NC Chapter has a new Chair: Ginny Kloepfer

1. When did you become part of the Sierra Club and what roles have you played in the organization since you joined?

I joined the Sierra Club in 1990 and was drawn to the outings program. I first became involved by signing up for a number of National outings and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting like-minded people from all over the country.

When my husband and I moved to Greenville in 1998, we immediately became involved with our local group. I was the Outings Chair for the Cypress Group for four years and also attended a couple of Sierra Fests before I volunteered to organize a Sierra Fest in 2004. I subsequently took on the job of Chapter Treasurer, became a member of the Chapter Steering Committee and the Chapter Fundraising Committee. A big reason why I became a member of the Sierra Club is because the possibilities for involvement are endless.

2. What are your goals for the NC Sierra Club in 2010? What are your personal goals as Chapter Chair?

This year I take on the daunting task of becoming Chapter Chair. One goal that I have is to strengthen our groups by helping them develop better core leadership and to get volunteers excited about the Sierra Club. I would also like to bring some National programs to North Carolina so that our state becomes a leader in the Southeast for clean energy. The stage has been set. The efforts of Sierra Club volunteers have convinced many of our elected officials to declare their city as a "Cool City." Now we need to take the next step and bring energy efficiencies, conservation and renewables to the local level.

I am very proud of our Chapter staff and feel that they are well respected in the environmental and legislative communities. As a personal goal, I would like to strengthen volunteer support for our staff so they have the resources they need to continue to do their jobs well.

3. Where is your favorite place to hike in North Carolina?

Basically I love to hike anywhere from the coast to the mountains. But if I had my preference, I would spend many days hiking the wonderful national forests and state parks in the western part of the state. To me huffing up a steep mountain trail is much more invigorating than strolling along a beach. We have a beautiful state, I enjoy spending time exploring the natural areas of the state and I want to keep North Carolina beautiful for future generations.

New Chapter Chair: Ginny Kloepfer

Sierra Club Group: Cypress (Greenville and surrounding counties)

Public Hearing: Impacts of Drilling off NC Coast

Earlier this year, state legislative leaders formed a 24 member task force to study "the economic and environmental impacts of allowing drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of North Carolina." The task force will report back to state legislators on May 1st.

The task force will hold one public hearing on offshore drilling - on Monday, April 27th at the Carteret County Community College. We expect that the oil industry and their supporters will be turning out a significant "drill now" crowd at the hearing. Therefore, it's critical that the task force hears from North Carolinians who are opposed to offshore drilling, in particular those living near the coast. You don't need to be an expert - just speak for 2-5 minutes on why you're opposed to the state of North Carolina allowing offshore drilling for oil and natural gas.

The public hearing details are:

Monday, April 27, at 4pm [if you plan to speak, please plan to arrive by 5 PM]
Carteret Community College McGee Building
Joselyn Hall
3505 Arendell Street,
Morehead City, NC 28557

Directions to CCC and map of the campus can be found here: http://www.carteret.edu/aboutccc/CampusMap/map.htm

For talking points, visit:

http://ncconservationnetwork1.org/because_you_love_nc/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=32934815

Foothills Photo Mosaics

In celebration of Earth Day, and to gather activists in support of Winston-Salem's tree ordinance, the Foothills Group held a photo petition. Take a look at the results:

New Action Center

Check out the Sierra Club's sleek new Action Center. You can take action to protect the Endangered Species Act from last minute alterations by the Bush Administration. You can add comments to the appeals process of legislation that would open up the Tongass National Forest (Alaska) to the timber industry. And you can join the growing online activist community, via facebook, flickr, youtube, or myspace, depending on your taste.