September, 2013: In This Issue. . .
General Meeting Program -
September 10, 7:00 pm - Refreshments at 6:30
At our September General Meeting, learn about Tree Planting,
as well as the City of Dallas' sustainability efforts
 Trees
and Health
September is the start of the tree
planting season. Understanding the importance of proper
tree selection and placement can make the difference between
if your tree thrives or dies. We will be discussing the
key points that will ensure the next tree you plant is a
success. Presented by Matt Grubisich and Tyler Wright of
the Texas Trees Foundation.
City of Dallas' Sustainability
The City of
Dallas' cogeneration project uses a previously unused
renewable resource (biogas) to generate electricity at cheaper
costs than the City was paying, while reducing area-wide
emissions and the City's carbon footprint. Hear about
this and other sustainability efforts.
Everyone is
welcome. You don't have to be a Sierra Club member. Just
show up. We'd love to meet you.
Our General
Meeting starts at 7:00 pm but come at 6:30 for snacks,
information and fellowship. Our meeting takes place at REI, 4515 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway,
Dallas, TX 75244. Click over to our
General Meeting
page of our website for more information and a map.
Fall Classes
Join us and be ready for
those adventures you've been dreaming about.
Sep 11 (Wed) Advanced
Backpacking Class - Explore farther, hike longer!
Great - you have a few weekend backpacks under your
belt; now you want to do more challenging backpacking to
explore even more special places: a fly-drive or
multi-night outing, or even try a cold weather trip. This
class will cover advanced backpacking tips and skills
including winter camping, fly-drive planning, equipment,
bear barrel packing and week+ long trekking. Location:
Guadalupe Peak clinic room (2nd floor) at Dallas REI, 4515
LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ
between Midway and Welch). This class will start promptly
at 6:30 PM and finish about 8:45 PM. The fee for the class
is $15 for Sierra Club members and $20 for non-members.
Handout provided. Please bring water bottle and writing
utensil if you want to take notes. No reservations are
necessary; just show up.
Oct 1 (Tue) and Oct 3 (Thur) - Two Evening Wilderness
Navigation Class
Learn the fundamentals of finding
your way in the wilderness in this comprehensive two evening
class. Among the subjects covered are: purchasing maps, how to
read maps, how not to get lost, what to do if you do get
lost, different kinds of compasses and how to use your
compass. Some discussion about GPSs but our main focus is for
you to learn how to use a map and compass so you're
not trusting your navigation (and life) on something that
takes batteries. If you have a compass, bring it to the class.
If you don't have one, we will have an extra you can use and
will show you what to look for when you purchase your own. The
class will be held at the Dallas REI store (Guadalupe
Peak clinic room, 2nd floor), 4515 LBJ Freeway, north side,
between Midway and Welch. This two-night class (second
night Thur., Oct. 3) will start promptly at 6:30 PM and will
finish at about 8:45 PM. The fee for the class is $15 for
Sierra Club members and $20 for non-members (cost covers both
nights). Handout included. Bring water bottle and writing
utensil for taking notes and writing navigation practice
exercises. No reservations are necessary; just show
up. Subsequent day hike with class instructor will be offered
to class participants who want to practice their new skills.
Victory! Dallas Drilling Permits Denied and City Plan
Commission Hearing Scheculed
Dallas Sierra Club volunteers,
along with a large and growing number of concerned residents,
were able to defeat three permits for Trinity East to drill,
frack and produce unconventional shale gas in Dallas. The
permits would have allowed risky and heavily polluting
drilling activities on Dallas parkland, in the floodplain of
the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, near a school and soccer
complex. Thanks to all who helped over the years to make this
long fought and hard won victory possible, against all odds.
See a story at http://greensourcedfw.org/articles/environmental-activists-vow-keep-momentum-going-after-drilling-denied-parks.
But the fight to protect Dallas from future gas drilling isn't
over. There is still a need to get a strong gas drilling
ordinance passed at the Dallas City Plan Commission, and then
by the Dallas City Council. So we still need for large numbers
of people to show up at hearings, send e-mails, letters and
faxes, make calls, etc. over the next month or so. To get
action alerts on this, contact
MollyRooke@sbcglobal.net.
Please attend, if possible, the following hearings:
Thursday, Sept 12th - Dallas City Hall, 1500
Marilla Street http://www.ci.dallas.tx.us/cso/directions.html
1:30 pm until probably 5 or 6 pm - Dallas City Plan
Commission PUBLIC HEARING on gas drilling ordinance - covering
Water Quality, Air Quality, Compressor Stations, and
Pipelines. This will be preceded, at 8:30 am, by a Dallas
City Plan Commission workshop on the gas drilling ordinance
(we can't speak at this, but can watch their discussions and
deliberations with city staff, who are are pushing for a weak
drilling ordinance)
Thursday, September 26th - Dallas City
Hall, 1500 Marilla Street http://www.ci.dallas.tx.us/cso/directions.html
1:30 pm until probably 5 or 6 pm - Dallas City Plan
Commission PUBLIC HEARING FOLLOWED BY VOTE on final draft of
gas drilling ordinance which will then be sent to the Dallas
City Council. This will be preceded at 8:30 am, by a Dallas
City Plan Commission workshop on the gas drilling ordinance
(we can't speak at this, but can watch their discussions and
deliberations with city staff, who are are pushing for a weak
drilling ordinance)
Get more background and Dallas City Plan
Commission contact info at:
http://dallascityhall.com/pdf/DevSvcs/CityPlanCommissionMembers.pdf
http://dallasresidentsatrisk.com/drilling-in-dallas/
http://www.downwindersatrisk.org/2013/08/what-yesterdays-vote-means-for-dallas-the-shale-and-the-rest-of-the-universe/
Dallas City Council Endorsements Produce Positive Result
Thanks to everyone who voted in the
Dallas City Council elections this Spring and supported our
Sierra Club-endorsed candidates. Thanks in part to your volunteer efforts and your
monetary contributions to our Texas Sierra Club PAC, we were
able to help most of our endorsed candidates win.
Those efforts paid off big time this past week when we
witnessed the City Council defeat three permits for Trinity
East to drill, frack and produce unconventional shale gas in
Dallas. The
permits would have allowed risky and heavily-polluting
drilling activities on Dallas city parkland in the floodplain
of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, near a school and soccer
complex. To learn
more about upcoming activities to support
environmentally-friendly candidates or to learn how you can
contribute to the work of the Sierra Club Political Committee
of Texas, go to:
www.turntexasgreen.org
Let’s Thank Our Friends on the Dallas City Council
Six members of the Dallas City Council,
most of whom were endorsed and strongly supported by the
Sierra Club, stood up against strong pressure from the
drilling industry and voted to deny the Trinity East fracking
permits at the August 28th Council meeting.
We should thank these brave members of the Council for
protecting our parks, health, neighborhoods, and our air and
water. The six
members are:
- District 1: Scott Griggs
- District 2: Adam Medrano
- District 6: Monica Alonzo
- District 7: Carolyn Davis
- District 12: Sandy Greyson
- District 14: Phillip Kingston
Their contact information can be seen by
clicking on their names on the Dallas City Hall website at:
http://www.dallascityhall.com/government/government.html
Gasland II Screening
Friday, September 27th, you're invited
to attend the free screening of "Gasland Part II" with Josh
Fox, director of the 2011 Academy Award-nominated documentary
“Gasland,” at the historic Texas
 Theatre at 231 W Jefferson
Blvd., Dallas. Please, arrive at 7 p.m. to visit with local
activists and experts at information tables in the lobby of
the theater to find out more about what can be done to protect
our health and our local communities, including Dallas, from
gas drilling activities. The screening starts at 7:30 p.m., is
120 minutes long, and will be followed with a Q&A with the
director, etc. Go to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/817382914333 to
RSVP to ensure admission due to seating capacity.
You can see
the Sierra Club review of the film, and a trailer at
http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2013/07/movie-review-gasland-part-2.html .
If the Friday, Sept. 27th Dallas screening doesn't work for
your schedule, but you're available on the Saturday Sept.
28th, there's also going to be a screening in Fort Worth. For
details of that screening, e-mail either mollyrooke@sbcglobal.net or quertermous@gmail.com.
A Night with Sierra Club Executive Director Michael
Brune
Come
join fellow Sierrans from around the state for a cocktail
reception with Sierra Club's executive director Michael
Brune and Lone Star Chapter Director Scheleen Walker.
The
event entitled "Building the Next Environmental Movement in
Texas" follows Brune's panel discussion at the popular South
by Southwest Eco Conference event in Austin.
DATE: Tuesday,
Oct. 8, 2013
PLACE: Malverde
ADDRESS: 400-B W 2nd Street
in Austin, TX 78701 TIME: 6-8 pm
REFRESHMENTS: Hors d'ouvres
and beverages provided
This event is a fundraiser for the Lone Star Chapter.
Individual Tickets start at $100.00.
Sponsorships include:Champions ($1000 - 8 Tickets), Guardians
($500 - 4 tickets), and Protector, $250 - 2 tickets.
Fall Campout at Scenic Beavers Bend State Park, Choctaw
Program, Oct 18-20
Gather your friends and family for this
special weekend relaxing under the tall pines and fall foliage
of beautiful southeast Oklahoma! Your choice of a rustic cabin
or pitching your tent on the grassy lawn of our group
compound. We'll offer a variety of activity options
 including
hiking, birding, paddling, mini clinics on beginner car
camping, backpacking and new this year - nature photography
with Sierran and professional photographer James Wilson. Or
you can relax and enjoy any of the activities offered by the
State Park (including horseback riding, canoe rental, tennis).
Sound too strenuous - just throw out a fishing line or sit by
the river - it's up to you! There's something fun to do for
outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. Our group
camp includes a stone dining hall built in the 1940s by the
CCC and a bathhouse with hot water and flush toilets - what
more could you want (ok, yes there will be chocolate too)!
Special Saturday evening program by Choctaw historian and
flute maker Presley Byington who has enlightened and
entertained audiences from Oklahoma to the Smithsonian's new
National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.
Reservation deadline is October 15. For more details and
reservation information,
click here.
Annual Bus Trip to Big Bend National Park
 It's the perfect time of year to explore this unique and
very special area of Texas. Our trip is a few weeks before
Thanksgiving so you can join in the fun and
still spend Thanksgiving with your family. There will
be several hike options of various difficulty levels,
through different parts of this very scenic National Park.
If you've never been to Big Bend National Park, you owe it
to yourself to explore this amazing part of Texas. If you
have been there before, come hike a different area. Our
chartered sleeper bus leaves Dallas at 7:00 pm Wednesday
and returns early morning on Monday (Veteran's Day - a day
off for some of you). Some backpacking experience is
required. Complete information about the trip and sign up
requirements are in
this PDF file.
Calendar
Here is our calendar for the next two months. For complete listings, visit us at
www.dallassierraclub.org.
 Sep
10 (Tue) Dallas Sierra Club General Meeting
Two
topics for our September meeting: (1) September is the start
of the tree planting season. Understanding the
importance of proper tree selection and placement can make the
difference between if your tree thrives or dies. The
Texas Tree Foundation will discuss key points that will ensure
the next tree you plant is a success. (2) The City of Dallas'
cogeneration project uses a previously unused renewable
resource (biogas) to generate electricity at cheaper costs
than the City was paying, while reducing area-wide emissions
and the City's carbon footprint. Hear about this and
other sustainability efforts. Everyone is invited. Full
details will be on our
home page on
August 14.
 Sep
11 (Wed) Advanced Backpacking Class - Explore farther, hike
longer!
Great - you have a few weekend backpacks
under your belt; now you want to do more challenging
backpacking to explore even more special places: a fly-drive
or multi-night outing, or even try a cold weather trip. This
class will cover advanced backpacking tips and skills
including winter camping, fly-drive planning, equipment, bear
barrel packing and week+ long trekking. Location:
Guadalupe Peak clinic room (2nd floor) at Dallas REI, 4515 LBJ
Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ between
Midway and Welch). This class will start promptly at 6:30 PM
and finish about 8:45 PM. The fee for the class is $15 for
Sierra Club members and $20 for non-members. Handout provided.
Please bring water bottle and writing utensil if you want to
take notes. No reservations are necessary; just show up.
Contact: Bill Greer
Send Email 972-247-0446
 Sep
14 (Sat) White Rock Lake Cleanup
Walk and talk
while helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra
Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15
AM at the Love of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of
Garland Rd. and Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people
drinking free juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc.
provided. Our area includes one of the wonderful prairie
restoration areas, so there are always birds and wildflowers
to enjoy. The lake and your karma will thank you. Brunch
afterwards. Leader: Carol Nash
Send Email 214-824-0244
Sep
18 (Wed) Outings Committee Meeting
Meet in the
upstairs program room at REI (on north side of LBJ between
Midway and Welch), at 6:30 PM. Bring your ideas for the Dallas
Sierra Club Outings program. We will be planning local outings
and bus trips. All outings leaders, future outings leaders,
and interested Sierrans welcome. Ask Bill to be placed on the
email list for an agenda. Contact: Bill Greer
Send Email 972-247-0446
Sep
21 (Sat) Trail Maintenance at Cedar Ridge Preserve
Its fun and its helpful to get out to the Cedar Ridge Preserve
to help upgrade some of the beautiful walking trails just
south of Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy,
Dallas, TX 75249. Its a great morning workout, and the scenery
is exceptional. No tools are required, (maybe gloves) just
show up and be ready to lend a hand or two. We'll work from 9
AM to 12 or earlier, and then walk around the preserve and
admire the wildflowers and fauna! Bring some water for sure.
Its on Saturday the 21st of September, and please see their
website at www.audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html for
directions and info. Their number is 972-709-7784
See you then! If you wish to carpool, then let me know, and
we'll arrange a meeting spot. Come on out and stay green,
people! Contact: Ginger
Send Email 469-223-7902
Oct
1 (Tue) Wilderness Navigation Class - Part 1 (aka Learn to
Explore!)
Learn the fundamentals of finding your
way in the wilderness in this comprehensive two evening class.
Among the subjects covered are: purchasing maps, how to read
maps, how not to get lost, what to do if you do get
lost, different kinds of compasses and how to use your
compass. Some discussion about GPSs but our main focus is for
you to learn how to use a map and compass so you're
not trusting your navigation (and life) on something that
takes batteries. If you have a compass, bring it to the class.
If you don't have one, we will have an extra you can use and
will show you what to look for when you purchase your own. The
class will be held at the Dallas REI store (Guadalupe
Peak clinic room, 2nd floor), 4515 LBJ Freeway, north side,
between Midway and Welch. This two-night class (second
night Thur., Oct. 3) will start promptly at 6:30 PM and will
finish at about 8:45 PM. The fee for the class is $15 for
Sierra Club members and $20 for non-members (cost covers both
nights). Handout included. Bring water bottle and writing
utensil for taking notes and writing navigation practice
exercises. No reservations are necessary; just show
up. Subsequent day hike with class instructor will be offered
to class participants who want to practice their new skills.
Contact: Bill Greer
Send Email 972-247-0446
Oct
2 (Wed) Dallas Sierra Club Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee (or Excom) is the elected governing
body of the Dallas Sierra Club and meets at REI, 4515 LBJ
Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ between
Midway and Welch) at 6:30 pm. Contact the
Dallas Group Chair for more information.
Oct
3 (Thu) Wilderness Navigation Class - Part 2
This
is the second night of our two part class. See the class
listing above (Oct. 1) for details. Contact: Bill Greer
Send Email 972-247-0446
 Oct
5 (Sat) Dayhike White Rock Creek Trail-Moss Park
Meet at 9:00 am at Moss Park (SE corner of Greenville Ave and
Royal Lane). Hike 5-6 miles along paved trail. Bring water and
a snack as we will be hiking all morning. No reservations
necessary. Just show up. No pets please. Optional lunch at
local restaurant. Leader: Mark Adams
Send Email 972-658-1281
Oct
8 (Tue) Dallas Sierra Club General Meeting
Urban Resilience and Climate Change
Ann Drumm will talk about urban resilience in the context of
climate change. Now that 2 degrees C or more of warming
appears to be built into the climate system, efforts to
increase resilience to climate impacts are now considered as
important as efforts to mitigate greenhouse gases. She
will discuss the draft National Climate Assessment and other
reports as they pertain to anticipated climate impacts in
North Texas, give some highlights of a recent urban resilience
conference sponsored by the Dallas Institute, and talk about
the prospects for regional multi-stakeholder climate
resilience planning in North Texas.
Oct
12 (Sat) White Rock Lake Cleanup
Walk and talk
while helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra
Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15
AM at the Love of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of
Garland Rd. and Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people
drinking free juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc.
provided. Our area includes one of the wonderful prairie
restoration areas, so there are always birds and wildflowers
to enjoy. The lake and your karma will thank you. Brunch
afterwards. Leader: Carol Nash
Send Email 214-824-0244
 Oct
12-13 (Sat-Sun) Weekend Backpack at Buckeye Mountain Trail,
Arkansas
Hike one of the most scenic Wilderness
trails in Arkansas in the Caney Creek Wilderness of west
central Arkansas. Saturday we’ll enjoy the views from the
ridgetop Buckeye Mountain Trail. Sunday we’ll hike out along
the creek bottoms of the Caney Creek Trail. With any luck the
wildflowers will be starting to emerge. This trip is rated
moderate and would be suitable for beginners in good shape.
Both days cover about 4 1/2 miles. Saturday includes an 800
foot uphill section. We`ll camp Friday night near our cars,
Saturday night near a nice little waterfall. E-mail the leader
to be put on the list. Leader: Mark Adams
Send Email 972-658-1281
 Oct
18-20 (Fri-Sun) Beavers Bend State Park Fall Campout
This fall camp out has been such a success the last few years
that we're making it an annual event! Join us to enjoy the
scenic beauty and fall colors of Beavers Bend State Park in
southeast Oklahoma. Our group camp area offers your choice
of rustic cabins or tent camping on the grassy lawn or by the
river. The site also includes a dining hall with fire place so
we can have s'mores rain or shine and yes, even a bath house
with flush toilets and hot showers. Activity options will
include various hikes with our group or you can be on your own
to enjoy a number of options including horseback riding,
renting a canoe, tossing some horseshoes or just relaxing by
the river. Saturday night offers a good old fashion
country dinner (optional) and guest speaker. Complete
trip information is in
this PDF file. Coordinator: Liz Wheelan
Send Email 214-368-2306
Oct
19 (Sat) Upgrading Trails at Cedar Ridge Preserve
It's so helpful to get out to the Cedar Ridge Preserve to help
upgrade some of the beautiful walking trails just south of
Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX
75249. Its a great morning workout, and the scenery is
exceptional. No tools are required, (maybe gloves) just show
up and be ready to lend a hand or two. We'll work from 9 AM to
12 or earlier, and then walk around the preserve and admire
the wildflowers and fauna! Bring some water for sure. Its on
Saturday the 19th of October, and please see their website at
www.audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html for directions and
info. Their number is 972-709-7784 See you then!
If you wish to carpool, then let me know, and we'll arrange a
meeting spot. Come on out and stay green, people! Contact:
Ginger Bradley
Send Email 569-223-7902
Oct
19 (Sat) Day Hike the Trinity River Greenbelt
Hike 10K (6 miles) on the Lake Ray Roberts Greenbelt
Corridor. This is an easy trail running alongside the Elm Fork
of the Trinity River. No reservations required, just show up.
Well behaved pets on a leash are allowed. Bring water and
a snack as we will be hiking all morning. Meet at 9:00 AM at
the Highway 380 Trailhead Park. Admission to the park is $5.00
per person or free with a Texas State Parks Pass. There will
be an optional lunch afterwards. The Park is on US Hwy 380 2.1
miles west of Hwy 377 or 2.8 miles east of Loop 288 in Denton.
Highway 380 can be reached from Central Expwy,Preston Rd., or
the Tollway. Bring extra shoes in case the trail is muddy.
This hike will be canceled if it is raining at the trailhead.
Leader: Mark Adams
Send Email 972-658-1281
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