CLIMATE CHANGE: H H - Sierra Club · Spring 2017 Canyon Echo 3 Palo Verde:Don Steuter Rincon: Meg Weesner Yavapai: Tom Slaback Saguaro: Jim …

CLIMATE CHANGE: HAbITAT ANd HuMAN HEALTH

Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet

http://sierraclub.org/arizona Grand Canyon Chapter Spring 2017

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Climate Change Equals Change in Human HealthBy Ephraim Infante

When many of us think of climate change, polar ice caps melting and waves from rising sea levels

are the first images that pop into our heads. We think of how climate change will cause the extinction of polar bears and pandas, but we distance humans from the climate equation. But we are not immune. Human health is a product of our environmen-tal conditions, so when our environment changes, so do we. Climate change equals change in human health.

Climate change, the continued increase in average surface temperatures, exacerbates drought, famine, and natural disasters. As a result, not only do we experience changes in weather patterns and temperatures but also in our accessibility to clean resources. Areas that are arid will become drier, and areas that experience a lot of moisture will continue to become more humid. We will experience

an increase in acid rain and smog, both of which have a negative toll on human health. These effects lead to the depletion of fertile soils, which will limit our food sources and contaminate our water supplies.

Climate change affects everyone, but those who are most vulnerable, such as the poor and the elderly, will experience these effects first and most harshly. Those most vulnerable to climate change are also those who cannot afford to pay for increased health complications or to move. Specifical-ly, those living in urban areas are more likely to experience respiratory complications due to increased air pollutants or heat stroke as a result of increased temperatures. Other health concerns linked to climate change are dehydration, cardiovascular complications, asthma, vascular disease, and other inflamed health conditions. Overall, climate change can increase the public’s exposure to diseas-

Ephraim is a student leader at Arizona State University.

es as well as allow for current diseases and health complications to persist.

As a millennial and college student, I especially call on youth to become leaders in the fight against climate change and to push forth climate action. We have so much to lose if we do not take action. From habi-tat destruction to seeing diseases persist, the younger generation will be charged to find solutions to such byproducts of climate change.

With Sierra Club, I was able to take part in Environmental Day at the Arizona Capitol to talk to state representatives about “Protecting the Arizona We All Share.” I was able to speak personally with representatives

from my district about our environmen-tal concerns. If we truly want to mitigate the long-lasting and devastating effects of climate change, we need to be civically en-gaged and involved in the political system. By participating in Environmental Day, I was able to learn how to effectively com-municate with state representatives. I truly believe that it is through the political engage-ment of youth that we can find a solution to climate change. Simple steps such as speak-ing with our representatives can ensure that climate-related legislation is recognized and implemented.

The dry Gila River. Climate change increases drought, especially in the desert Southwest, affecting human health and wildlife habitat. Photo by Gary Beverly.

2 Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter

http://sierraclub.org/arizona

Canyon EchoSpring 2017Vol. 53 No. 2

Canyon Echo © 2017. Canyon Echo (ISSN 0164-7024) is published quarterly for Sierra Club members by Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, 514 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85003. Phone: 602-253-8633. Printed at Valley Newspapers.

Front page banner designed by Erika Gronek.

Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

EDITOR: Tiffany Sprague602-253-9140, [email protected]

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERSOutings Editor/Mailing Organizer: Jerry Nelson

602-279-4668, [email protected]

Copy Editor: Kurt Florman

Publications Chair: Meg Weesner520-576-2083, [email protected]

Publications Committee: Keith Bagwell, Jon Findley, Kurt Florman,

Chris Gehlker, Tyler Kokjohn, Amanda McCoy, Isabel Mendez, Jerry Nelson,

Kathy Ann Walsh

Webmaster: John Sheffield [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Annual dues to Sierra Club are $39 (including $1 for Canyon Echo). Subscription rate for non-members is $10. Send check payable to Sierra Club - Canyon Echo, 514 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85003.

ADVERTISING: Advertising is sold on a first-come, space-available basis. The editor reserves the right to refuse any advertisements, and inclusion of advertisements does not imply endorsement by Sierra Club. All interactions between advertisers and consumers are solely the responsi-bilities of those parties.

SUBMISSIONS: Send electronic or hard copies to the editor (include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of hard copies). Indicate copyright or Creative Commons preference. We are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Writer’s guidelines can be obtained by contacting the editor. All rights to publication of articles in this issue are reserved. The deadline is the first day of the month preceding the issue. Opinions expressed in Canyon Echo are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of Sierra Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes and postage due to Sierra Club Member Services, c/o Canyon Echo, P.O. Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-6417. Periodi-cals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ.

Arizona Chapter Action DirectoryChapter Director Sandy Bahr 602-253-8633 [email protected] Chapter CoordinatorTiffany Sprague 602-253-9140 [email protected] Canyon Conservation Program CoordinatorAlicyn Gitlin 928-774-6514 [email protected] Conservation Program Coordinator and Coal to Clean EnergyDan Millis 520-620-6401 [email protected] Water Sentinels Program CoordinatorJennifer Martin 602-254-8362 [email protected] National Our Wild America Organizing RepresentativeAlicia Hamilton 602-315-4572 [email protected]

2017 Group Voting Representatives to Chapter Ex-Com (see pp. 12–13 for contact information):Palo Verde: Don Steuter Rincon: Meg Weesner Yavapai: Tom SlabackSaguaro: Jim Wilkey Sedona/Verde Valley: Brian Myers

CHAPTER OFFICES & COMMITTEE CHAIRSChair: Keith Bagwell (xc) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Jim Vaaler (xc) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Elna Otter 520-212-9736 [email protected]: David McCaleb (xc) 602-840-7655 [email protected]: Don Steuter 602-956-5057 [email protected]: Harry Lumley (xc) 480-474-4993 [email protected]: Ken Langton (xc) 520-749-3829 [email protected]: Kathy Mohr-Almeida (xc) 480-329-8503 [email protected]: Oscar Medina (xc) 520-903-8005 [email protected]: Bev Full (xc) 480-221-2554 [email protected]: Dale Volz 480-892-5102 [email protected]: Kathy Ann Walsh (xc) 480-502-5658 [email protected]

(xc) 2017 Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) members

Chapter AnnouncementsAPR 1–2 (SAT–SUN) Chapter Conservation (SAT) and Executive Committee (SUN) meetings. Club leaders meet to consider matters related to statewide conservation efforts, share experiences across groups, and coordinate strategy to align our Chapter mission and goals with that of national Sierra Club. For more information, contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected] or Keith Bagwell at 520-623-0269 or [email protected]. Meetings will be located in Tucson.

APR 5, MAY 3, JUN 7 (WED) 6:30 p.m. Political Committee meetings. Help us elect more environmentally-friendly candidates! If you are interested in helping improve the political climate in Arizona, consider being part of our Political Committee! All Sierra Club members are welcome to participate. For information, contact Dale Volz at 480-892-5102 or [email protected].

APR 19 (WED) 6:30 p.m. Wildlife Activist Group meeting. Are you interested in learning about the wildlife that call our state home and working for species’ protection? Join us to learn about what’s happening with Arizona’s wildlife, upcoming projects and opportunities, and how you can get involved. For more information, contact Cyndi Tuell at 520-272-2454 or [email protected].

APR 25, MAY 23, JUN 27 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Energy Team meetings. Discussions, programs, and field trips encompass renewable energy and energy efficiency campaigns nationally and locally. Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how much or how little you know about energy issues. For more information, please contact Harry Lumley at 480-474-4993 or [email protected].

MAY 3 (WED) 5:30 p.m. Publications Committee meeting. Have an idea? Help plan future issues of Canyon Echo! Contact Meg Weesner at 520-576-5083 or [email protected] or Tiffany Sprague at 602-253-9140 or [email protected].

JUN 1 (THU) Copy deadline for Summer 2017 Canyon Echo. Articles, art, photographs, poetry, essays, and brief epiphanies are welcome. Contact the editor before submitting at 602-253-9140 or [email protected] to discuss word count, photos to include, licensing, issue topics, and to request submission guidelines.

JUN 28 (WED) Time TBD. Canyon Echo Mailing Party. Volunteers save the Chapter hundreds of dollars by preparing Canyon Echo for mailing. Thank you! The job is easy to learn, and we all have a great time. Any amount of time that you’re available is appreci-ated. Contact Jerry Nelson at 602-279-4668 or [email protected] for details.

Tucson

Prescott

Flagstaff

PALO VERDE

YAVAPAI

SEDONA/ VERDE VALLEY

Phoenix

PLATEAUCONSERVATION

SAGUARO

RINCON

GRAND CANYONCHAPTER

mailto:[email protected]


Spring 2017 Canyon Echo 3


Palo Verde: Don Steuter Rincon: Meg Weesner Yavapai: Tom SlabackSaguaro: Jim Wilkey Sedona/Verde Valley: Brian Myers

2 Chapter Announcements

4 Notes from the Chapter Chair

5 Thank You!

6 Climate Change and Wildlife

7 Border Wall Opposition

8 Arizona Legislature Update

9 Arizona State Parks History

10 Climate Change and Health

11 In Memory

12 Group Happenings

14 Hikes and Outings

15 Tucson ICO

16 Service Outings

Grand Canyon Chapter – What’s Going On?

The annual election for Sierra Club’s Board of Directors is now underway. Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club election should have received in the mail (or by internet if you chose the electronic deliv-ery option) your national Sierra Club ballot in early March. This includes information on the candidates and where you can find additional information on the Club’s web-site. Your participation is critical for a strong Sierra Club.

Sierra Club is a democratically-struc-tured organization at all levels. The Club requires the regular flow of views on policy and priorities from its grassroots member-ship in order to function well. Yearly par-ticipation in elections at all Club levels is a major membership obligation.

In a typical year, less than 10% of eli-gible members vote in the board elections. A minimum of 5% is required for the elections

National Sierra Club Elections are Underway – VOTE!A democratic Sierra Club demands grassroots participation

to be valid. Our grassroots structure is strengthened when our participation is high. Therefore, your participation is needed in the voting process.

How can I learn about the can-didates? Members frequently state that they don’t know the candidates and find it difficult to vote without learn-ing more.

All candidates provide a statement about themselves and their views on the issues on the official election ballot. You can learn more by asking questions of your group and chapter leadership and other experienced members you know. You can also visit the Club’s election website for additional information about candidates: http://www.sierraclub.org/board/election. Then make your choice and cast your vote!

Voting online is quick and easy! Even if you receive your election materials in the

mail, we encourage you to use the user-friendly internet voting site to save time and postage. If sending via ground mail, please note your ballots must be received by no later than Election Day, April 26, 2017.

The Grand Canyon Chapter recommends a vote for Debbie Heaton and Natalie Lucas in the upcoming election for Sierra Club's Board of Directors.

March for ScienceSaturday, April 22

The March for Science sounds a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. Recent policy changes have caused heightened worry among scientists. The mischaracterization of science as a partisan issue, which has given policymakers permission to reject overwhelming evidence, is a critical and urgent matter. It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.

Sister marches are occurring across the nation, including in several Arizona cities:

Learn more at https://www.marchforscience.com.

Chino Valley10 a.m.

Courthouse Square

Flagstaff2 p.m.

Thorpe Park

Lake Havasu City 11 a.m.

Main St. to London Bridge

Phoenix10 a.m.

Historic City Hall

Show Low 11 a.m.

Northland Pioneer College

Tucson10 a.m.

De Anza Park

People’s Climate March Saturday, April 29

The new administration is attacking the hard-won protections of our climate, health, and communities. If the policies proposed on the campaign trail are implemented, they will destroy our climate, decimate our jobs and livelihoods, and undermine civil rights and liberties. On the 100th day of the new administration, we will demonstrate the will of the people. Together, we will march for our families, our air, our water, our land, our jobs, our communities.

Marches are occurring across the nation. Join a sister march near you!

Learn more at https://peoplesclimate.org.

Clifton10:30 a.m.

Al Fernandez Park

Flagstaff2 p.m.

Flagstaff City Hall

Phoenix9 a.m.

Arizona State Capitol

PrescottDetails TBD

Tucson 10 a.m.

El Presidio Plaza Park

YumaDetails TBD



Harry LumleyPublic Lands Protector

Cast of Characters

Harry Lumley. Photo courtesy of Harry Lumley.

Harry Lumley earned his college degree in biology and always had an interest in public lands protection. But in retire-ment, he has plunged into en-vironmental activism and a sig-nificant role with Sierra Club.

Despite his biology degree from Washburn University in his hometown of Topeka, Kan-sas, the bulk of Harry’s career was in information technology. He had an unusual two-part career, first in Topeka for the State of Kansas until the age of 42, rarely venturing far from home and leaving the coun-try for Tijuana, Mexico, only for a few hours. Then he took a job with the U.S. State De-partment and was off to postings in Mexico City, Rabat (Morocco), Singapore, Rome, and Moscow.

After Moscow’s frigid winters, Harry and his wife, Becky, decided to retire to a warmer climate and moved to the Arizona desert in 2011 for its beauty, its nearby mountains, and its ready access to national and state parks and other natural areas.

On a visit to a local library, Harry came upon a Sierra Club table with longtime Sa-guaro Group and Grand Canyon Chapter activist Bev Full and some of her cohorts. “They talked me into getting more active,” he said. “I felt welcomed and motivated.”

Harry is focused on trying to protect public lands from the assaults of mining, grazing, and private developments. He also works to preserve our area’s scarce water sup-plies, which are so vital for wildlife habitat, and for corridors between habitat areas.

After serving on the Saguaro Group Executive Committee, in recent years as the group’s representative on the Chapter Execu-tive Committee, Harry was elected last fall to an at-large seat on the Chapter Executive Committee.

In addition to his many Sierra Club ac-tivities, Harry is a longtime member of The Nature Conservancy and now serves as a member and steward of the Desert Foothills Land Trust, which preserves areas with sig-nificant environmental attributes.

His hobbies include archaeology – Har-ry is a member of the Arizona Archaeology Association – and astronomy – he holds memberships with the Planetary Society and Planetary Resources Vanguards.

Harry and Becky have a son, who works for the U.S. State Department and is cur-rently in Copenhagen, Denmark, and two grandchildren.

Thank you, Harry, for your continued service to our state’s natural resources!

I am excited and honored to serve as your Chapter Chair in 2017. There is a lot happening and much to do. Thank you in advance for supporting me in this new role as I transition from Publications Committee Chair to Chapter Chair.

The theme for this year’s Canyon Echo is climate change. It is a daunting challenge. The Electoral-College election of Donald Trump as president, a climate change denier who favors the fossil-fuel economy that is a large contributor to climate change, is not helpful.

We kicked off in the Winter edition with an overview of climate change – then, now, and what the future portends. This Spring edition delves into the impacts and implications of climate change on critical wildlife habitats and human health. In the Summer Echo, we will look at how climate change affects water supplies in an arid state. The Fall edition will focus on solutions to the relentless march of climate change.

Beyond Canyon Echo, we must take ad-vantage of every opportunity to make the public aware of the imperative to act against climate change. We have to move rapidly away from our reliance on fossil fuels to al-ternative ways to generate energy and how to use less energy while maintaining a healthy economy.

People now working in fossil fuel indus-tries must be provided with training for jobs of similar pay: insulating homes and busi-nesses; making, installing, and maintaining

Notes from the Chapter Chair Keith Bagwell

solar panels and systems; making, erect-ing, and maintaining windmills; de-veloping geothermal generating where possible; harnessing ocean-wave power; manufacturing public-transit engines and cars, installing rail tracks, and op-erating and maintaining public transit systems.

There is plenty of work to be done. In the meantime, around the U.S.

and in Arizona, there will be scientists’ marches on April 22, Earth Day. We are supporting them because our po-litical decision-making must be based on sound science. There also are plans underway for People’s Climate Marches the following Saturday, April 29. We

will be participating in and helping to orga-nize those events.

The chapter-led Environmental Day at the Arizona Legislature on February 15 was very successful, drawing more than 220 ac-tivists to the Capitol, 60 of them high school students from around the state. Chapter Director Sandy Bahr, who also serves as the only full-time environmental lobbyist in Arizona, deserves kudos for Environmental Day’s remarkable annual success. The grass-roots lobbying that was part of the event does have an impact!

Tucson-based Rincon Group was part of a tremendous grassroots uprising in Pima County that forced Monsanto Corporation on February 15 to withdraw its awful request for a significant property-tax break from the county. Unfortunately, Monsanto still in-tends to build a greenhouse in Avra Valley to experiment with genetically modified corn and toxic herbicides. We will be watching.

To learn how you can help Sierra Club advocate for environmental pro-tection in Arizona, please contact me at 520-623-0269 or [email protected] or Chapter Di-rector Sandy Bahr at 602-253-8633 or [email protected].

Keith Bagwell. Photo courtesy of Keith Bagwell.

Calling All Electric Vehicle Drivers!

Do you use an electric vehicle? In the summer issue of Canyon Echo, we want to highlight people’s experiences driving electric vehicles throughout Arizona. If you are willing to be interviewed or contribute information, please contact Meg Weesner at [email protected]. Thank you!







Thank You to Our Donors!Thank you to our monthly donors!

Steven BlackwellTom BrysaczJan BuckwalterLinda CrouseJohn M. FranklinRoxane GeorgeRebecca GordonElizabeth HarrisonSandra HughesCharles LagergrenLaurinda Lanza

Karen McclellandMark McKainLeonor J. MillerDan Millis & Kate Van RoekelJoy MockbeeMark MulliganPeter RoccoJohn SeamonRebecca Smith GrossAlice & Karl StambaughJennifer Vaughn

The Morning Stars Sing Together (500+)Jeffery P. AugustineZach BrooksElizabeth FalconAriana La PortePeter B. MagnusonRuth Rettig & David DubeJeffrey SchlegelSydney SkillmanJ. Grossman & H. MechanicDale & Christine Volz

Make the Mountains Glad ($100–499)Ila L. AbernathyRichard BednarskiDr. & Mrs. Robert D. BerenSat Sansar Singh BestGary & Molly BeverlyDavid M. BixbyDoug BlandLauren Breihan & David LangThomas BrennanCarolina & Walker ButlerLoring CannonJean CarrRoger & Barbara CarterWilliam ChambersDavid DuffeeJames F. Eder, Jr.Richard & Harriet EdwardsSharon FairchildAlvin R. FinkelsteinBruce E. FlockenTim FloodOtto & Gallina FranzRick FreasBeverly Full (PAC)Paul GolabJohn Gray & Nancy SilvisRon GrundyFred HaggersonRichard HillTim HoganBarbara HollwayPatrice HorstmanJohn Houlette, Jr.Thomas HulenDeana KatzBarbara KellyJohn KembleJacqueline KernPeter KohlJulie Kwatra

Tom LazzelleNicholas LisaB. R. LoewensteinGeorge LoganSharon Lohr & Douglas BlountMichelle LundJames MatthewsJohn McclellandKen McGintyJane McNamaraKristen MerenLarry MillsHarry MitchellAlida V. MontielMoonshadow & Peter CrocollJanice E. MyersSateesh J. NabarJames NafzigerWayne NelsonJim McPherson & Elna OtterStephen PamperinKatya PetersonJohn PetersonDonald Louis PiersonLinda & J. Michael PowersDoris ProvineMichael QuinlanDouglas RichardsonSally & Esther RingsRobert & Donna RobbF. Peter RoseBrit Rosso & Leslie UhrBeverly SassDavid ShaneJudith A. ShappeeLinda SheltonChris SmithVaughn Smith & Mary HooverLinda SnelsonLarry StumpfRoz SwitzerHalina SzyposzynskiRosanne ThompsonDrs. Tuber & SchechtmanBruce J. VillereDuffie WestheimerRobert & Ila WistBeth WoodinJames M. Zurich

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart ($50–99)Paula A. AboudStuart & Cindy AltMargaret Anderson

Robert BatesSusanna BeattyCarolyn BlackmoreRodney BoorseNikki BroadwellDora BrockiePeter & Barbara BurkholderRobert D. Cable, Jr.Jon ChristopherE. H. ConwayCopperPoint InsuranceYvette DavidLois Davies & Helene AdamsFred DavisR. A. Dittberner & Deni HarrisRobert DonahueRandy FilipicDaniel L. FischerVicky & Mark FosterFred & Nan FriendCatherine M. GaleGrace GallianoHelene D. GayPat GradyCarol GrieshaberGloria GuilloryRichard HaymesLee R. HutchinsR. L. KniepkampRobert KrennJonathan H. KressCal E. LashJohn LippertRussell LowesMr. & Mrs. Ivo LucchittaRobert MawkGary McCormickTheresa MedburyKaren & Cecil MichaelCatherine PurdyPeter RaganGilbert RamosBarrie RyanSteve SerlinMr. & Mrs. Thomas L. ShermanJames T. SkardonJanet & Thomas SlivaSheri SmithMichael SorumBarbara & Allan StanleyDon SteuterMichelle Pulich StewartWendy SwartzMichael TamarackKate TimmermanNancy WallCathy WilliamsJoe Zarnoch

Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe ($1–49)Nancy & Phil AirullaPhyllis Smith & Anna ArnoldLinda BarnesDeron BealRebecca BerryJean BickelDonna Boe & Steve FletcherMichael BourgoisRichard BranderJoan S. BriggsJeanne BroomeJames BruckerDiane BrunsfeldMichael BuckJudee BurgoonHelgard BurriL. ButlerLisa & Tom CambronElizabeth ClarkRuthie ColeMarcie D. ColpasVictoria ConstableBarbara & Sidney CoonSadie & Michael A. CowartAugusta DavisJudith DebeaumontKenneth DeMasiJeanne DevineW. David & Virginia DotsonKenneth DownieSheryl EatonNancy EldredgeSherry ElliottRoy & Frances EmrickKarin & Michael EpsteinTom FergusonCheryl & John FieneBob FischellaKaren FogasDeborah & Steve FranksMr. & Mrs. Marlin FriedPeter FrischmannCharles Geoffrion

Michael & Sue GeorgeJoe GibbsSteve GleasonElizabeth & Thomas GraceTom & Jean GreivesElizabeth GricusSharyn GroslynJeffrey & Kimberly GroutDita HagenGary HancockSandy HansonSteve HibbelerAndrew & Joanne HoganYves HuinPamela W. HydeCarl JacobsRuth E. JagolinzerJenny JahrausDinita James & Roy F ReedRob JankowskiSharilyn JensenJules KetchamKay Marie KingBernard W. KobesBarbara A. KrajewskiDaniel LanghorstBryan LeeAngela & Paul LefevreLinda LegendreDirk A. LehewGreg LewisCyd MaloufMargo MarqueEllie MartiniMartha A. McCoyRobert McDonaldSharon McDonough-MeansLynda Mc EvoyAnnie McGreevyDavid MillerMargery MitchellJanos MolnarCarleton MooreCecilia MorganSusan Morris

Thank you to our Water Sentinels supporters

Patricia BradleyC. J. Gorman & P. W. Hedrick

Sally HarveyDavid Schueppert

Donors continued on p. 6.NOTE: These lists include donations received

from December 9 through March 9.



M. P. MullarkeyCarroll MunzPatricia & W. Robert MurphyJeanette NadeauWilliam NapolilloLawrence A. NicholsBrian NordstromRobert NortonNancy OdegaardSimone OssipovCarol S. ParksMark & Linda PerryVivian & Norman PerryDarrell Lynn PetersonRobert & Jeanne PetersonSusan Petti & Todd LutesJoanne Piergallini

Lou PowellJoan PrefontaineCarrie PresnallWade PricePeggy RambikurEmily RennLeigh RobinsonHelene RollinsShay Roshdi FerdosiCarmen Salas & Roger PeskettJoanne SchlosserJames M. SheaMike ShefferNancy SieferSandra SimmonsPearish SmithLouis St. Germain

Thank you to all who donated to protect our borderlands!Ila L. Abernathy

Jon BauerMary Bellamy

Carman BroderickDaryll Brosanders

Fawn BrownRichard BurtonLeslie J. Carter

Margaret F CaseFrancisca ChavezGeorge ClementKaren CusanoEileen Dailey

Roy & Frances EmrickCynthia Epley

Elizabeth FalconRichard & Jean Ferguson

Julia FiscellaS. Herweck & S. Nicol

Steev HiseDenise HudsonGlenn Hurowitz

Winifred JamiesonRoberta Janson

Laurie Jurs

Debra MalloryMichele Manos

Eva MartinBryce Montgomery

Elizabeth MoraJohn Gabriel Murphy

Deborah NicolMarie Olson

Andrew PaveyD. Peitzmeyer & J. Rollings

Marie-Claude PerigonMara PfefferLisa Prato

Peter RaganJudith Rau

Anna RunionJosh SchachterJohn Sheedy

Caroline Theiss-AirdJudith Thut

Tom & Darthra TilleyMargaret Towers

Kevin TuckWendie & Mike Vermillion

Suzanne L. Williams

Thank you to our Grand Canyon Campaign donors

Rose Marie Duran LopezCaitlin Mannarino

Cathy MurleyLuanne Selk & Jon Skillman

Jeff StantonCharles SteakEric SwansonWilliam B. ThomasDonna ThrasherCharles VentalaJohn & Christine VicariRick WagnerChristine WarsawJudith WatkinsDoug F. WellsAlynne WellsMr. & Mrs. S. J. WilliamsonMark T. WillocksBen & Robinn WilsonLiz Wise

Thank you to Paul Halvorson for donating in honor of Janet Halvorson & Barb Bumpus!

Arizona Wildlife Caught Between Hot and HotterBy Kathy Ann Walsh

Scientific evidence points to an accel-eration in climate change in the American Southwest that exceeds the rate of change experienced by most of the rest of the con-tinent. The resulting increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation does not bode well for Arizona’s wildlife.

Primary factors include food availabil-ity, reproductive timing, and habitat loss. In addition, secondary effects such as altered fire regimes and insect infestations can cause widespread mortality. Competitive interac-tions between plant species can impact food sources. Local extirpations of keystone spe-cies can result in decreases in other species, while yet other species may actually increase, causing significant ecosystem disruptions.

Plant and animal species are expected to shift poleward due to climate change. This means north or to higher elevations for wildlife here in Arizona, but such migration will only succeed if suitable habitat can be located and if wildlife can overcome impedi-ments to travel such as habitat fragmenta-tion resulting from human development.

If species are already at the highest possible elevation, they have nowhere to go.

Unfortunately, some of the tactics humans have employed to battle climate change can also affect wildlife in a negative manner. Examples include bird and bat col-lisions with wind turbines, habitat loss and fragmentation from construction of large renewable utility facilities, and hydrologic impacts from blocking or rerouting surface water flows. Wildlife needs to be considered in all planning activities to adequately pro-tect it.

Our Sonoran Desert is the most bio-diverse desert on earth due to its elevation and rainfall patterns. But rising tempera-tures and decreases in precipitation threaten many of our native species. Over the last 50 years, there has been a 25–40% decrease in precipitation here. The endangered Sonoran pronghorn may be pushed to the edge of extinction by climate change effects such as decreasing amounts of forage for nursing fe-males and for newly weaned fawns, which will impact fawn survival. The federally-

threatened Mojave desert tortoise faces de-creased time to feed due to increased tem-peratures. Female tortoises lay fewer eggs during droughts, and extreme soil tempera-tures are lethal to infant tortoises. Other So-noran desert species already being impacted by climate change include the critically im-periled cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl due to habitat loss, in part from invasive plant species such as buffelgrass and the increased fire danger it presents, and the Sonoran tiger

salamander, which is threatened by drought. The jaguar, jaguarundi, and ocelot, all en-dangered border residents, will most likely need to migrate north, only to be faced with a wall at the U.S./Mexico border.

Dire as all this may seem, we must not lose hope. With proper planning and educa-tion of the public, we can give our precious Arizona wildlife a shot at survival.

Donors continued from p. 5.

Kathy is the chapter’s Wildlife Activist Group Chair.

Endangered jaguar in Arizona in December 2016. Courtesy of Arizona Game and Fish Department.



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Human Rights Groups Join Sierra Club’s Border Wall OppositionBy Susan Thomas

Susan is a Borderlands Team volunteer.

The Borderlands Team, under program coordinator Dan Millis, is working with several human rights groups to fight Donald Trump’s pro-posed wall on the U.S./Mex-ico border. The wall, which could cost taxpayers billions, would permanently disrupt wildlife migration corridors and harm species struggling to adapt to a warming atmo-sphere.

More than 650 miles of the border already have bar-riers. “We have been fighting the negative effects of those existing walls and fences with our coalition partners for more than a decade,” Millis points out. “Walls are the most expensive and least effective approach to border secu-rity, since they are easily and routinely scaled by people,” he explains. “They cost millions of dollars per mile to build and maintain, they fail to address the root causes of com-plex border problems, and they prevent wildlife from migrating to safer spaces.”

Millis is working with the Tohono O’odham Hemajkam Rights Network (TOHRN) to fight expansion of the border wall. The Tohono O’odham Nation’s 30,000 tribal members live on the second largest res-ervation in the U.S., which includes 75 miles of the border. TOHRN, a grassroots activist collective, works to empower tribal mem-bers by addressing the militarization of the border and other threats to the health and

protection of O’odham territories.

According to Nellie Jo David, a TOHRN spokesper-son, the existing fences have already divided families, making it dif-ficult to seek medical services, visit relatives, keep ceremonial tradi-tions, and commute for basic life necessities.

Likewise, the Coalición de Derechos Humanos is concerned about human rights

abuses directed at migrants. “Migrants have been increasingly criminalized for over a de-cade,” observes Isabel García, a spokesperson for the Coalición. She believes the American public has been made fearful and kept unin-formed about border issues and history.

Dan Millis agrees that border barriers have harmed both humans and the environ-ment, promoting floods, restricting the mi-gration patterns of endangered species such

as ocelots and jaguars, and limiting animals’ access to food, water, and territory. As the planet warms, this access will be more im-portant than ever. “Animals need to move back and forth across the border to adapt to changes of climate,” he observes. “If a wall impedes their movement, a population or an entire species can be put at risk.”

What’s more, making the concrete for a wall such as the one Trump has suggested would produce a lot of greenhouse gases because cement production is usually a coal-fired, carbon-intensive process.

With the stroke of a pen, the Trump ad-ministration could dismiss decades of pro-tective laws passed by Congress and signed by presidents, all to circumvent local, state, and federal laws when constructing border walls. “Our border communities are not war zones,” Millis explains. “We and our part-ners will keep working to persuade lawmak-ers that what we need here are 21st-century solutions to problems, not 5th-century tech-nologies like border walls.”

For more information, visit http://sierraclub.org/borderlands or follow @SC_Borderlands on Twitter.

Javelina are one of dozens of species unable to cross the border wall. ©Krysta Schlyer.

Will Climate Change at the EPA Hurt Public Health?By Tyler Kokjohn

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has experienced a drastic change in political climate. In the first days of the new administration, webpages were scrubbed of climate change information, new restric-tions were implemented on agency com-munications and grant and contract awards were frozen temporarily. With the new head for the agency in place, large funding cuts seem inevitable along with systematic efforts to reduce what some deem regulatory over-reach, including Clean Air Act regulations on power plants, auto emissions standards, and oversight activities.

Arizona was once a popular destination for those seeking the fresh air and sunshine cure for tuberculosis. Until effective antibi-otics became available, Castle Hot Springs, Cave Creek, Sunnyslope (Phoenix), and Tucson all attracted “lungers” hoping to stop

the ravages of consumption. One hundred years later, population increases and devel-opment have changed parts of our state into areas where vigilance and proactive efforts are essential to maintain healthy air quality.

Large regions of the state currently ex-perience air pollution levels high enough for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to issue advisories and health alerts. The threats to wellbeing from air pollution due to transportation and power plant op-erations are well established. In addition to asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer, sev-eral lines of research now suggest that expo-sure to fine particulates, designated PM2.5, increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (http://bit.ly/PMdisease). These small particles are pro-duced by burning a wide variety of materials such as oil, gas, and firewood.

Arizona citizens need to be alert for ac-tions that will weaken environmental quality regulations or that will prevent monitoring or enforcement activities at both national and local levels. The magnitude of proposed cutbacks exceeds all pretense of efficiency improvements or elimination of redundan-cies.

Myron Ebell, the climate change denier and EPA transition team head, stated, “The fact is that in modern society we have the

technology to deal with environmental chal-lenges, and that’s why people live in Phoenix. Because warm is good, as long as we have air conditioning.”

The quality of life and natural resources have induced people to settle in or visit Ari-zona for a long time. However, if we are not watchful, the decidedly cold political climate could end up hurting our economy and our health.

Tyler is a Publications Committee member and wilderness/wildlife activist.





Things We Like, but the Arizona Legislature Does NotBy Sandy Bahr

Sandy is Chapter Director.

Things that we like, but the Arizona Legislature does not, include direct democ-racy, snakes, state parks, public participa-tion, flowing rivers, and clean energy. Actu-ally, this is just the short list. At a time when we should be doing more to address climate change and to conserve waters in our rivers and streams, the Legislature is busy trying to pass bills to repeal the Arizona State Parks Board, promote shooting of snakes in urban areas by allowing the use of snake shot, and further delay decisions to determine surface water rights. It has also passed a plethora of bad messages to Congress and the President, asking them to prop up dirty coal plants at the expense of our air and our water, not to mention our climate.

Some members of the Arizona Legisla-ture really don’t like strong engagement by the public either, which is why there was a bill to discourage protests and five bills to hinder ballot measures brought by the peo-ple, plus a bill to get rid of the parks board to eliminate public oversight of the state parks system. Some committee chairs would rather not hear too much from the public as they keep people waiting for hours and then give them one minute to speak or limit the testimony to two people from each side.

Despite all that, the public’s involve-ment in legislative issues this session is stron-ger than ever. It was only through a strong

public outcry that the Speaker of the House decided to deep-six the bill that would have punished those who organize protests, and while the ballot-measure bills had not yet been stopped when I wrote this, legislators are definitely feeling the heat on those, as well. The proposed repeal of the Arizona State Parks Board has also generated a lot of opposition, and we remain hopeful it will not advance.

This year, more and more people are protesting, signing up on the legislature’s Request to Speak System, calling their leg-islators and sending emails, showing up for committee hearings, and seeking to hold legislators accountable for their votes. This

year, we also had our biggest Environmen-tal Day at the Capitol so far with more than 220 people, including a great showing from high school students, college students, and people from 26 of the 30 legislative districts. A youth-led news conference and multi-faith event were outstanding, and most par-ticipants had an opportunity to speak with

one or more legislators. The students were exceptional, and at least one indicated that she was planning to run for office!

Thank you to everyone who has and is taking action and participating in our de-mocracy. Please keep it up! Your voices – our voices – are more important than ever.

Top: 2017 Environmental Day at the Capitol participants. Right: Youth news conference, urging state legislators to take action on environmental issues. Photos by Sandy Bahr.



Arizona State Parks: A Slow and Rocky BeginningBy Bill Thornton

See State Parks on p. 13.

process difficult for Democrats to get bills passed in committee. Due to my past in-volvement in the Arizona YMCA Youth and Government Program, which gives students the opportunity to experience the entire legislative process from lobbying to writing and presenting their own bills in committee and on the actual Arizona House and Sen-ate floors, I was familiar with the process and how bills are passed through committee, on through the House, and then with the pro-cess repeated again in the Senate.

It was good to see the level of turnout for Environmental Day, especially those from Westwood High School, as it is won-derful to see youth interested and involved in public affairs. Hopefully, the turnout next year will be even larger and the youth community will become more interested and involved in the environment. This in-volvement is more important than ever with the recent abolishment of important Envi-ronmental Protection Agency regulations. I greatly enjoyed my time at Environmental Day and cannot wait until I have the chance to attend again next year.

Throughout the region, economies were dependent on extractive industries (ranch-ing, mining, and timber) that exerted a pow-erful influence on state governments. Many westerners viewed the protection of land for natural or historic values as a frivolous waste of resources.

When the Arizona Good Roads Associ-ation proposed a state park at Mormon Lake near Flagstaff in 1925, opposition was quick and vocal. The Flagstaff Junior Chamber of Commerce denounced the proposal, saying it would cripple the lumber industry and impose great hardship on residents. Cattle-men were even more vocal in their opposi-tion and succeeded in blocking every state park proposal for more than 30 years. State park development in Arizona was also stalled by the widespread perception that our natu-ral and historic treasures were well protected

by national parks, monuments, and forests that also provided ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. State parks were simply not needed.

The end of World War II brought pro-found changes to Arizona. Population and urbanization grew rapidly. By 1960, the

Protecting the Arizona We All ShareBy Josh Knight

Environmental Day: An Opportunity to LearnBy Daniel Harmonick

Josh is a student at Bioscience High School and a Sierra Club intern. Daniel is a student in geography and sustainability.

This was my first time going to Envi-ronmental Day at the Capitol, and it will not be my last. It was a great experience meeting other people who really care about the envi-ronment and the future of the world. It was very empowering to understand how much of an impact I have on my legislators and to know that some understand the reasons why we need to protect the environment. I talked

to multiple legislators, including Senator Martin Quezada (LD29) and Senator Lupe Contreras (LD19), both from west Phoenix. They both had very good things to say about how we need to protect the Arizona we all share and how they agree that the environ-ment is the number one priority.

Environmental Day at the Capitol on February 15 gave attendees an excellent chance to learn about current environmen-tal issues, in addition to the opportunity to better understand the legislative process and how bills are passed through the Arizona House and Senate.

Upon arriving at the State Capitol, in-dividuals were split into groups by legisla-tive district. Once assembled, the groups had several meetings with legislators, such as Senator Katie Hobbs, who explained the importance of environmental topics as well as the legislative process that goes along with trying to get a bill signed into law. These sessions were very informative and allowed individuals direct contact with and an op-portunity to ask questions of the representa-tives. The time Sen. Hobbs spent with the groups was greatly appreciated. One particu-lar topic of interest that she discussed with our group involved how the committees are often “stacked”: the committees usually in-clude more Republicans than Democrats, so if a committee has eight members it would commonly consist of five Republicans and three Democrats, therefore making the

Josh Knight speaking at Environmental Day at the Capitol. Photo by Stacey Champion.

Americans are blessed with a network of parks that’s the envy of the world. Our national parks play such a dominant role in the conservation of our natural, historic, and cultural resources that state and regional parks are easily overlooked. By 1890, most land east of the Rockies was owned by the states. State parks there took the lead in pro-tecting natural and historic resources.

A greater proportion of western land remained under federal control, 70.6% in Arizona, including Native American reserva-tions. Passage of the Antiquities Act of 1906 set the stage for the protection of some of our finest national treasures, such as Yellow-stone, Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde. The national parks were here to stay. The concept of conservation was gaining favor nationally, but in the intermountain west, state parks did not fare so well.

Red Rock State Park. Photo by Dennis Sigman.



N. Smith is a public health scholar and researcher.

A brown cloud hangs over Phoenix. Photo by Dick George.

Increasing Temperatures, Increasing Health EffectsBy Meg Weesner and Dr. Michele Manos

Father’s Day 2016 – Record hot tem-peratures in Tucson (115˚F forecast). By the end of the weekend, three hikers and one urban walker had died of heat-related ill-ness (HRI), rescuers had been mobilized for more than six incidents, and five hikers came to the emergency room with HRI.

Each year in Pima County alone, more than 300 people make emergency room vis-its because of heat illness. As much as a quar-ter of the excessive heat exposure happens during outdoor recreation, most frequently hiking. With climate change, Arizona’s cli-mate is becoming hotter and drier. Can we do something to reduce the health dangers of these super-hot days?

In late July 2016, Pima County Sher-iff’s Department and Health Department hosted a meeting of community partners to share information and to develop a plan to improve heat safety for hikers. Michele Manos facilitated the meeting, and Meg Weesner attended. Thirty-five people, repre-senting groups as varied as federal and state land managers, National Weather Service, rescue associations, health professionals, outdoor stores, outfitters, hiking clubs, the

hospitality industry, and the airport author-ity, participated.

Last summer, authorities made an-nouncements about predicted extreme heat, but many people didn’t hear them, read them, or see them; they didn’t understand or believe them; or they chose to ignore them. The group agreed to become even more proactive about health alerts – similar to the way messages are released regarding danger-ous winter storms, wind and dust events, or hurricanes.

Among the recommendations consid-ered for the upcoming heat season were to improve signage at trailheads, develop ma-terials that hotels can give to visitors, de-velop “best practices” among hiking groups regarding when to avoid outdoor activities, station “prevention ambassadors” at trail-heads to inform hikers of extreme risks, and include public health messages on electronic message boards at the airport.

Most important, almost all heat illnesses and deaths are preventable with good deci-sion-making during extreme heat. Summer is no time for desert hiking, except for the very early morning hours. If hiking is in the

plan, choose a higher-altitude mountain trail with shade and cooler temperatures. And al-ways carry more water than you expect you’ll need.

Other health impacts may result from increasing temperatures. More frequent days of extreme heat can lead to higher levels of ground-level ozone pollution, drier weath-er brings more dust and fire danger, and milder winters can lead to more pollen in the spring. Warmer temperatures have also affected insects and animals that serve as

Meg is Rincon Group Chair. Michele is a longtime Si-erra Club member and a public health researcher who has studied health effects of warmer temperatures in southern Arizona.

The interplay between climate change and air quality is no more evident than in desert landscapes such as Phoenix. Particu-late matter (PM) invariably affects air qual-ity and can be generated from a variety of anthropogenic (e.g. burning of fossil fuels) and natural sources (e.g. dust storms). Of primary concern in an arid landscape is the

Climate Change: The Impact on Air Quality in the Phoenix LandscapeBy N. Smith

generation of PM10 from windblown dust on open land. As temperatures continually rise, thus removing atmospheric and ground moisture, desert landscapes become ripe breeding grounds for PM10.

Although dust storms are typically short-lived in duration, PM10 can be fur-ther compounded by ultrafine particulate

matter (PM2.5) during the winter months in metropolitan Phoenix. Due to the geo-graphic makeup of Phoenix, temperature in-versions (the meteorological phenomena in which temperatures rise in higher altitudes and stay cooler toward the surface) are a regular occurrence. Extreme temperature in-versions can lead to more wood burning in winter months, which leads to more pollu-tion. Organic pollutants, such as those creat-ed from wood burning, were found to make up the bulk of PM in the metropolitan area in a 2013 study (http://bit.ly/PhxPMstudy). This trapping of PM can lead to the collo-quially known “brown cloud” that envelopes the city in winter months.

As climate change becomes an evermore present reality in landscapes already prone to large temperature variations (such as Phoe-

nix, which saw on February 5, 2017, a tem-perature range of 46–76°F), temperature fluctuations will only continue to increase, which will give way to activities that can be detrimental to good air quality.

Although other urban landscapes may not face the unique geographical or meteoro-logical realities of Phoenix, aggressive action must be taken to combat climate change and the range of environmental implications that accompany it. Since 1901, Phoenix has ex-perienced a 3.5°F degree increase in overall average temperatures, similar to what is be-ing experienced in other urban areas in the country. One must question, when will these challenges that face Phoenix in its battle for high air quality become equally pronounced in other parts of America?

disease vectors. The mosquito Aedes aegypti, which carries viruses including those causing dengue fever and Zika, is now well-estab-lished in much of Arizona. As many animals enjoy longer breeding seasons and increas-ing populations, zoonotic diseases like rabies and plague may become more common.

Be careful out there!

Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



See Uranium continued on p. 13.

In Memory

Frank Welsh

Frank Welsh, a leading Arizona advo-cate for water conservation, passed away Jan-uary 22, 2017. In apparent celebration of his life, the heavens opened this winter giving much needed rain and snow, replenishing the rivers and streams he so loved. Frank was 82; his last words reportedly were, “Keep up the fight.”

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Frank protected reptiles and amphibians from neighborhood bullies. He served in the Ko-rean War, received a civil engineering degree from Villanova University, and subsequently worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, Forest Service, and City of Tempe. He re-

ceived his Juris Doc-torate from Arizona State University in 1971 (Gil Venable, another long-time Si-erra Club leader, was one of his professors). Frank was also Presi-dent of the Phoenix branch of Arizona So-ciety of Professional Engineers and a leader in the Young Repub-licans, a true Barry

Goldwater conservative whose economic philosophy would serve him well in the first major environmental battle he tackled.

By 1975, it had become clear that the Central Arizona Project (CAP) as proposed by Bureau of Reclamation was going to have serious environmental impacts, especially the construction of Orme Dam at the con-fluence of the Verde and Salt rivers. As envi-sioned, the earthen Orme Dam was to pro-vide storage for excess CAP water and flood control for metropolitan Phoenix.

As Executive Director of Concerned Citizens Against the Project (CCAP), Frank argued that the dam would flood out most

of the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation and its riparian areas, displace nesting bald eagles, and end recreational tubing on the Salt. In addition, CCAP contended that Orme Dam was uneconomical and that there were less expensive ways to store water and protect Phoenix.

Against all odds, CCAP, the Tribe, and others finally prevailed when on November 14, 1981, Interior Secretary James Watt announced that Orme Dam would not be built. Eventually, several other CAP-envi-sioned dam projects died as well, including Cliff Dam between Bartlett and Horseshoe lakes on the Verde, Charleston Dam on the San Pedro, and Hooker and Buttes dams on the Gila.

Frank documented the Orme Dam fight in his 1985 book How to Create a Water Crisis, which argued that, if conserved and wisely used, the West had plenty of water for future growth without more federal pork

barrel projects. The book is still required reading in some university classes.

Frank was involved with a variety of groups and interests with Sierra Club. He received our chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

Other contributions are too numerous to mention but include working with the Arizona Grazing Clearinghouse in the ’90s and helping organize to protect state trust lands. Along with Bob Witzeman (Mari-copa Audubon) and others, Frank worked for years to protect Haunted Canyon, Pinto Creek, and Oak Flat from the ravages of mining.

But if asked what the most important thing he ever accomplished was, Frank would likely answer it was his marriage to Barbara Blackman. Frank waited until he was 69, but when he finally married, he did it right.

–Written by Don Steuter

Thank you to all who donated in memory of Frank Welsh:

Lynn AshbySandy Bahr

Connie & Ted GartnerMartha Ann Langmade

Patricia MariellaJodi Stoudt

Janet Witzeman

Frank Welsh in Haunted Canyon. Photo by Don Steuter.

Nuclear Power: Mining and CleanupBy Carolyn Blackmore

With a new U.S. President and Repub-lican-controlled Congress, there is a lot of buzz going on in the nuclear world – what with tweets on building our nuclear arsenal and the lack of clear “anti- (or pro-) nuclear” sentiment from the White House. But even before this election, plans for more uranium mining were moving forward, including bringing back operations at an existing ura-nium mine located close to the south rim of Grand Canyon.

Nuclear power is here to stay – be it for nuclear weapons and reactors or through use in instruments, batteries, and medical di-agnosis and treatment, etc. There are about 100 power-generating nuclear reactors in the U.S., which generate about 20% of the na-tion’s electrical power. Three of these are in

Palo Verde, Arizona. There are also numer-ous operational research and test reactors in the U.S. (none in Arizona) as well as medical isotope processing and irradiation facilities.

The nuclear fuel cycle generates a vari-ety of wastes including low- and high-level radioactive wastes, spent nuclear fuel, and uranium mining and milling wastes. Par-ticularly problematic due to the potential for uncontrolled contamination (and the as-sociated environmental destruction) are the wastes from mining and milling operations such as discarded rock, mill tailings (byprod-uct materials), contaminated equipment and debris, and liquids and sludges from drain-age, seepage, and ore leaching processes.

It seems certain that few new federal regulatory controls to protect the environ-

ment and human health will be implemented in the foreseeable future. In fact, the federal gov-ernment is actively roll-ing back environmental regulations and rules designed to protect the environment, including rules affecting mining. This makes informed public vigilance in mon-itoring and providing input to state regulators (and federal regulators, if any are left) overseeing uranium mining and milling activities – including those at Energy

Fuels’ Canyon Mine, set to begin operations this year – very important.

In the past, there was little environmental regulation of uranium mining and milling operations. One group unfairly and heavily im-pacted by this are Native Americans. There are an estimated 521 old ura-nium mines on Navajo lands in the southwest-ern U.S., many of which were mined to provide

Photo by Tiffany Sprague.



Happenings Around the StateFive groups and one regional conservation committee make up the Grand Canyon Chapter. All events and meetings listed below are open to members interested in learn-ing more about Sierra Club. You can find out more at http://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/events-activities. Schedules are subject to change. (x) Group ExCom members

Rincon Group (Tucson)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/rincon

Chair: Meg Weesner (x) 520-576-2083 [email protected]: Catalina Ross (x) [email protected]: Ken Bierman 520-882-2708 [email protected]: Cyndi Tuell (x) [email protected]: Keith Bagwell (x) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Russell Lowes (x) 520-321-3670 [email protected]: Thomas Hatfield (x) [email protected]: Mitch Stevens 520-991-1199 [email protected]: Kyle Kacerek [email protected]: Lee Oler 520-791-9246 [email protected] (At-Large): Diego Martinez-Lugo (x) [email protected]

Canyon Echo encourages contributors to use Creative Commons licensing.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom-mercial-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105.

All other contributions, including photos, cartoons, and written work, fall under standard copyright restrictions.

Palo Verde Group (Phoenix)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/palo-verde

Chair/Membership: Kathy Mohr-Almeida (x) 480-329-8503 [email protected]/Programs: Michael Brady (x) 480-990-9165 [email protected]: Bettina Bickel (x) [email protected]: Jerry Nelson 602-279-4668 [email protected]: Don Steuter (x) 602-956-5057 [email protected]/Wilderness: Jim Vaaler (x) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Lisa Vaaler 602-468-4158 [email protected] (At-Large): Fareed Abou-Haidar (x) 480-345-1779 [email protected]

Gary Kraemer (x) 602-373-6301 [email protected] McLaughlin (x) 480-515-3850 [email protected]

APR 20, MAY 18, JUN 15 (THU) 6:30 p.m. Free monthly programs. The Palo Verde Group offers monthly programs on the third Thursday of each month from 6:30–8 p.m. Location TBD; contact for details. Monthly programs are open to the public. Visit http://sierraclub.org/arizona/palo-verde or call 480-990-9165 for more information.

MAY 4, JUN 1 (THU) 6:30 p.m. Conservation Committee meetings. Contact Don Steuter. MAY 11, JUN 8 (THU) 6:30 p.m. Executive Committee meetings. Contact Kathy Mohr-Almeida. Location TBD.

Saguaro Group (North Maricopa County)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/saguaro

Chair/Website: Harry Lumley (x) 480-474-4993 [email protected]: Doug Murphy (x) 602-329-3690 [email protected]: Sally Howland (x) 602-663-2889 [email protected]: Ehrick Howland 602-663-4479 [email protected]: Jo Sylvester 602-595-6170 [email protected]: Bev Full (x) 480-221-2554 [email protected]: Peter Weinelt (x) 623-388-2209 [email protected] Projects: Urb Weidner 602-595-3301 [email protected]: Jim Wilkey (x) 480-649-2836 [email protected] (At-Large): Dianne Leis (x) 480-432-9181 [email protected]

Contact Harry Lumley for information about the following events.

APR 1 (SAT) 8 a.m. Monthly meeting. Join us for breakfast at Grotto cafe, 6501 Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek. Vicki Preston, Executive Director of Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT), will give us the latest news, background, and goals of the DFLT and will then lead us on a hike to one of the DFLT’s preserves.

APR 20 (THU) 5:30 p.m. Social event. Sandy Bahr, Chapter Director, will update attendees on Sierra Club activities to protect and promote our natural resources and environment. Infor-mation will also be provided about club projects, events, and how you can help explore, enjoy, and protect our environment. We invite you to join us. Located at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, 18545 N. Allied Way, Phoenix. Hors d’oeuvres provided. Contact Bev Full or Jo Sylvester for more information.

MAY 6 (SAT) 8 a.m. Monthly meeting. Join us at the Grotto cafe, 6501 Cave Creek Rd, Cave Creek. From there, we will carpool to the nature center at Cave Creek Regional Park, or you can meet us there. There is a $6-per-vehicle entry fee. At precisely 8:30 a.m., we will hike to the Clay Mine with park ranger Mark Paulat. We’ll have an interpretive tour of the mine fol-lowed by a short park briefing.

APR 27, MAY 25, JUN 22 (THU) Conservation Committee (6 p.m.) and Executive Com-mittee (7:15 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are open to the public. Sierra Club members, in particular, are urged to attend and to participate. Hope you see you there! Located in the first floor conference room of the Historic YWCA, 738 N. Fifth Ave., Tucson.

The following programs are located at Tucson City Council Ward 3 office, 1510 E. Grant Rd., Tucson. Free and open to the public. Refreshments served.

For more information, contact Keith Bagwell.

APR 13 (THU) 7 p.m. Wolves: Genetics and Conservation. Wolves were the top predator in many places in the western U.S. until they were extirpated. Efforts to restore wolves include translocations to Yellowstone from Canada and introductions to Arizona from a captive popu-lation of Mexican gray wolves. On Isle Royale, a national park in Lake Superior, a wolf popu-lation has existed since the 1950s when the wolves emigrated from Canada. Phil Hedrick talks about genetics and conservation efforts in these three wolf populations, focusing on research that he and his colleagues have carried out.

MAY 11 (THU) 7 p.m. Land of the Southwest Monsoon. Thunderstorms ring Tucson most days from early July through mid-September. The Southwest monsoon creates a web of biodi-versity that makes the Sonoran Desert the most diverse in the world. This monsoon not only affects the weather and flora and fauna of southern Arizona, it also influences Grand Canyon, southern Utah, New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, and California’s Sierra Nevadas. Long-time hiking enthusiasts Mitch Stevens and Russell Lowes present the wildlife connectivity between southern Arizona’s 10,000-foot-high sky-island mountain ranges to Grand Canyon and lands to the north.

JUN 8 (THU) 7 p.m. The Mysterious Northern Mexican Gartersnake. The northern Mexican gartersnake was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2014. Relatively little is known about this highly cryptic and difficult-to-monitor snake, including how best to protect the habitats on which it depends. Tiffany Sprague, a researcher with Arizona State University, studied microhabitat selection and movements of northern Mexican gartersnakes at Bubbling Ponds Hatchery in Cornville. She introduces us to the world of this special spe-cies and discusses the results of her work, plus a number of cool observations that have advanced our understanding of this mysterious creature.

http://sierraclub.org/arizona/palo-verde

http://sierraclub.org/arizona/palo-verde



For information about activities in the Sedona/Verde Valley area, contact Brian Myers.

Sedona/Verde Valley Grouphttp://www.reliablescribe.com/svvg

Chair: Brian Myers (x) 928-300-7734 [email protected]: Anne Crosman (x) 928-284-9252 [email protected]: Tina Myers (x) 928-300-7733 [email protected]: Paul Rauch (x) 928-821-4215 [email protected]: John Sheffield 928-204-1517 [email protected]

Inspiring Connections OutdoorsBy Lauren Pierce

Lauren is a graduate student intern with Tucson ICO.

Yavapai Group (Prescott)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/yavapai

Chair/Outings/Web: Gary Beverly (x) 928-308-1003 [email protected]/Conservation: Tom Slaback (x) 928-778-4233 [email protected]: Jenny Cobb (x) 928-541-9746 [email protected]: Michael Adcock (x) 928-237-9143 [email protected] (At-Large): Doug Treadway (x) 928-899-5409 [email protected]

Contact Gary Beverly for information about the following events.

APR 5, MAY 3, JUN 7 (WED) 6 p.m. Executive Committee meetings. Members are welcome and urged to attend and participate in our monthly Executive Committee meetings. These are where we choose the issues we are involved with and do our strategic planning. Located at Yavapai Title Conference Room, 1235 E. Gurley St., Prescott.

Plateau Conservation Committee (Flagstaff)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/plateau

Chair: Joe Shannon 928-380-9537 [email protected] Land Recreation: Mike Popejoy 982-707-1419 [email protected] Activist: Dick Hingson 928-699-8366 [email protected] Coordinator: Lindsey Jones 602-478-5795 [email protected] Conservation: Ian Harrison 928-266-0154 [email protected]

Contact Joe Shannon for information about the following events.

MAY 11 (THU) 6 p.m. Monthly meeting. Please join us! The Plateau Conservation Committee (northern AZ) holds meetings every other month to discuss happenings and ways to get involved. Sierra Club members are urged to attend and to participate. Open to the public. Located at Joe C. Montoya Community Center, 245 N. Thorpe Rd., Flagstaff.

Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) of Tucson has had a busy season!

We welcomed a new leader, Anthony Gutierrez, who completed his provi-sional lead by our last meet-ing. He will now be able to lead our growing number of agencies on outdoor adven-tures. Anthony’s provisional lead with CENTER on Yet-man Trail included activities that promoted a growing understanding of the intri-cate nature of the desert en-vironment for people new to Tucson. It is our hope that this education will help them see the desert as their home.

Pueblo High School has been very ac-tive in its love for the outdoors. Students participated in a recent hike to Picacho Peak, which they worked up to through a series of other hikes during the season. Their hard work was rewarded with an excellent experi-ence. Pueblo also completed a hike in Co-lossal Caves led by Al Bellavia on February 25. One of their future outings will include a trip to Grand Canyon.

Our leaders have been working hard to provide opportunities for our partner agen-cies to hike and explore all that the beautiful Tucson desert has to offer. Pascal Mickelson led CENTER on a hike through Milagrosa Canyon. He also volunteered with Steve Pothier, who led Rincon and University high

schools up Wasson Peak. The hike was beau-tiful, and the students enjoyed the view from the top. Thank you to all our leaders who have shared their love of the desert world with our agencies!

We have many future outings coming up and are always looking for volunteers to join us as we explore and learn together. Tucson ICO’s mission statement is to pro-vide outdoor opportunities for underserved youth of diverse cultural and ethnic back-grounds to explore, enjoy, and protect the natural world. We are always working hard to provide these experiences and to spread our passion for the outdoors!

University and Rincon high schools’ outing to Wasson Peak, led by Steve Pothier. Photo by Lauren Pierce.

percentage of Arizonans residing in urban centers stood at 74.5%, up from 34.8% in 1940. Many new residents were employed in manufacturing and technology. Extractive industries declined in relative importance.

The demand for outdoor recreation increased along with the urban population, and economic benefits began to be realized. Arizona Republic columnist Ben Avery noted that “outdoor living is a way of life in Ari-zona where camping and picnicking can be a year-round pleasure.” There was also grow-ing recognition that rapid development was taking a toll on our state’s natural and his-

toric treasures. Congressman Stewart Udall wrote, “While we have watched Arizona mature we have also watched bits and pieces of its natural beauty and historic legacy dis-appear.”

In 1956, the newly organized Arizona State Parks Association, under the leadership of Valley National Bank President Robert M. Japp, became the catalyst that united park advocates and overcame the resistance of cattlemen. On March 25, 1957, Gover-nor Earnest McFarland signed House Bill 72, and the Arizona State Parks System was born.

Bill is a second generation native Arizonan, lifelong cactus hugger, and outdoor enthusiast.

State Parks continued from p. 9.

uranium to fight the Cold War. Finding re-sponsible parties and money to pay for the massive cleanup of these mines has been slow, and little real progress has been made.

But one hopeful strategy is the use of “end user” responsible parties to pay for cleanups. In this case, that would be the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which has already undertaken steps to catalogue and evaluate the mines from which the govern-

ment’s uranium for use in nuclear weapons was extracted. The DOE has experience in large-scale environmental cleanups, includ-ing those at uranium milling sites. Addition-ally, with the importance of the DOE mis-sion in supporting national defense, tight federal dollars may be easier to allocate and protect there than for other federal agen-cies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

Carolyn is a waste management professional.

Uranium continued from p. 11.



ATTENTION, CURRENT AND POTENTIAL OUTINGS LEADERS!

Are you interested in leading outings for Sierra Club? Or are you a current leader who needs to update your first aid or outings leader certification?

Outing Leader Training 101 and First Aid Certification Saturday, June 24

9 a.m. (first aid) and 1:30 p.m. (OLT) Held at home of Bev Full, north Scottsdale

Cost for first aid is $25 ($35 if you’d also like CPR); scholarships are available. OLT 101 is free. First aid and OLT 101 are required of all Sierra Club outing leaders. First aid training is required every three years, and OLT 101 is required every four years. CPR training is optional.

To sign up or for more information, contact our chapter office at 602-253-8633 or [email protected].

Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFind more events and opportunities on our online calendar at http://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/outings.

APR 1 (SAT) “B” Castle Creek Cabin (8–10 mi.). This hike will mostly follow dirt roads along Castle Creek in the southern Bradshaw Mountains near Bumblebee, We’ll be travel-ing through rugged scenic country. The cabin is impossible to find, so we’ll turn around and take an off-trail shortcut back to our cars. Ex-pect up- and downhill travel, steep slopes, spiny plants (leather gloves recommended), boulder scrambling, and possibly wet feet. Drive 60 mi. from Phoenix. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 1 (SAT) “D” Desert Foothills Land Trust Preserve (2 mi. 500’ EC). Vicki Preston, Ex-ecutive Director of Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT), will lead us on a hike to one of the DFLT’s preserves. Contact Harry Lumley at 480-474-4993 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 2 (SUN) “B+” Safford (Sombrero) Peak (3.5–4.5 mi.). The route will involve a chal-lenging section of steep climbing on very loose rock in the class 2 range with a couple of class 3 moves. “Intensity” describes this special northwestern Tucson hike with quick-ly-gained rewards of fitness and elevated heart rate, panoramic views of natural and human activity, and the peak itself. The over-all profile is steep; with luck, we’ll enjoy a presence of turkey vultures and wildflowers in this lovely northeastern section of Saguaro Wilderness. We’ll discuss volcanic and fault-ing features of the geology. Continued hik-ing to one or more of the intermediate lower peaks moving toward Panther Peak will be an option, with a return on the same route. Limit 8. Contact Eric Morrison at 520-248-5149 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 5 (WED) “C+” Vulture Peak near Wick-enburg (4 mi. RT, 940’ EC). The first 1.3 mi. follows a pleasant path through a hilly des-ert floor area. The last 0.7 mi. to the saddle is a challenging, almost non-stop, uphill of nearly 700’ over a number rocky surfaces and high-stepping parts. The planned route is to the saddle, with the option to do the fi-nal 240’ from the saddle to the top of Vulture Peak, which is a steep, unmaintained path that involves some hand-over-foot climbing. Nice views of the far northwest valley from the saddle or the top. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 8 (SAT) “B+” Bronco Butte (8 mi., 2100’ EC). This strenuous on- and off-trail hike will take us to the 4349’ high summit of Bronco Butte, the high point on Horse Mesa in the Superstitions near Fish Creek Hill. We will begin by following a primitive trail up Horse Mesa. Then we’ll head off-trail to the summit. Expect steep and slippery slopes, thorny plants aplenty (leather gloves recom-mended), and untold beauty. Drive 65 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 9–14 (SUN–FRI) Annual Spring Ca-noe/Kayak the Green River. Paddle through Labyrinth Canyon. Camp along the river 4 nights. Cost: $225, includes canoe rentals, equipment, shuttles, and all meals in camp. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected].

APR 15 (SAT) “B” Rover Peak (11–12 mi., 1600’ EC). This exploratory trek near Seven Springs will follow dirt roads and an off-trail route to the nearly mile-high (5279’) sum-mit of Rover Peak. Expect steep and rocky slopes, spiny plants aplenty (leather gloves recommended), and spectacular panora-mas of the New River Mountains and Verde Valley. Drive 40 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 21 (FRI) “B” Florida Saddle (9.4 mi.

RT, 3500’ EC). A strenuous hike with 6–7 hours hiking plus 2 hours drive time. Let’s get a jump on the weekend. The Florida Trail is a lightly-used trail that goes to the Florida Saddle and on to Mt Wrightson. We will be traveling to the saddle. Florida is the Span-ish word for flowered. Hopefully, we will see some flowers on this hike. With the EC, we will be hiking through a variety of vegetation. Near the Florida Saddle, there are a number of large Douglas fir that shade our final des-tination. Contact Colleen Collen at 520-577-4543 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 22 (SAT) “B+” Little Granite Moun-tain (1900’ EC). Little Granite Mountain is a 4214’ peak in the Mazatzal Mountains be-tween SR 87 and Bartlett Lake. Most of this hike follows dirt roads, but the last 0.6 mi. and 800’ EC are off trail. On this last stretch, expect steep and slippery slopes and thorny plants (leather gloves recommended). Wet feet are possible if water in Sycamore Creek is high. Drive 45 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 23 (SUN) “B-” Mt. Wrightson Wilder-ness: Josephine Saddle (6 mi., 1600’ EC). This is the fourth in a series of hikes in the mountain ranges surrounding Tucson. The hike is on the beautiful north slope of the Santa Rita Mountains. During a snack break, we will discuss the Wilderness Act and the

history of wilderness designations in Arizona. Limit 15. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 26 (WED) Kayak on the Verde River. This is an endangered river that Sierra Club is seeking to protect. Cost: $75. Carpool to Camp Verde and bring a sack lunch. Contact Bev Full ta 480-221-2554 or [email protected].

APR 26 (WED) “B” Pontatoc Ridge Trail (4.65 mi. RT, 1935’ EC). Let’s get out and hike close to home, mid-week. This is a nice hike in the Catalinas that gives you a beauti-ful view of the valley and mountain peaks. At the end of the trail, we can continue a short distance to the top of the ridge. The as-cent is characteristically steep for this area. This hike is a fun challenge, but not a killer. Should be about 3 hours. Contact Colleen Collen at 520-577-4543 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 29 (SAT) “B+” Salome Jug. Join us for a canyoneering adventure, geared for begin-ners, to one of the most photogenic places in Arizona. Enjoy a fun romp featuring rock hopping, swimming, hiking, and one manda-tory rappel. Participants must provide their own gear, including helmet, harness, safety chain, descending device, and carabineers. Previous experience rappelling and medical forms are required. As we splash our way downstream, we will observe and discuss the fantastic pink granite geology of this most unique gorge, located near Roosevelt Lake in the Tonto National Forest. Limit 10. Contact Mitch Stevens at 520-991-1199 or [email protected] or Don Smith at [email protected]. Tucson

MAY 3 (WED) “C-” Lake Pleasant Hike, Picnic, and Swim. We’ll hike the Pipeline Canyon Trail (3.8 mi. RT, 250’ EC), then we’ll have a picnic lunch (bring your own). After lunch, we’ll head for the visitors’ cen-ter and do the short Roadrunner Trail (1.2 mi. RT) on the lake’s shore by the dam. We can do some swimming from there. You’re welcome to do some or all of this. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 6 (SAT) “B+” Ragged Top (4.5–5 mi., 1300’ EC). We’ll hike a class 2 gully to begin an adventure up to the peak of Ragged Top,









The Sierra Club is a nationwide organization with active local outings for members and non-members. Please join us as we make friends and explore life-enriching interests. Simply find an outing by date and contact the leader for directions, reservations, time, and additional information. RESTRICTIONS: NO FIREARMS, RADIOS, OR PETS (unless noted otherwise). Outings are by reservation. Call early (group limit 20). Each hike is rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.

“A” >16 miles or >3,000 ft. elevation change (EC)“B” 8–16 miles and 1,500–3,000 ft. EC“C” 3–8 miles, 500–1,500 ft. EC RT Round Trip“D” <3 miles and 500 ft. EC OW One Way

The trip leader has absolute authority to question trip participants as to their equipment, conditioning, and experience before and during the trip. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the liability waiver before you choose to participate in an outing, please go to http://content.sierraclub.org/outings/local-outdoors/resources or contact the Na-tional Outings Dept. at 415-977-5528 for a printed version. Sierra Club liability covers leaders only. Each person is responsible for his/her own first aid equipment. If you are injured, notify the leader immediately. If you leave the trip, with our without the leader’s permission, you are considered to be on your own until you rejoin the group. Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share the driver’s fuel expense. Donations are accepted from all participants at $1 (member) and $3 (nonmember). Money is collected by the leader and deposited with the group treasurer. For more information, contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554. Hikes and outings are also listed online and in the Sierra Singles newsletters. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Hiking Guidelines

Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFind more events and opportunities on our online calendar at http://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/outings.

a genuine desert summit 25 mi. northwest of Tucson in Ironwood Forest National Monu-ment. There will be craggy, rough conditions on- and off-trail with loose rock and plenty of cholla and other spiky stuff present – gloves and hiking stick may be desirable; ample wa-ter is needed. We’ll discuss a little basic biol-ogy of the ironwood tree and bighorn sheep; sightings of the former are guaranteed, the latter hoped for! Limit 8. Contact Eric Mor-rison at 520-248-5149 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAY 6 (SAT) “B” Sycamore Creek to Rail-road Draw (3 mi. OW, 600’ EC). We’ll hike up the Verde River through the riparian for-est, pausing for outstanding views of the red-rock Verde Canyon, exploring a historic homestead, and searching for osprey, bald eagle, black hawk, and great blue heron. There is no trail, but the walking is easy. Oc-casional shallow wading is required, and it’s fun to get your feet wet. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and conservation issues surrounding the Verde River, which is particularly threatened by groundwater pumping that will eventually transform the upper Verde into a dry wash, destroying the riparian habitat of 15 threat-ened and endangered species. You may ask for photos of the area. Reservation required; 12-hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-308-1003. Prescott

MAY 6 (SAT) “C” Cave Creek Regional Park (2.5 mi. RT, <500’ EC). We will hike to the Clay Mine with park ranger Mark Paulat. We’ll have an interpretive tour of the mine followed by a short park briefing. There is a $6-per-vehicle entry fee. Contact Harry Lum-ley at 480-474-4993 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 7–12 (SUN–FRI) Whitewater Rafting on the Colorado River through Westwater Canyon. Followed by three days camping and hiking trails in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Cost: $450, in-cludes outfitter-led 2-day rafting and shuttles plus camp fees and meals for 3 days in Can-yonlands National Park. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected].

MAY 10 (WED) “C+” Picacho Peak (3–4 mi. RT, 1780’ EC). Join us on this early morning

breakfast hike. Picacho Peak is an exciting, short, strenuous hike to a summit with 360° of fantastic views. The hike is challenging, but there are cables to assist through the more difficult areas. You will want to bring gloves. We will be having a breakfast potluck at the top. Entrance fee of $7 per vehicle. Contact Colleen Collen at 520-577-4543 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAY 17 (WED) “C” Brins Mesa in Sedona (5.2 mi. loop, 1100’ EC). This popular route is highlighted by views over Mormon Canyon, Capitol Butte, Brins Mesa, the Seven Sacred Pools, Devil’s Kitchen (a unique sinkhole), and miles of open red rock desert. We’ll look to carpool. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 20 (SAT) “C” Upper Verde River Wild-life Area (3 mi. OW, 300’ EC). After eagle spotting at Del Rio Springs, we’ll hike down a trail to the Verde River, where hikers can choose a) to hike 2 mi. to the confluence with Granite Creek or b) to cross the river and explore the rim. Either way, we’ll find beaver dams, wildlife, and stories about the river. Reservation required; 15-hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-308-1003. Prescott

MAY 21 (SUN) “C+” Brush Corral/Green Mountain Trail Loop (4.5 mi. loop, 1200’ EC). This is the fifth and final hike in a series in the mountain ranges surrounding Tucson. We start south of the San Pedro Vista and follow the Brush Corral and Green Mountain trails through an area that was burned in the Bullock Fire in 2002. We will talk about the natural role of fire in the mountains of south-ern Arizona. Limit 15. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

JUN 3 (SAT) “A” Wilbur Canyon. Enjoy an intermediate to advanced canyoneering ad-venture in the magnificent West Clear Creek Wilderness, one of the most beautiful locales in Arizona. Mitch Stevens and Don Smith will collaborate on this exciting adventure featuring multiple rappels, down-climbing, scrambling, rock hopping, and swimming. Participants must provide their own gear, including helmet, harness, safety chain, de-scending device, and carabineers. Previous experience rappelling and medical forms are

required. As we make our way down Wilbur Canyon, a tributary of West Clear Creek, we will observe amazing Coconino Sandstone narrows and lush vegetation, culminat-ing in the remarkably clear waters of West Clear Creek. Limit 10. Contact Mitch Ste-vens at 520-991-1199 or mitchstevens@ stevenslloydgroup.com or Don Smith at [email protected]. Tucson

JUN 7–9 (WED–FRI) Eldorado. Canoe or kayak 16 mi. on the Colorado River through Eldorado Wilderness. Outfitter cost to be an-nounced. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected].

JUN 14 (WED) Salt River Kayak. Kayak 13 mi. on the Salt River starting at Saguaro Ranch. Cost: 85$. Bring a sack lunch. Con-tact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected].

JUN 17 (SAT) “A” Humphreys Peak. A splen-did hike and climb to Arizona’s most iconic summit, located in Kachina Peaks Wilder-ness. The San Francisco Peaks appear to float above Flagstaff and are visible for many miles in all directions. We will enter by way of Inner Basin, a longer but more isolated route to the summit. At lunch, we will discuss and enjoy spectacular views of volcanic ge-ology, including Sunset Crater, and marvel at ancient bristlecone pines. Contact Mitch

Stevens at 520-991-1199 or [email protected]. Tucson

JUN 17 (SAT) “B” Bear Siding to Perkins-ville Bridge (7 mi., 100’ EC). After shuttling vehicles (2WD, 12 mi.), we’ll bushwhack down the Verde River through a very pretty and wild part. There is no trail. Be prepared to push through the brush and wade the riv-er. This will be a long day in the wilderness, but there is outstanding scenery, photog-raphy, and other remarkable features. Fre-quent shallow wading required. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding the Verde River, which is particularly threat-ened by groundwater pumping that will even-tually transform the upper Verde into a dry wash, destroying the riparian habitat of 15 threatened and endangered species. You may ask for photos of the area. Reservation required; 12-hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-308-1003. Prescott

AUG 6–12 (SUN–SAT) Raft the Green Riv-er. We will float from Flaming Gorge Dam through Brown’s Park to Gates of Ladore at Dinosaur National Park, camping 6 nights. Carpool to Dutch John, Utah. Cost: $300, in-cludes camp fees, raft rentals, shuttles, and meals in camp. Contact Bev Full 480-221-2554 at [email protected].













Sierra Service OpportunitiesGet involved and make a difference! Join us for these exciting service outings!

Luke and Baden hauling trash out from Rio Salado. Volunteers of all ages are welcome! Photo by Jennifer Martin.

Ken McGinty celebrates leading his 500th Sierra Club outing. Photo by Mike Brady.

Water Sentinels Monitoring Verde River: Saturday, May 13, June 10

San Pedro River: Monday, April 3, May 1, June 12 Contact: Jennifer Martin, 602-254-8362,

[email protected] your feet muddy and your hands wet with the Arizona Water Sentinels! These are great opportunities to help protect our important rivers. Volunteers are needed to take water samples and to make field observations. A group also monitors shallow groundwater levels in wells in the Murray Springs Clovis Site and near the San Pedro River near Sierra Vista. These data help track impacts to the rivers and to advocate for their protection. What could be better than spending a day in gorgeous scenery while working to make a difference?

Lower Verde Water MonitoringSaturday, May 13, June 10

Contact: Doug Murphy, 602 329-3690, [email protected]

Join the Saguaro Group and Arizona Water Sentinels as we kick off the water monitoring season on the Lower Verde River for this season. We will be sampling water quality, recording data, documenting the river’s condition, taking samples for analysis, and picking up trash at Needle Rock beach on the Lower Verde, just minutes from north Scottsdale. This is a great opportunity for children and families to learn about the river. Call for carpool information.

Rio Salado Habitat RestorationSunday, April 30, May 28, June 11

Contact: Jennifer Martin, 602-254-8362, [email protected]

Help us restore habitat! Join us for an invasive weed pull and clean-up at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, just south of downtown Phoenix. Once a dump site, the area is now a lush riparian corridor that supports a variety of wildlife and recreation opportunities. We need help removing trash and buffelgrass, a non-native, invasive species that alters habitat and increases fire risk. In April, we’ll also be planting native cottonwood trees! Snacks, drinks, gloves, and tools provided.

Fossil Creek Clean-UpFriday, June 9

Contact: Jennifer Martin, 602-254-8362, [email protected]

Fossil Creek is one of only two Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state. Since its restoration from a dammed-up stream to an incredibly beautiful wild river, Fossil Creek has become an extremely popular destination for recreational activities. That brings with it overuse problems like trash and habitat degradation. Help us explore, enjoy, and protect this important riparian area, which is home to an amazing assemblage of native fishes and other wildlife as well as clean water, outstanding

recreational opportunities, and so much more.

Sierra Club Honors Ken McGintyBy Bev Full

Ken McGinty, one of Sierra Club’s most prolific outings leaders, was honored on February 4 at a Superstition Wilderness trailhead. Mike Brady presented him with an REI gift certificate in thanks and recog-nition of his 500th outing for the Grand Canyon Chapter. These outings add up to thousands of miles and many pairs of boots.

Ken began leading outings for Sierra Club in 1980. He had moved to Phoenix from Maryland in 1976 to take a job as editor for the U.S. Bureau of Land Man-agement. His love of hiking began as a Boy Scout while growing up in the Washing-ton, DC, suburbs and by living near the Potomac River and the historic Chesa-peake and Ohio Canal. He holds a bach-elor’s degree in history from Duke Uni-versity and a Master’s degree in geography

from Clark University. He is also a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Although he’s led many backpacking trips, Ken prefers to lead day hikes and cites the environmental damage caused by camp-ing in remote areas. He is particularly critical of fire building that leaves ugly rings and last-ing scars. His idea of a great trail experience is hiking along a sandy canyon wash or a sce-nic ridge. He often chooses to tread lightly along off-trail routes. A major concern of his is protecting the many archaeological sites scattered throughout public lands. His write-ups often suggest wearing gloves for protection from cacti and thorny bushes. His ideal participant count is four, but he’ll take up to 12 and sometimes more. Some of his favorite hiking areas are the Superstition, Mazatzal, and Bradshaw mountain ranges.

Ken says he is concerned about the huge increase in numbers of hikers, runners, bikers, and off-road vehicles using trails. He tries to stick to the lesser-used areas. He says a major concern is the damage, danger, and noise caused by some shooters who fan out onto state and public lands.

Ken has contributed a lot more than just leading great hikes for Sierra Club. Through his leadership, participants have learned to appreciate the vast natural areas of our state. He has brought hundreds of hikers into these areas who now have a better under-standing of the need to protect our beauti-ful forests, mountains, deserts, canyons, and wildlife. This is what Sierra Club is about. For that, we thank him and wish him many more wonderful hiking experiences.

Bev is Chapter Outings Chair.

CLIMATE CHANGE: H H - Sierra Club · Spring 2017 Canyon Echo 3 Palo Verde:Don Steuter Rincon: Meg Weesner Yavapai: Tom Slaback Saguaro: Jim …

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