COASTAL BEND GROUP SIERRA CLUB                                                                 P.O. Box 3512, Corpus Christi, TX 78404                            Coastalbend current news and home page see below                         JOIN          ARCHIVES    Oct. 2006 News     Ridley Turtle Update

   
                                     "When we try to pick out anything
                                                by itself, we find it
                                                hitched to everything else
                                                in the universe."
                                                                              -John Muir

              COASTAL BEND GROUP

NOVEMBER NEWS 2006

Important Events

OUR NEXT COASTAL BEND GROUP SIERRA CLUB MEETING
Dec. 8,  2006
Time:
Place:

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COASTAL BEND SIERRA CLUB November 2006 Meeting Minutes

The Coastal Bend Sierra Club met from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm at the Central Library on Comanche St.
on Tuesday, November 21. After greeting members, Chairperson Pat Suter reminded them that minutes
of monthly meetings were on the club’s website and she asked Teresa Carrillo, treasurer, for her report.

Teresa stated that she would bring the annual report to the next meeting. She reported that the table at
the CBBF dinner cost the club $750 and that $600 of that had been paid by attendees. Discussion was
held on when to have a garage sale to reimburse the treasury and members decided to have that activity
sometime next spring. Teresa also mentioned that even with recent expenditures, the treasury would
hold steady because of interest payments on CDs as they matured.

Lois Huff, Executive Director of CBBF, reminded members that she hopes that the Coastal Bend legislative
delegation will be out in force at the December 11 meeting so that they can be briefed on environmental
needs in our area. Pat Suter listed Lone Star Sierra concerns of clean air, smart energy solutions,
environmental flow protections, funding for state parks, the state water plan, and uranium mining as main
priorities. Regarding uranium mining, Pat said that our specific concern in this area is whether the
Everett Mine near Lake Corpus Christi will be reactivated since it has recently been sold.

Hal Suter, member of the Lone Star Executive Committee and the Lone Star Political Committee, reported
on his recent trip to the Austin meeting. He informed our members that Lone Star Sierra had endorsed 50
candidates for statewide offices and 38 of them were elected on November 7. Even though environmentally
friendly candidates did much better nationally than in Texas, we did pick up seats in the Houston and Dallas
areas as well as the one in our area where Juan Garcia won over Gene Seaman. Two of the biggest issues in
Texas this year will be uranium mining and the state’s water plan. Unfortunately, the Texas Water Plan makes
no provision for in-stream flows to come down the rivers to our coastal estuaries.

Hal also reminded us that our Coastal Bend member, Teresa Carrillo, has been nominated for an at-large position
on the Lone Star Executive Committee and encouraged us to watch for the ballot in the mail.

Hal and Pat Suter reported that Lone Star Sierra wants to hold a statewide meeting in the Corpus Christi area in
February. Coastal Bend member Candice Mottet, who is active in the Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation
Club of TAMUCC, agreed to see if the TAMUCC group will join us in sponsoring the meeting.

The group spent some time discussing the campaign of the Beach Access Coalition resulting in the November 7^th
victory at the polls. Although many of our members participated in this campaign, special thanks were given to
Pat Suter, who made 53 talks on beach access, and to Hal Suter who served as chairperson of the Coalition.

Instead of having a regular business meeting in December, we will host a thank-you party for the Beach Access
Coalition on December 8^th.

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January 2005 Kemp's Ridley Update by Mina Williams & Venice Scheurich

STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES – 2007 SESSION – TENTATIVE (Adopted 7/2006)

Clean Air

Reduction of toxic and other harmful emissions from industrial plants and electric power
generating plants and prevention of air quality teterioration by a proliferation of new
coal-fired power plants.

* through enactment of legislation to tighten the review and regulation of the health impacts
   of air pollution sources and to respond more effectively to the continuing problem of
   "upset" air emissions; and
* through a moratorium on permitting of new coal-fired power plants in Texas to allow
   a thorough review of the proposed plant technologies and the cumulative air quality
   impacts of those plants

Environmental Flow Protection

Preservation and provision of instream flows and freshwater inflows to bays and
estuaries necessary to maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations.

* through enactment of legislation establishing a process to determine and to meet
  environmental flow needs necessary to maintain a sound ecological environment
   in Texas coastal bays & associated river basins


Smart Energy Solutions

More efficient use of energy and increased reliance on renewable energy sources

* through standards for greater energy efficiency for appliances sold in Texas and new buildings
   and homes built in Texas; and
* an increase in the renewable standard portfolio of electric power utility providers

State & Local Parks Funding

A dependable source of funding for acquisition, maintenance, and management of
Texas state & local parks to meet growing habitat preservation and outdoor recreation needs

* through raising or eliminating the cap on the revenue from the sporting goods tax that is
   allocated to state & local parks, supplementing sporting goods tax revenue with other
   fee revenue, and/or pursuing voter approval of bonds adequate to meet park repair and
   acquisition needs over the next decade

Water Conservation

More efficient use of water by Texas consumers, agricultural producers, businesses,
and institutions through conservation

* through enactment of the legislative recommendations of the Texas Water Conservation
   Implementation Task Force, including expansion of existing conservation planning
   requirements to a larger number or retail water suppliers

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See The Observer on-line

WATCH THE COASTAL BEND SIERRA CLUB ON CABLE CHANNEL 10 on
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT 8:30PM.  Galaxie Video does an excellent job of
producing the show. 

                          COASTAL BEND GROUP

                       EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Pat Suter	852-7938	Chairman
phsuter@stx.rr.com
Mina Williams	882-1179	V.Chairman
Teresa Carrillo	361-672-4703	Treasurer
Venice Scheurich	241-4289	Secretary
Hal Suter	852-7938	State Delegate
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Venice Scheurich	241-4289	Conservation
Bill Alling		Air Quality
Kathy Griffith	578-5291	Membership/Publicity
Hal Suter and Mina Williams	852-7938	Political
Hal Suter	852-7938	Walks
Hal Suter	852-7938	Rep. to Lone Star Ch.
Kathy Griffith	578-5291	Field Trips
Teresa Carillo	882-3439	Field Trips
Cheryl McGrath		Webmaster

  Cheryl McGrath      Webmaster
  csmcgrath@earthlink.net             

..........................................................................................................................  

        Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa    Commissioner Jerry Patterson
        P.O. Box 12068                            GLO 1700 Congress Ave.
        Austin, TX 78711                         Austin, Texas 78701

         Commissioner (Chairman)       President George Bush
          TCEQ                                        The White House
          P.O. Box 13087                       Washington, DC
          Austin, TX 78711                     president@white-house.gov
                                             
                             

Coastal Bend Sierra Club E-Mail

This page was last updated on 01/07/07.

 Protect America's Environment.
For our families, for our future.
       
A Philosophy of Stewardship               
The Sierra Club's statement of Purpose is:  To explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

• As a grassroots-based organization, we rely on individuals for our resources, talent, and energy.  Our members are our most important assets.   
  

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