Arkansas Sierra Club
Spring 2006

Dear Arkansas Sierra Club Members & Prospective Members:

Arkansas, formerly known as The Natural State

It’s hard to imagine that phrase on a bumper sticker. But our Natural State - its streams and skies, its forests and fields, its wildlife and its wonders – the things you stand for as a Sierra Club member, are under siege. Recent headlines make that clear:

• A state commission, with little public notice or debate, takes steps to dam portions of the scenic Lee Creek, while potentially making it easier for the state’s most pristine streams to face similar prospects.
   
• A timber company remains committed to building a massive housing project on the watershed of Lake Maumelle (the source of drinking water for 375,000 citizens) while pollution-plagued Lake Conway and Beaver Lake show how risky such ideas can be.
   
• While Arkansans celebrate the appearance of the ivory-billed woodpecker, the state’s senior U.S. senator astonishingly sponsors legislation that almost all major environmental groups say will destroy the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act.
   
• With almost no public notice and despite risks to public health and safety, the U.S. Forest Service continues to burn thousands of acres of Ozark and Ouachita National Forests.
   
• Despite the desperate statewide need to oversee 824 open or closed landfills, many with toxins and other pollutants, Arkansas is served by only eight inspectors, confusing and inconsistent regulations, and little focus on the problem.

These are real issues - lots of them - that will affect the future of Arkansas and its natural treasures, our tourism and recreational opportunities, and our economic vitality.

A strong Sierra Club state chapter is the best way to keep that from happening.

The Arkansas Sierra Club has new momentum and is one of the fastest growing chapters in the nation. Almost 3,000 Arkansans know the benefits of the Sierra Club and why joining is one of the best ways to protect and preserve The Natural State.

One time each year we ask for financial support - for dollars that stay in Arkansas devoted to the issues of Arkansas.

Your support of the Arkansas Sierra Club gives you a voice as local legislation and regulations are being drafted and debated. It’s a voice in the media when others are silent. It’s a voice that educates the public and creates vital grassroots campaigns that help citizens stand up to those who promote private interests over the public good.

Our new momentum is because of increasing interest and memberships. Local contributions have made several big wins possible, including a key role in preventing - at least for now - the threats to the Lake Maumelle watershed.

Please help. With the Sierra Club facing such a critical mission, contributions of any size are vitally important to maintain the momentum.

Please print the online Arkansas Sierra Club Spring Campaign Card and return it with a check to the Arkansas Sierra Club, 1308 West 2nd St., Little Rock, AR 72201.

Let’s make sure our children and grandchildren can always have a bumper sticker that says Arkansas: The Natural State.

Sincerely,
Glen Hooks
Associate Regional Representative, Little Rock Office

P.S. Please check online for more information about how the Arkansas Sierra Club is making a difference in our state and for ways you can be involved. Or call (501) 301-8280 if you have any questions.