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NC Outings Calendar

Aug 31
DURHAM'S AILING STREET TREES--An Urban "Nature Hike"

Sep 20
White Water Rafting Trip to the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte
Join us for an one-of-a-kind white water rafting trip at the US National Whitewater Center!

Sep 27
Celebrate National Public Lands Day with Us and Help Plant Trees
Come celebrate the 15th Annual National Public Lands Day at Greenbelt Park, Md. The National Park Service needs our help to replant trees in the park.

Oct 10 - 12
Navigation Basecamp at Mt. Rogers - An Educational Outings from the NC/VA Chapters of the Sierra Club
Learn backcountry navigation from the Sierra Club!

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Issue in Focus: Offshore Drilling

NC Coasts Threatened Again

The whispers of opening North Carolina's coasts to drilling grow ever louder. In a state as tourism dependent as ours, offshore drilling would be an economic disaster. North Carolina is the sixth-most tourism dependent state in the country, with many communities relying on the jobs and revenue only available with a healthy coast and a continuous flow of visitors.

Inevitably, offshore drilling will impinge on North Carolina's marine environment. Pipelines, development, and drilling infrastructure scar beaches and undermine fishing economies. Our coastal communities cannot afford a sullied marine ecosystem, and contrary to industry claims, there exists no safe method for drilling our coasts. Spills occur, always. When it's well acknowledged that opening our coasts to drilling will not make a dent in rising gas prices, it makes little sense to endanger a thriving coastal economy.

What's more, many of North Carolina's natural fisheries and coastal wetlands will be poisoned, thus jeopardizing future seafood hauls. Take a look at our issue page to learn more.

Mt. Island Lake - In Trouble

Mt Island Lake As part of the Catawba River system, Mountain Island Lake will share in the difficulties of what American Rivers named "the most endangered river in the US." While the lake's eastern side is protected, much of the western side and numerous tributaries that feed it remain unprotected and vulnerable to deforestation, encroaching suburbia, and lack of foresight. With their partners, the Central Piedmont group of the Sierra Club and Central Piedmont Community College will gather activists and students, clean up the McDowell Creek watershed during the nationwide 'Big Sweep' series of events, and plant several hundred trees to help filter groundwater.

On Saturday, Sep 13, the group will co-host a planning session at Central Piedmont Community College. On Saturday, Oct 4, we will clean up the Mountain Island Lake shoreline during the annual Big Sweep event. And on Saturday, Nov 22, we will plant a large number of trees to help protect this endangered watershed. A picnic lunch will follow. Please join the Central Piedmont group at any or all of these events and help clean up one of North Carolina's most important water sources.

Footnotes Online

Sign up now for the semi-monthly email newsletter of the NC Sierra Club. With Footnotes Online, you can look forward to legislative updates, current issues, volunteer and group highlights, news clips, and info on upcoming outings. Each issue will contain useful tidbits you might not have known about the chapter, our groups, or our activities. Want to contribute? We encourage our groups and volunteers to submit info on current happenings around the state. And don't worry; the print version of Footnotes will still arrive in your mailbox twice a year.

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