commissioners’ recent land-use approval for the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project.
When the Bough Breaks
Forest Grove News-Times August 26, 2009
Sierra Club hunter-angler organizer quoted in a lengthy article about the Oregon Board of Forestry’s decision to increase clear-cutting in the Tillamook State Forest.
Heat sparks energy debate
Portland Tribune August 13, 2009
“It’s time to phase out [the Boardman coal plant] and increase the use of renewable energy and efficiency to meet future demand,” says Robin Everett, associate regional representative of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign.
Enviros say forest plan would hurt fish habitat
Forest Grove News-Times August 5, 2009
Extensive coverage of the Oregon Sierra Club’s petition to the Board of Forestry, complete with quotes from Sierra Club volunteers Don Fontenot and Ralph Bloemers.
Groups appeal clearcutting decision on Oregon’s Tillamook and Clatsop state forests
The Oregonian July 31, 2009
The Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, joined by fishing and wildlife groups announced they have formally asked the Oregon Board of Forestry to reverse its decision to increase clear cutting on the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests. “The Board of Forestry showed its allegiance to the timber industry by steamrolling over the public, ignoring the best available science, and making a political decision to prioritize timber production rather than looking out for best interests of our state forests and the public who owns them,” Sierra Club volunteer Donald Fontenot said in the news release.
Fishing and Conservation Groups Petition to Ensure Recovery of Fish and Wildlife on the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests
Sierra Club Press Release July 31, 2009
The Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club and our conservation partners filed a formal Petition with the Oregon Board of Forestry requesting that the Board reverse its decision to increase clear cutting on the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests.
Deschutes timber take a cut above the state’s
Bend Bulletin July 30, 2009
Asante Riverwind, with the local Sierra Club chapter, has another idea — a number of big timber projects were completed in 2007 and 2008, he said, and the Deschutes National Forest addressed some of the concerns of conservationists by agreeing to cut only smaller trees without old-growth characteristics.
Two Ashland residents honored by Sierra Club
Ashland Daily Tidings July 25, 2009
Two Ashland residents who fought against Mt. Ashland’s expansion plans have received Oregon Sierra Club awards for their local conservation efforts. Tom Dimitre, a planning commissioner, and Kristin Biechler were presented with the awards July 18 at the club’s annual barbecue in Portland.
OHV Trail System Debate
KOHD News – Bend July 20, 2009
Sierra Club staff person Asante Riverwind discuss efforts to identifying trail damage done by off road vehicles in the Deschutes National Forest.
Belching Dinosaur
Oregonian Letter to the Editor July 5, 2009
Sierra Club Beyond Coal Task Force member, Elizabeth Kaplan, expresses her concerns about the Boardman coal plant.
Oregon forces pollution cuts at PGE’s coal-fired power plant
The Oregonian June 19, 2009
The National Park Service and a coalition of environmental groups that includes the Sierra Club say the proposal doesn’t make PGE go far enough or fast enough.
Panel Rules: More Logging On State Forests
Oregon Public Broadcasting June 4, 2009
Sierra Club’s Donald Fontenot comments on Board of Forestry decision to expand clear-cutting in Tillamook and Clapson state forests: “We don’t take any solace in what this very timber-industry dominated Board of Forestry did, at all. They made the wrong decision at the wrong time.”
Oregon Board of Forestry looks at reshaping forests
The Oregonian June 3, 2009
Sierra Club’s Donald Fontenot on proposed changes to the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forest management plans: “It’s a pretty big decision on which way Oregon is going to turn… is it going to turn green, or is it going to turn timber into its first priority?”
Oregon wants cut in PGE coal plant’s pollution
The Oregonian June 1, 2009
Sierra Club and coalition partners challenge Department of Environmental Quality’s plan to curb pollution at the Boardman coal plant. Currently available technology “can provide dramatically lower pollution than this plan requires,” the coalition said in a press release.
Enviros charge up to challenge coal
Streetroots May 25, 2009
An interview with Beyond Coal Organizers Robin Everett and Cesia Kearns about the Sierra Club’s efforts to make the Northwest coal free.
The EPA Gets it Right (Television Coverage)
KOIN 6 News May 21, 2009
Television news story about Oregon Sierra Club’s trip to Seattle to support the Obama Administrations determination that carbon dioxide emissions are a threat to the public health and welfare. Sierra Club intern Jennifer Jones was interviewed.
Oregon power companies divided over pollution plan
The Oregonian May 20, 2009
Beyond Coal Campaign Organizer, Cesia Kearns, on a regional cap and trade system: “Ultimately, we need to close carbon loopholes and make polluters pay for what they emit, and we have to avoid a shell game where there are no real carbon reductions… We need action on all these levels.”
Seattle at Center of Global Warming Debate
Seattle Post Globe May 20, 2009
Oregon Sierra Club on EPA Endangerment Hearing: “People are taking the whole day off of work so they can make their voices heard that they want action,” says Robin Everett, a staffer with the Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club. She plans to wake up around 5 a.m. to catch one of the 7:30 a.m. buses she arranged to ferry Oregonians to Seattle.
Do We Really Need LNG Plants In Oregon? Find Out Today
Natural Oregon April 16, 2009
Sierra Club LNG Organizer Olivia Schmidt comments on the LNG Public Protection Act. Schmidt says the energy it takes to cool the gas into liquid form, ship it overseas in large tankers, then heat it up again in Oregon adds 30% more carbon into the atmosphere than gas from the U.S. or Canada.
Proposed power plant raises questions about environmental costs Proponents, however, contend it will provide the area with much-needed revenue and jobs.
The Register-Guard April 3, 2009
Peter Saranceno of the Sierra Club’s Many Rivers Group comments on the need for increased monitoring at Seneca Sawmill before a proposed $45 million wood-fueled electrical power plant can be considered.
Spring Basin Wilderness a John Day River jewell
The Oregonian April 3, 2009
The Oregonian’s Terry Richard discusses his first hike to the newly designated Spring Basin Wilderness. He was on a Sierra Club High Desert Committee trip lead by volunteer Borden Beck.
Letters to the editor: KBR, tent cities, BTA’s bridge position
The Oregonian March 29, 2009
Letter to the editor by Sierra Club High Desert committee member Joe Walicki discussing desert areas in eastern Oregon that deserve Wilderness protection.
Contractor loses suit over Coos County gas pipeline
The Oregonian February 24, 2009
As a result of a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and our conservation partners, MasTec Inc., a contractor that was fired after being hired to build a natural gas pipeline from Roseburg to Coquille, has been ordered to pay $1.5 million in penalties to the U.S. Treasury because of damage caused to pristine streams and rivers.
Young Oregon activitists will lobby Congress for clean energy
The Oregonian February 20, 2009
Oregon Sierra Club organizer Jenny Bedel-Stiles has been recruiting students to join Power Shift 09 for four days of training and lobbying for climate and green energy policies in Washington, D.C.
Kroger asks FERC to freeze LNG action
The Daily Astorian February 16, 2009
Sierra Club mentioned as leading opponent to the Bradwood Landing liquified natural gas proposal.
Protecting mushrooms key to Crescent project
Bend Bulletin February 3, 2009
Sierra Club’s Asante Riverwind quoted regarding concerns about this logging project.
LNG terminal sent back to Clatsop Land Use Board of Appeals says county erred in approving Bradwood Landing project
The Hillsboro Argus January 30 2009
Sierra Club mentioned as leading opponent to the Bradwood Landing liquified natural gas proposal.
Forest officials mapping legal off-road trails
Bend Bulletin January 27, 2009
Sierra Club’s Marilyn Miller quoted regarding concerns about off-highway vehicle damage in Oregon’s federal forests.
The importance of Wilderness Protection on Oregon’s Federal Lands
Listen to the Sierra Club’s Ivan Maluski speak up for Wilderness Protection on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Sign up for the Sierra Club’s podcast
The Sierra Club now has a weekly radio program. Go to the sign-up page to subscribe to the podcast.
