on Page 1 “Wild Forest” Program · Urban Sprawl Water Energy Inner City Outings Chair Media...

Dallas Executive CommitteeJohn Rath, ChairBecky FisherCarol NashCalvin NicholsJoenie MeinTerry SullivanTom TolandLiz Wheelan

Political CoordinatorDavid Griggs

Newsletter EditorMatthew Wales

WebmasterJay Davison

Photography Wendell Withrow

Sierra Club HQ / AustinToll Free Numbers for Congress

Website

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@dallassierraclub.org

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.dallassierraclub.org

H: 817-488-3489H: 972-488-0529H: 214-824-0244H: 972-240-4141H: 214-320-3275H: 972-492-3038H: 214-871-7116H: 214-739-2269

H: 972-406-9667

H: 214-575-5079

H: 972-238-7847

H: 972-416-2500

512-477-1729800-962-3524800-972-3524

Adopt a Shoreline

Conservation CommitteeCo-Chairs

Conservation IssuesLeaders

Clean Air / MediaEndangered SpeciesForestsMultimodal TransportationPopulationSustainabilityRecyclingRivers / Wetlands ProtectionSolid WasteTrinity RiverUrban SprawlWaterEnergy

Inner City Outings Chair

Media

Membership Chair

Sierra Singles

Outings Committee ChairBackpackingBicyclingCanoeing / KayakingCar CampingDayhikesFamily Outings

Program Chair

Program Sales Coordinator

Special Events CoordinatorVideo

Volunteer Coordinator

H: 214-824-0244

W: 214-373-3808H: 817-488-3489

W: 214-373-3808H: 972-684-5423W: 972-701-6484H: 214-826-2144H: 817-430-3035H: 214-823-1537H: 214-651-5606H: 214-342-2019H: 972-294-8078H: 214-948-3406H: 214-363-0924

H: 972-307-6791

H: 214-739-2269

W: 214-373-3808

H: 972-315-2049

H: 817-263-1357

H: 972-991-9351

H: 972-416-0630H: 972-418-8519H: 214-826-3993H: 972-418-8519

H: 214-368-1346

H: 972-732-6566

H: 972-307-6791

Carol Nash

Rita Beving GriggsJohn Rath

Rita Beving GriggsTom GreenCliff RushingBud MeltonGayle LoefflerMargie HaleyTom TolandDavid GrayShirley HollandJoe WellsCharles TownsendCoordinator NeededLisa Silguero

Liz Wheelan

Rita Beving Griggs

George Zimmerman

Jennifer Lehman

Mick NolenVolunteer neededVolunteer neededLige BalceszakJay DavisonSteve LongleyJay Davison

Kevin Yeats

Patsy Huston

Volunteer neededLisa Silguero

Volunteer needed

[email protected]

[email protected]@dallassierraclub.org

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@dallassierraclub.org

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Dallas Sierra ClubPO Box 800365Dallas, Texas 75380

(214) 369-5543

Issue 0402April 2002

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage

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The Compass April 2002 1

The CompassApril 2002

A monthly publication of the Dallas Sierra Club

LBJ Freeway

Forest Lane Pres

ton

Road

Tollw

ay

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fort

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stra

Harvest Hill

Wozencraft

Galleria Valley View

E.D. WalkerVanguard School

The Dallas Sierra Club’s general meetings areheld the second Wednesday of each month.Meetings are open to all interested persons.

The meetings begin at 7pm at the E.D. WalkerSchool on the corner of Montfort and

Wozencraft, MAPSCO 15S.

Since President Bush took officethere have been repeatedattempts by the Bush

Administration to weaken the protec-tions established for our public lands.President Clinton signed an executiveorder protecting the Roadless Areas onour public lands. The BushAdministration has attacked this exec-utive order on several fronts, and con-tinues those efforts today. The BushAdministration wants to open up theArctic National Wildlife Refuge for oildrilling. This administration is trying tore-write the rules for the oversight ofour public lands to remove the public'sright to comment, to appeal and toaffect changes. They have establisheda process called CategoricalExclusions to bypass existing environ-mental safeguards. It’s time for this tostop. We need to create laws that willsafeguard our forests and wild landsfrom environmental destruction. Weneed to stop these roadblocks to ourdemocratic freedoms.

An Untrustworthy Service?

Over the years the informed publichas learned that it can not trust theForest Service. Our national forestswere established to create watershedsto cleanse our drinking water and toprotect public forested areas for futuregenerations. The ReaganAdministration decided that our publiclands should pay for themselves. Thatadministration established harvestquotas in our forests. Trees on ForestService lands have been cut even ifthere is no demand for the lumber orwood products. Cutting continuedeven with low lumber prices resultingin very little revenue to the ForestService. When the Forest Service tim-ber hits already low market, woodprices fall even lower. Low lumberprices and high harvesting costs resultin large and continuing loses fromthese efforts. The costs include build-ing roads and payments to countiesand school districts in lieu of taxes.

SAVING THE WILD FORESTS

See “Wild Forests”Page 7

April’s ProgramCliff Rushing will be speaking

at April’s General Meeting.The General Meeting will be heldon Wednesday, April 13, at theE.D. Walker Vanguard School.

If people in general could be got out into the woods, even for once, tohear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forestpreservation would vanish." -John Muir

We in Sierra Club recognize humanity's shared responsibility to pre-serve our wilderness for future generations. It is a task that will be hand-ed down to our children. Will they shirk, or shoulder it? If they too are tobecome loving and responsible stewards of this land, they too must learnto hear the trees speak.

This is the commitment of the Dallas Inner City Outings Program. InnerCity Outings (ICO) is a community outreach program of the Sierra Clubthat introduces low-income, inner city youth to the joys and responsibilitiesof the wilderness. With the guidance of ICO volunteer leaders, participat-ing youth discover the beauty of wild lands and how to enjoy these placeswithout harming them.

ICO NEEDS YOUR HELP

The Inner City Outings' Annual JAMBOREE draws children from all overthe Dallas, involving youth of differing races and cultures in a celebrationof nature.

This year, Jamboree takes place the weekend of April 20 and 21 at theEnvironmental Center in Lancaster, Texas. Volunteers will guide partici-pating children, aged 8-14, through hands-on, fun activities including dayand night hikes, a pond study, and canoeing. Drawn from community cen-ters and schools in underprivileged areas of Dallas, participating childrenalso will learn to pitch a tent, toast s'mores, and prepare wilderness"feasts".

Volunteers will be asked to assist also in setup April 19, and all mustattend an orientation the evening of Monday, April 15.

If interested (and we sure hope so!), please contact volunteer coordina-tors Martha Germann at 972/503-5244; or Paul Zoltan at 214/941-4816(w)or 214/324-4249(h). And if you would like to make any type of donationtowardsthe event or ICO in general, it would also be appreciated.

DAVID CRABBHONORED BY ICO

Long time Dallas Sierran DavidCrabb was recently honored for10 years of volunteer service

and leadership with the Dallas ICOgroup. Volunteers with Inner CityOutings, Sierra Club's outreach pro-gram, are a group of special adultswho take time out of their busy lives toshare the great outdoors. They bringthe wilderness to those who, withoutICO, would probably otherwise nothave the opportunity to experience theadventure, fun and value of nature.

David started with Dallas ICO in1992 and first volunteered to help withour annual Earth Day Jamboree. Hesoon worked toward becoming aCertified Trip Leader and helped coor-dinate outings with a group of boysfrom Beckley Saner RecreationCenter. With David's guidance overseveral years these at risk youthlearned how to prepare for and enjoycamp outs and backpack trips, includ-ing trips on trails through Caney Creekand Wichita Wildlife Refuge. Davidalso was chosen to lead a national ICOouting taking three boys on a five-daybackpack trip through the Wind RiverRange in Wyoming.

David's dedication to ICO has notbeen limited to leading outings. Hehas been a Coordinator for ICO'sAnnual Earth Day Jamboree,Chairperson of the Dallas group,Regional Representative, and current-ly chairs the National ICO SteeringCommittee. David also continues tolend his wisdom while serving on theDallas ICO Steering Committee.

See “David Crabb”Page 7

“Clearcutting”

2 April 2002 The Compass

The CompassApril 2002

Volume 100, Issue 0402

The Compass is the monthly publica-tion of the Dallas Group of theSierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter.Members of the Dallas Group sup-port The Compass and receive thepublication as a part of their mem-bership.

Subscriptions. For information con-cerning your subscription, call ArthurKuehne at (214) 353-2927. Non-mem-ber subscriptions are available: oneyear, $10 (includes postage). To sub-scribe, send a check made payable to“Dallas Sierra Club”.

Sierra ClubDallas Regional Group

P.O. Box 800365Dallas, Texas 75380

Address Changes. If you have ques-tions or comments regarding yourmembership, change of address, ormailing problems and delays, pleasemail or e-mail Sierra Club headquar-ters at:

Sierra Club Member ServicesPO Box 52968

Boulder, Colorado 80322-2968

[email protected]

Submissions. Article and photographsubmissions are always welcome.Please send submissions by thedeadlines given in the GeneralCalendar. Send submissions tothe newsletter editors at the e-mailaddress and phone numbers listed onthe back fold.

© 2001 Dallas Sierra Club

"It Only Takes A PassionTo Make Things Happen"

Dear Fellow Sierrans:

"Never underestimate the ability ofa few sincere, committed individualsto change the world. Indeed, that's allthat ever has". Margaret Mead.

For this month's message I canthink of no better quote. A little over 3years ago a small group of DallasSierra Club leaders said "no more" tothe dangerous and disgusting toxicwaste filling the air and lungs of ourclub members and millions of citizensdownwind of the TXI cement plant inMidlothian, TX. The Dallas SierraClub joined a few other committedconcerned groups and sued TXI tostop the pollution by making the com-pany stop burning toxic wastes. You,our club members, supported thatstance with your encouragement,time and financial contributions.

This February, after 3 years ofcourt testimony and an appeal to theSupreme court of the United States,the underdog (that's us) is not onlystill in the game, but gaining momen-tum. The Supreme courts ruling (seethe conservation section of this pub-lication) is much more than turningback a malicious challenge by TX.

Attorney General John Cornyn andthe companies in litigation; it is aDallas Sierra Club triumph for theentire citizenry of the Lone StarState. Although the effort is still notover and there are still some stiffchallenges to achieve our originalobjective, there is cause for celebra-tion; AND RECOGNITION.

Thanks to the courageous 1999Dallas Sierra Club ExecutiveCommittee for their leadership, theLone Star Sierra Chapter staff fortheir encouragement and expertise,Stuart Henry for being our strategistand front line soldier, Rita Beving, ourinspirational crusader/ mediaexpert/protest organizer/fundraiserand finally you the member for sayingyes to the ideals of John Muir. It won'tbe the last time we seek your psy-chological, physical and financial sup-port/involvement as long as there's aneed to change the world throughprotection of our environment.

I hope you enjoy this Compass edi-tion and find a way you can "make achange". Our great outings, commu-nications and conservation programsare here to help you do just that.

John RathHonored Chair of theDallas Sierra Club

Letter From Chair

Beth Harty has been a mem-ber for 16 years. Sheserved on the Executive

Committee (Excom) for 2 years.This past fall she co-chaired the REIGift wrap (our annual fundraiser).When she couldn't find a volunteerfor a gift-wrap time slot she workedthe shift herself. Beth has helped outat garage sales and holiday parties.She always jumps in where needed.She has led backpack trips, car-camps, dayhikes and bike rides.She is an inspiration for us all. Theclub needs more people like her.Please join us in congratulating Bethas volunteer of the month.

VolunteerOf The Month

GENERALCALENDAR

4/3 • 5/1 First Wednesday. ExecutiveCommittee Meeting 6:30PM at REI2nd floor metting room (I-635between Welch Road & MidwayRoad, MAPSCO 14Q), to discussClub projects, policy and finances. Allmembers are welcome to attend andparticipate. Call Terry Sullivan at(972) 492-3038.

4/10 • 5/8 Second Wednesday. SierraClub General Meeting 7:00-8:30pm inthe auditorium at ED Walker School(Corner of Montfort & Wozencraft,MAPSCO 15S), come early to pick upactivity materials and afterwords jointhe socializing at Juan’s Cantina.

4/12 • 5/10 Second Friday. Deadlinefor electronic materials to be submit-ted to The Compass. E-mail to [email protected] or deliverdiskettes to editors during theGeneral Meeting.

4/17 • 5/15 Third Wednesday. OutingsComittee Meeting 7:00PM REI(Mapsco 14Q), to discuss outingsschedules and issues. All outingsleaders, future outings leaders, andinterested Sierrans are welcome. CallArthur Kuehne at (214) 739-2927 formore information.

4/22 • 5/20 ICO Meeting. FourthMonday. 7PM at REI. Contact LizWheelan at (214) 739-2269.

4/24 • 5/22 Fourth Wedensday.Newsletter Party 7:00PM at theChruchill Recreation Center atHillcrest & Churchill Way (MAPSCO15V). Help sort, bundle and label thenewsletter. Socializing afterward.Contact Joe DeVito at (972) 562-0082.

Attorney at Law

BBooaarrdd CCeerrttiiffiieeddCivil Trial Law

&Personal Injury Trial Law

Texas Board of SpecializationW ithrow, Fiscus& Mongogna

997722••441166••22550000FFaaxx 997722••441177••006688551120 Metrocrest, Suite 200Carrollton,TX 75006

Wendel A. Withrow

Beth Harty

McCOMMAS BLUFF NATURE PRESERVESaturday April 13, 2002 9:00am to 4:00pm

Enjoy the Season on the McCommas Bluff overlooking the Trinity River

Explore the upland woods and fields andthe riparian bottomland hardwood forest

Identify wildflowers, native flora and fauna

Interpretive Nature hikes and information booths

Learn about the history of Dallas' locks and dam

Bring a picnic and enjoy the Great Trinity River Forest

Come and go at anytime

Jim Flood 972 557-1144 • [email protected]

Location: Mapsco 68B

Directions: From I-45 exit East Loop 12 and drive east to Longbranch. I-635 takeUS-175 (CF Hawn Fwy) to Loop 12 (Buckner) and exit West/South. Go about one

block (to the West) and turn left (South) on Longbranch at the Fina Station.Follow the signs. Longbranch changes into Riverwood and ends at the Preserve

entrance.Or

From I-20 east of I-45 exit at Dowdy Ferry Road and turn North. Go about a mile-and-a-half and turn left (West) on Fairport. Turn left (South) at the first intersec-

tion at Riverwood and follow the signs to the parking area.

The Dallas Sierra Club has a televison program that airs on the Dallas,Carrollton, Plano, Richardson, Garland and Rowlett Community Access chan-nels. If you do not have cable, you can pick up a VHS copy at the Dallas SierraClubmeeting. The Dallas Sierra Club program needs your support! Watch it andlet us know what you think.

If you have some video production experience, give us a call.Please call (214) 369-5543 or video committee chair at (972) 307-6791.

Sierra Club TV

Project I : EARTH - PROGRAM AIR TIMES

Dallas-DCTV AT&T Cable ServicesWED 10pm 13BSAT 2pm 13BSUN 9am 13B

Carrollton AT&T Cable ServicesTUE 9am 74THU 8pm 74

Plano/Richardson AT&T Cable ServicesTUE 7pm 10A

Garland/Rowlett AT&T Cable ServicesTUE 10pm 74


Have You AlwaysDreamed of Beingan Executive?

Looking for that next lucrativemulti-million dollar insider trad-ing deal or a discrete off-shore

hideaway? One place to start might bethe Sierra Club Executive Committee.They must all be Executives, right?Well, not exactly. But the good news isthat you don't need to wear a tie orpanty hose and you don't need tocheck your ethics at the door. Themain requirement is dedication to thegoals of the Sierra Club and a willing-ness to commit your time and energy toyour local club.

Leslie March has moved toLouisiana, and since her new homeand job are just a bit too far away foreasy commuting, she has resigned herposition on the Executive Committee.We know Leslie will be having fun andworking hard for the environment downon the bayou. However, her departureleaves a vacancy on the ExecutiveCommittee and we need someone totake her place. This person could beYOU! If you are interested in joiningthe Dallas Sierra Club leadership team,please contact John Rath or any of theother members of the ExecutiveCommittee. Their names and numbersare listed on the back of this newsletter.(Recently unemployed EnronExecutives need not apply.)

MEMBERSHIPPOTLUCKM•I•X•E•R

Sunday, April 14, All membersand prospective members areinvited to attend the monthly

Membership Potluck. Melvin andLinda Sharp are hosting our get togeth-er this month. They live at 12126Vendome Place in Dallas. We'll meetfrom 6:30 till 8:00 P.M. Bring a dish toshare and your eating utensils. This isa great opportunity for new membersto meet other members and for somegood clean fun.

For more information please callMick Nolen at (H) 972-991-9351.E-mail: [email protected]

Death & TaxesWe Can't Help You With Death,

But We Can Help You With Your Taxes!

Simple Wills $75.00 per Person to the First 50 People

Contact Wendel Withrow, Attorney at Law972-416-2500

All proceeds go to purchase video projectorand sound equipment for the Sierra Club.

NationalForest

ProtectionWhen: Saturday, April 6, 9AM-7:30PM

Where: Davy Crockett National Forest in East Texas

Reggistration onlyy $20, includingg meals

Registration: Please reserve your spot by April 3 bycontacting Ayelet Hines at the national Sierra Club office,

(512) 472-9094 or [email protected]. Cost if you're spendingSaturday night, which includes meals and snacks, is $30. If you're notspending the night Saturday, cost with meals and snacks is $20. There

will be fun activities for those staying over Saturday.

APR 6 (SAT) FOURTH ANNUALWORLD'S LONGEST DAYHIKE. Ifyou're tough enough, come and joinyour fellow Sierrans for a 23-mile day-hike on the White Rock Creek andWhite Rock Lake trails. Meet at 8:00AM at the north end of the White RockCreek trail in Valley View Park, onValley View, just east of the intersectionof Hillcrest and Valley View (just northof 635, Mapsco 15-R). We'll hike downto White Rock Lake, around it, andback. Bring your most comfortablewalking shoes, Mole Skin, extra socks,water (water and bathrooms are avail-able along the trail), lunch, and raingear (if rain is in the forecast). Optionaldinner / funeral / foot replacement afterthe hike.Leader: Arthur Kuehne

214-902-9260(H)[email protected]

APR 6-7 (SAT-SUN) BEGINNERBACKPACK on the 4-Cs TRAIL.Beginner backpack trip on the northhalf of the 4-Cs trail in Davy CrockettNational Forest (East Texas nearRusk). Total of 10 relatively flat hikingmiles in pine forest, 6 miles onSaturday and 4 miles on Sunday morn-ing. Dogwood and redbuds should bein bloom.Leader: Kent Trulsson

214-704-4253.

APR 6-7 (SAT- SUN) BEGINNERBACKPACK in BEECH CREEK, OK.An easy 4-mile hike through the beechtrees to camp, then dayhike Saturdayafternoon. If it's warm there's a goodswimming hole!Leader: Bill Greer

[email protected]

APR 12-14 (FRI-SUN) TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL TEXAS WILDER-NESS POW-WOW. This year's POW-WOW will be held at Ratcliff LakeRecreation Area in Davy CrockettNational Forrest. Plan now to join usfor a wonderful weekend of guidednature walks, interesting speakers, andentertainment by the EnvironmentalTroubadour, Bill Oliver. The proposedUpper Neaches Scenic River will befeatured. Learn why this designation isneeded to protect this beautiful riverfrom unneeded dams. Sponsored byTCONR, the Sierra Club, and manyother organizations, this is an annual

East Texas event you won't want tomiss.Contact: Arthur Kuehne

214-902-9260 or [email protected]

APR 13 (SAT) WHITE ROCK LAKECLEANUP. Help clean up the DallasSierra Club's Adopted Shoreline. Meetat the For the Love of the Lake officeparking lot on level below Eckerd's inCasa Linda Plaza (on Buckner facingDoctors Hospital, just north of GarlandRoad, Mapsco 38-J) at 8:00 AM forregistration and refreshments. Leader: Carol Nash

214-824-0244(H) [email protected]

APR 13-14 (SAT-SUN) HIGH ISLANDBIRDING. No camping, stay in moteltwo nights. Best birding experience inTexas to see return of migrants.Leader: Don Purinton

[email protected]

APR 13-14 (SAT-SUN) LITTLE MIS-SOURI RIVER BEGINNER BACK-PACKING TRIP. We will do a leisure-ly backpack of approximately 6½-milesover 2 days along one of the most sce-nic backpacking trails in SouthwestArkansas. Because the trail follows theupper reaches of the Little MissouriRiver there is minimal elevationchange, but do be prepared for streamcrossings. There will opportunities foroptional exploratory dayhikes also.Drive up Friday night and returnSunday. Preference will be given tograduates of the BeginnerBackpacking Class.Leaders: Steve Longley

Marcos Jorge

214-824-1128 (Steve)[email protected]

APR 13-14 (SAT-SUN) BUFFALONATIONAL RIVER TRAIL BACK-PACK. Explore the beginnings of theBuffalo National River Trail in northernArkansas. We'll hike fifteen miles ofbeautiful trail winding through the hol-lows and bluffs of this protected area.Hike begins Saturday morning at theSteel Creek Campground on the banksof the Buffalo River. Saturday's travelwill be about 9 miles. We will campSaturday night in one of the many val-ley hollows that mark this area.Sunday, we will complete the journeyby about 2:00 PM. Moderate difficultydue to the ups and downs. Waterfalls,wildlife and great views.Leader: Bill Beach

214-662-3224214-824-4584

APR 17 (WED) OUTINGS COMMIT-TEE MEETING. Meet in the upstairsprogram room at REI (on north side ofLBJ between Midway and Welch), at7:00 PM. Bring your ideas for theDallas Sierra Club Outings program.We will be planning summer outingsand bus trips. All outings leaders,future outings leaders, and interestedSierrans welcome.Contact: Arthur Kuehne

214-902-9260(H) for details.

APR 20-21 (SAT-SUN) LAKE MINER-AL WELLS STATE PARK HIKE andBIKE CARCAMP. Camp at LakeMineral Wells State Park, a beautifulnearby park featuring steep hills, deepravines, open savannah and a lakesurrounded by timber-covered hills.Saturday we will bike the Lake MineralWells State Trailway to Weatherford,about 30 miles round trip. Sunday wewill hike one of the park's scenic trails.


Sierra Club OutingsApril 2002

www.dallassierraclub.org

Backpacking

Canoeing

Car Camping

Cycling

Day Hiking

Education

Service Project

Notice: To receive this outings listmonthly via e-mail, send message to:

[email protected]

Type SUBSCRIBE OUTINGS LIST onthe subject line.

HOW THE OUTINGPROGRAM WORKS

Dallas Sierra Club Outings are open to mem-bers and non-members. Some trips may requirespecial qualifications and capabilities. The leadersof each outing / trip are serving in a volunteercapacity and assume no responsibility above thatof trip organizer. If you have a medical problem, itis your responsibility to inform the leader before theouting / trip. Outing / Trip leaders are encouragedto participate in training and classes to increasetheir skills, but they are not paid professionals.They will assist you within their limitations. It is theresponsibility of the participant to be aware of anypersonal limitations before going on an outing.

Radios and firearms are prohibited from all out-ings. Pets are not allowed unless specifically stat-ed. All outings officially begin at the trail head orouting start point. Leaders cannot assign carpools,but may help coordinate ride sharing for energyconservation and to promote fellowship. All non-commercial transportation is the responsibility ofthe individual. Car-pooling is SOLELY voluntary,but the costs are shared. The usual method ofsharing transportation cost is for all riders in thecar, including the driver, to divide the cost of trans-portation equally. The recommended method ofcomputing cost is to multiply round trip mileage by$0.13 a mile for small cars, $0.16 for large carsand $0.19 for vans. Before leaving, be sure thisor some other method is agreed upon.

Most outings require reservations. To participatein an outing contact the leader, who will decide ifthe trip you are interested in is suitable for youbased on your capabilities and the demands of thetrip. There is usually a limit to the number of peo-ple allowed on a given outing / trip. Reservationsare necessary for outings unless otherwise noted.If you must cancel, inform the leader as soon aspossible so that someone else can go in yourplace.

Please respect the wishes of your leader whohas volunteered his / her free time to allow you togo on the trip of your choice. If you have any ques-tions, or if you are interested in becoming a leader,contact either the Outings Chair or the appropriateOutings Committee Coordinator on the newsletterback page.


Plan to camp Friday night as well orarrive Saturday by 10 AM for the bikeride. Bring your bike, helmet(required), repair kit and water bottle.Call park at 512-389-8900 or visit theTexas State Park website for campsitereservations. Sign up is required.Leaders: Mark and Jeanni Capell

[email protected]

APR 26 (FRI) ILLINOIS RIVERCANOE TRIP in OKLAHOMA. Stay incabin or camp out on Thursday night,canoe Friday, return Fri night. Canoerental available. Moderate river.Leader: Don Purinton

972-985-1774 [email protected]

MAY 4 (SAT) LAKE MINERAL WELLSSTATE TRAILWAY BIKE RIDE. Wewill ride this easy bike trail fromWeatherford to Lake Mineral WellsState Park. Total round trip distance isabout 30 miles. Bring your bike, helmet(required), repair kit, lunch and water.Signup required. Leader: Arthur Kuehne

[email protected]

MAY 11 (SAT) WALKING TOUR ofCLYMER MEADOW. Tour this 1,000-acre virgin Blackland Prairie on therolling hills of northwestern HuntCounty, near Greenville. Join ourNature Conservancy guide as weexplore one of the largest and mostdiverse remnants of the BlacklandPrairie and one of the most scenicareas in North Central Texas. On thiseasy dayhike we will learn about themeadow's plants, history and efforts topreserve it. A $5 per person donationto the Nature Conservancy will be col-lected to help further their conservationefforts. Sign up required.Leaders: Mark and Jeanni Capell

[email protected]

MAY 11 (SAT) WHITE ROCK LAKECLEANUP. Help clean up the DallasSierra Club's Adopted Shoreline. Meetat the For the Love of the Lake officeparking lot on level below Eckerd's inCasa Linda Plaza (on Buckner facingDoctors Hospital, just north of GarlandRoad, Mapsco 38-J) at 8:00 AM for reg-istration and refreshments. Leader: Carol Nash


MAY 11-12 (SAT-SUN) DAYHIKING onthe ATHENS-BIGFORK TRAIL, AR.

We won't carry a heavy pack, but sincethe trail runs north-south and themountains go east to west we'll earnour supper! We'll do two different sec-tions of the trail; about 6 to 8 mileseach day. This trail is a few miles eastof Caney Creek Wilderness. We'll carcamp Friday and Saturday nights.Leader: Bill Greer 972-964-1781(H)

[email protected].

MAY 11-12 (SAT-SUN) BEGINNERBACKPACK TRIP at BEAVERSBEND STATE PARK, OK. We'll hike asection of the David L. Boren Trail.We'll hike about 5 miles on Saturdayand about 3 miles on Sunday. This trailis hilly so it is rated as a moderatebeginner hike. Leader: Arthur Kuehne

214-902-9260 [email protected]

MAY 15 (WED) OUTINGS COMMIT-TEE MEETING. Meet in the upstairsprogram room at REI (on north side ofLBJ between Midway and Welch), at7:00 PM. Bring your ideas for theDallas Sierra Club Outings program.We will be planning summer outingsand bus trips. All outings leaders,future outings leaders, and interestedSierrans welcome.Contact: Arthur Kuehne

214-902-9260(H)

MAY 24-28 (FRI-TUE) MEMORIALDAY BUS TRIP to the GILA WILDER-NESS. Join our first bus trip to the GilaCliff Dwellings National Monument insouthwest New Mexico. If you want aleisurely Memorial Day, you can campright where the bus drops you andenjoy short hikes to cliff dwellings andhot springs, or you might choose easyto moderate backpack trips to camp inmeadows or mesas. Serious hikers willbe able to traverse rivers, forests, andmesas seeing glorious scenery andback country hot springs. Our char-tered sleeper bus will leave Dallas at4:30 PM on Friday, May 24 and returnat about 5:00 AM on Tuesday, May 28.The cost is only $160 for Sierra Clubmembers and $175 for non-members.A $10 fee is charged for cancellationsand no refunds will be made after May11 unless a replacement is found. Tosign up, send a check made payable toDallas Sierra Club to Jay Davison,2521 Lake Bend Terrace, Carrollton,75006.Bus trip leader: Jay Davison

[email protected]

JUN 15-23 (SAT-SUN) WEEK LONGCANOE CAMPING TRIP on the GAS-CONADE RIVER. This canoe trip willbe on the Gasconade River, in thenorthern Ozark region of Missouri. Thetrip will involve 5-7 days on the riverand cover a distance of approximately

90 miles in the area of Richland toVienna. The exact river dates andlocations are to be determined (dateslisted include driving time from Dallas).Camping will be at primitive sites alongthe river. There will be some smallrapids on this river, so some canoecamping experience and intermediatecanoeing skills are required. For moreinformation on this river, seehttp://members.aol.com/mmcbs2/gas-conade.html.Leader: Mark McClain

[email protected]

JUL 13-14 (SAT-SUN) 13TH ANNUALBASTILLE DAY CANOE TRIP on theRed River. Come celebrate this famousFrench holiday with a 20-mile trip downthe Red River above Lake Texoma.We will camp Saturday night on a largesand bar and enjoy French food andwine. Participants must have somecanoeing experience and they mustbring something French or they will beguillotined at dawn.Leader: Arthur Kuehn


AUG 30-SEP 2 (FRI-MON) HIGH UNI-TAS UTAH BACKPACK TRIP.Backpack in the High Unitas (60 milesfrom Salt City). Most highly rated placein Utah Mountains. Suggested fly/ driveleaving Thursday night and returnTuesday mMorning. If you want to fly,you need to purchase air tickets now toget low prices over popular weekend.Leader: Don Purinton

[email protected]

Saturday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m. joinus for a day hike at the Dallas NatureCenter, located at 7171 MountainCreek Pkwy. Plan to hike at a briskpace for about 6-7 miles. No reserva-tions necessary. Rain or severeweather will cancel. Leaders: Jenny Lehman

Jeff [email protected](972) 228-1908.

Saturday, March 16 is VSOD's(Vegetarian Society of Dallas) celebra-tion of Great American Meat-Out.Come and go from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.Join VSOD and other non-profitgroups, for a vegetarian picnic, sharingof general information, and a day of

outdoor fun. River Legacy Park,Arlington. Bring your own picnic lunchor your own veggie grillers. We havefour large grills. A little cold or drizzleand this event is still on. This is anunofficial Sierra Club activity.

Monday, March 18 at 7:00, join us fordinner at Marco Polo Italian restaurant,located at 1001 NE Green Oaks innorth Arlington.Contact: Jenny Lehman.

Saturday, April 13 join us for a 2 - 3hour hike at Tandy Hills Park in eastFort Worth. Meet in the Tandy Hillsparking lot at 10:00 a.m. BRING:Water - Snacks or sack lunch. Wearsturdy hiking shoes because, we willnot always be hiking on the trail. Afterthe hike, if you want, we may adjournsomeplace close for eats. (Forth WorthMapsco 87C)Leader: Rebecca Mehrer

(214) [email protected]: Jenny Lehman

Monday, April 15 join us for dinner atChina Terrace restaurant, located at5435 N. Macarthur Blvd in Irving.Contact: Jenny Lehman.

Friday, April 26 7:45-10:15 p.m., Iceskating at Polar Ice rink (972) 874-1930...Come join us for an evening ofskating and fun, with an optionalrestaurant stop afterwards to recountour great moves and spills! Meet bythe skate rental counter at 7:30 p.m. orat the open end of the rink at 7:45 p.m.when the session begins. If you can'tfind the group, look for Tammy orJeneanne who will be wearing Unityand American flag pins - please feelfree to wear yours to more easily iden-tify our group. No reservations--justshow up. $7.50 admission + $3.25skate rental; coin-operated lockers (75cents) available. Grapevine Mills Mall.This skating event is an unofficialSierra Club activity.Contact: Tammy Monasco

[email protected](972) 291-8221or Jeneanne [email protected](817) 860-1870.

Friday - Sunday, May 10-12, join us atCaddo Lake for a canoe / trip. We willcamp in shelters at Caddo Lake StatePark and canoe rentals are availablethere for $30 per canoe. Maximum 24people, including leaders, allowed onthis trip so sign up early! Please RSVPto DeAnn by March 29 and pay adeposit of $15. After you officially signup you will receive a more detailed tripdescription. Leader: DeAnn McDaniel

(469) [email protected]

Co-leaders: Jenny Lehman, Larry Shindel and Beth Burgeson.

Just a reminder that all events official-ly begin at the event site / trailhead.

Contact for Sierra Singles information:Jenny Lehman, (817) 263-1357 [email protected].

SierraSinglesOutings

For those still doubting thePresident’s intent on undermin-ing clean air, the letter of resig-

nation by Senior EPA Official EricSchaeffer is a must read (The lettercan be found atw w w. B l u e S k i e s A l l i a n c e . o r g ) .Schaeffer, an attorney and Director ofRegulatory Enforcement with the EPA,left the agency saying that "We are ...fighting a White House that seemsdetermined to weaken the rules we aretrying to enforce."

Although this isn’t the first time theAdministration’s EPA has distortedthe truth to seek dirtier environmentalpolicies, this is the first blatant andunabashed attempt to gut the CleanAir Act. For even the most informed ofreaders it is difficult to discern the dif-ference between facts and politicalpropaganda so provided below are afew facts to help readers wadethrough the political rhetoric.• Fact Number 1: The Clean Air Acthas worked to improve air qualitywhile the economy has grown andenergy supplies have increased.According to the EPA’s own analysisthe Clean Air Act hasn’t hampered theeconomy or energy supplies. Since1970 the gross domestic productincreased by 158%, vehicle miles trav-el increased by 143%, and energyconsumption increased by 45%. Atthe same time the total emission of thesix primary pollutants decreased 29%.Clean air is not taking a toll on theeconomy or energy supply.• Fact Number 2: The Clean Air Act,if it’s enforced, will continue to makedramatic improvements in air quality.Numerous electric power companies,refineries, and other industrial sourceshave violated a key provision of theClean Air Act named New SourceReview. New Source Review requiresfacilities to get cleaner as they under-go major modifications. The U.S.Department of Justice has broughtlawsuits against these lawbreakersbut court cases are in limbo due to ahalt on enforcement by theAdministration. • Fact Number 3: Big polluters havegone to the Vice-President DickCheney and the Department ofEnergy in an effort to evade complyingwith New Source Review. In turn,Cheney, the Department of Energy,and other White House figures havestrong armed the EPA into weakenenforcement actions and they’ve been


SIERRA CLUB KO’S TXI

Darker Skies& Dirty LiesThe Undermining of the Clean Air Act

Citizens predicted it, and nowEPA has confirmed it: the lat-est government ozone clean-

up plan for Dallas-Ft. Worth fails tobring the area into "attainment" withthe Clean Air Act. Based on the com-puter modeling that drives thesethings, the plan only had a margin oferror of less than one part per million tobegin with. That is sure to be exceed-ed many times over with the recentnews that auto emissions were under-estimated in the adopted proposal byup to 90%.

As many of you might remember,several environmental and public inter-est organizations including the DallasSierra Club, SEED Coalition,Downwinders At Risk, and PublicCitizen predicted the plan's failurewhen the plan was adopted by theTNRCC in 2000.

Now, EPA has not unexpectedly con-firmed that their improved computermodeling of auto emissions, calledMOBILE6, reveals larger volumes ofpollution coming from vehicles than itsolder one, MOBILE5. A lot more.

In an EPA test run of the MOBILE6modeling on DFW's smog problem, itfound 90% more Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)and 21% more Volatile OrganicCompounds (VOCs) coming from carsin 2003 than the previous model(MOBILE5) had predicted. Even afternew cleaner car technology is factoredin by 2007, these pollutants are under-estimated by 44 and 2%, NOx andVOCs respectively.

NOx and VOCs, when cooked undersunlight, are the ingredients that causeozone. Ozone exposure has beenlinked to long term health problemsincluding respiratory illness.

Furthermore, air quality is not onlyexasperated by pollution levels comingfrom vehicles, but it’s also exasperatedby a county that’s out of compliancewith federal law and an industry whichis working to sabotage attempts toclear the air.

In North Texas there is one persist-ent Clean Air Act violator which hasgone unpunished for its violations:Ellis County. Ellis County has brokenthe federal clean air law but yet thestate has failed to force Ellis Countyinto writing a clean-up plan. In addi-tion, sitting less than one mile south ofDallas County are the largest industrial

NewEPA Plan

IsWorthless

Sierra Club Wins OverAttorney General At

Texas Supreme CourtIn TXI Case

Well, the verdict is in and theSupreme Court Justices ofTexas rendered a unani-

mous decision giving the Sierra Club avictory over the Attorney General JohnCornyn and the TNRCC. The verdictmarks a 3-year journey of the DallasSierra Club and its allies in the TexasIndustries (TXI) permit case in theirefforts to appeal the initial permit deci-sion by the TNRCC commissioners toallow the cement kiln to almost doubleits burning of hazardous waste withoutsufficient pollution controls.

If the Attorney General would havewon the case, it would have set aprecedent to possibly deny all Texascitizens the right to a permit appeal toa court higher than the State Office ofAdministrative Hearings. In otherwords, if a citizen had a permit for apolluting permit dealing with air, water,solid waste, or hazardous waste, etc. a

citizen may have been denied the rightto appeal to a higher court such as theDistrict Court and upwards, where per-mit cases are more apt to win.

This case will be in the law booksand will be talked about in law schoolsin Texas.

And now we can move forward withour long-awaited appeal. Already 4 ofour 35 litigants near and aroundMidlothian whom we were trying tohelp have died. It is time to help clearthe air and stop this cement plant fromcontinuing to burn without the moderntechnology it should have on its aging4 kilns. Please look for a letter tocome from the club in your mailboxregarding funds needed for theappeal. Now we need your help.Let's get the job finished that this clubset out to do 5 years ago.

Thank you, Rita Beving, ConservationCo-chair

In memory of Cecil Booth of Midlothianwho passed away in March 2001.

__ $10__ $25

__ $50__ $100

__ Other $_____

Friends of Clean Air Fund__ Yes, I want to help Sierra help clean the air

from TXI’s emmissions.

Please mail your donation to:Sierra Club Foundation

PO Box 800365Dallas, Texas 75380

This donation is tax deductable. You will receive anaknowledgement from the national office for your gift.See “Dirty Lies”

See “EPA Plan”

Page 7

Conservation News

400 N. Main St.Duncanville, TX 7116-3653

(972) 293-8300Fax (972) 293-8400

Blue Skies AllianceP.O. Box 763844

Dallas, TX 75376-3844


300,000 miles of all weather roads arededicated to logging. Funding to coun-ties and school districts is so sporadic,that they are unable to establish budg-ets. The General Accounting Officecalculates that Americans paid $2 bil-lion between 1992-1997 to turn ourforests into stumps. This effort to makethe forest pay for themselves hasbecome a large boondoggle. We needto stop throwing away tax dollars tosubsidize money losing timber salesthat wreck environmental havoc. Evenif we only consider financial reasons,we need to stop logging on our publiclands.

The Forest Service and other gov-ernment agencies use clearcutting toharvest our public lands. Clearcuttingmeans cutting all the trees no matterwhat size, scraping the land clean sothere is no underbrush, then burningthe leftover limbs and brush. This cutsmany trees before they are ready forharvest. It leaves the land exposedand unprotected, so the topsoil washesaway. It takes hundreds of years fortopsoil to develop. The wasted topsoilthen flows into rivers and streamscausing siltation. This kills fish andother aquatic wildlife and continues onup the food chain. Our rivers becomemurky and unappealing. Clearcuttingand topsoil erosion also lead to themany mudslides reported in theNorthwest in recent years.

Why Clearcut?

The Forest Service promotesclearcutting for financial reasons.Harvesting trees now rather than let-ting the trees mature brings revenue tothe bottom line now. Re-planting infast-growing tree species will producerevenue to the bottom line sooner insubsequent harvests. The moneyearned from timber sales today canearn more in interest than the futurevalue of subsequent harvests.Selecting just the mature treesrequires skilled labor. Someone has toevaluate the trees and decide whichtrees to harvest. Next, a skilled lum-berman would have to cut the maturetree without harming the immaturetrees around it. Uneducated unskilledlabor can cut everything a lot cheaper,with no regard of the damage toecosystems.

We need to remove the ForestService from the Business

of harvesting timber.

Cliff Rushing the Sierra Club -DallasRegional Group Forestry IssueCoordinator will present a slide showand stories about our National Forests- current and proposed policies andwhat we can do about these plans.

SAVING THEWILD FORESTS

From Page 1

Mark your calendars and plan to take a working vacation to Lake WhitneyState Park (60 miles south of Forth Worth) for an exciting line-up ofspeakers and strategy sessions on Saturday, April 27. The Lone Star

Sierra Club, League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund, SustainableEnergy and Economic Development Coalition, Public Citizen, Peace ActionTexas, the Peace Farm, US PIRG, and Representative Lon Burnam invite you toparticipate in an invigorating day of nationally renowned speakers, serious plan-ning and strategizing with activists from around the state, good food, and musicaround the campfire.

The goals of the "Beyond Nukes" conference are:• To bring together a broad range of people who favor phasing out nuclear power

and replacing it with clean, safe, renewable energy sources that do not producelong-lived waste.

• To educate ourselves on local, state, and national nuclear and energy issues• To begin to formulate strategies for the 2003 state legislative session, specifi

cally, to stop legislation creating a private radioactive waste dump in Texas• To strengthen and structure the connections between us, forming a lasting net

work. Activists from Dallas/Ft Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and otherurban areas need to meet those from West Texas.

• To have fun, share music and culture, and get to know each other Explore anddiscuss the role of the Texas-Maine-Vermont compact

Topics include: Nukes 101 Basics National Overview: Nuclear Energy and Waste and Statusof State Compacts Texas Overview: 1) The Nuclear Industry in Texas, from uranium mining to waste disposal to nuclear weapons, 2) Texas RenewableEnergy PotentialWhat's Expected To Happen in the Texas Legislature in 2003Results of the Sierra Club report on nuclear waste generation and storagein Texas.

Other sessions will address:Organizing for action on nuclear waste disposal in Texas Developing a Pro-Active Plan to Phase out Nuclear Power and Replace it With Clean, RenewableEnergy Forming a more structured statewide network and communications structure, and drafting a statement of principles on radioactive waste

Sunday April 28: Demonstration at nearby nuclear power plant at 11:00 AM. Details forthcoming.

Space is limited! RSVP by April 22 (call 512-477-1729). The conference is $5 per person (to cover lunch), plus the $2 park entry fee.

The conference will be held in an air-conditioned room seating 70 with a kitchen and bathrooms. People can sleep in the room on a cot or sleeping bag, or camp Saturday night. For those who donít wish to camp, there are hotels and B&Bs in the area.

Directions: To reach the park from Interstate 35, take the Hillsboro exit. In Hillsboro take State Highway 22 west to Whitney; then follow the signs to Lake Whitney State Park. The park is located 3 miles west of Whitney on FM 1244 on the shore of Lake Whitney.

Volunteers to help with food preparation, puppet-making, banner-making, and outreach are neededóplease contact the Lone Star Sierra Club (512-477-1729) if youíre able to volunteer or e-mail [email protected]

Please join us in toasting David forall he has given to ICO, and for provid-ing unforgettable experiences for themany ICO participants with whom heshares his love of nature.Thank you, David.

DAVID CRABBFrom Page 1

GET THE WORD OUT WITH THE COMPASS...Do good business and a good deed at the same time.

Advertise in The Compass today.

The Compass reaches over 4200 members every month.

Contact Matt Wales at 214-575-5079or [email protected]

successful as Schaeffer’s resignationindicates.• Fact Number 4: The EPA offered aconciliatory plan to industry in anattempt to maneuver the White House,DOE, and industry’s desire to shred thecurrent Clean Air Act. The EPA and theDOE bickered privately over their ver-sions of clean air plans and in the endthe DOE won, the EPA lost. OnValentine’s Day President Bushannounced his "Clear Skies" plan withgreat fanfare, even though EPA careerofficials knew he was talking about arollback of the Clean Air Act.• Fact Number 5: Congressman JoeBarton, a representative from NorthTexas, will be carrying the legislationon behalf of the White House and bigpolluters. Over the course of the nextfew months Barton plans to “overhaul”the Clean Air Act which will entail thegutting key clean air safeguards.

Katy Hubener is the Director of theBlue Skies Alliance and Sierra Clubmember. More information on thisissue and others can be found on theweb at www.BlueSkiesAlliance.org,or contact Katy [email protected].

emitters in North Texas. According tothe most recent TNRCC EmissionsData (1999) four facilities in EllisCounty contribute almost half of all theindustrial emissions. That’s four facili-ties compared to 395 facilities (pollu-tion graphs can be found on the web atwww.BlueSkiesAlliance.org).

Citizen’s have done their part. Evenpower plants in East Texas and themetroplex have done their part by cut-ting their emissions by as much as80%. So isn’t it time that someone dosomething about Ellis County?

DIRTY LIESFrom Page 6

EPA PLANFrom Page 6

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