Sierra Club - Maryland Chapter

Trail Voice and the Sierra Club agree: getting people outdoors is the first step. The Maryland Chapter's Mattawoman Creek paddle outings continue this Saturday (May 8).

Protecting the Bay is just the beginning...

What if John Muir, the Sierra Club's legendary founder, had dedicated his passions to the Chesapeake Bay instead of Yosemite? Could the Chesapeake have been saved from its current state of infirmity?

We will never know if one man could have turned the proverbial tides of the Chesapeake, but the focus now is on the future. Following in Muir's footsteps and working for a brighter, cleaner future, is the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Owes Ecology an Apology - Image courtesy Flickr CC user B Tal

Key Initiatives for 2010

Mattawoman Creek

As Paint Branch and other ICC threatened watersheds brace for an uncertain future, environmentalists are suiting up for yet another "Outer Beltway" brawl. Just twenty miles south of Washington DC (near Indian Head, Maryland), Mattawoman Creek empties into the Potomac. The creek encompasses a 95 square mile watershed which enjoys a luxury not often afforded to DC area watersheds: less than 10% of its surface is impervious. That's not the only thing the Mattawoman has going for it:

Approximately 67% forest cover - compare to 30% for the Anacostia River watershed
The most productive spawning nursery in the Chesapeake for migratory fish including the largemouth bass
Key nesting area for endangered birds like the wood duck, black duck, and the bald eagle
Home of a vibrant tidal freshwater marsh - among the last of its kind on the east coast

But will any of that matter if the Cross-County Connector, which would span Mattawoman Creek, becomes a reality? Can unchecked suburban sprawl be avoided? Not if history is any indication, and that's why the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club needs you to take action now. Write to Governor O'Malley and support this invaluable natural resource.

Transmission Lines with Coal-Fired Power

Coal with Stacks - Image courtesy Flickr CC user The Sierra Club

The Maryland Chapter is fighting against the MAPP and the PATH, two different transmission line proposals that would extend across the state. The Sierra Club takes issue with what's on the other end of the lines - coal-fired power. The proposals are a giant leap in the wrong direction for emPower Maryland, a state initiative to reduce the state's energy consumption 15% by 2015.

In the summer of 2009, the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations dug their heels into the Chesapeake soil in opposition of the proposals. Now they're busy mobilizing the troops for a Clean Energy Rally. Can Maryland change its course and take the lead in a clean energy future?

Join and Volunteer with the Maryland Chapter

The nation's largest and oldest grassroots environmental organization is successful for a reason: the passion of its members. Maryland residents who join the Sierra Club become part of the Maryland Chapter and can connect with a Maryland local group. Local groups include:

The Maryland Chapter invites you to join committees like Political, Legislative, and Outings. It's an opportunity to volunteer your time, talent, and passion as you "explore, enjoy, and protect" Maryland.

Membership: Join the Sierra Club
Participate: Maryland Chapter Outings
Stewardship: Maryland Chapter Stewardship

- Image credit: B Tal
- Image Credit: The Sierra Club