Download PDF Version - Garden Club of America

Conservation
Watch
A Publication of The Garden Club of America
Volume
XXIII,
Issue 1
Spring
2014
GCA Goes to Washington DC
for National Affairs and Legislation Meeting
In this issue: Important information you need to know
to be an effective spokesperson for
Conservation
GCA Delegates stand
tall in front of the
Capitol
Conservation Watch NAL Meeting 2014
Index
National Affairs and Legislation Committee Rallies 300 Delegates______________________________________
__3
By Lindsay Marshall
Safe Climate Campaign Supports EPA Clean Air Standards and Changes to Automobile Gasoline Consumption Standards 4
By Linda James
Address by Mindy Lubber: Engaging Corporate America to Address Water Shortages, Natural Resource Depletion and Climate Change 6
By Ellen Rouse Conrad
Kristine Kingery and the Army’s Net Zero Program___________________________________________________________8
By Barbara Geltosky
Problems of Coal Ash Storage and Drilling in George Washington National Forest
________________ 9
By Celie Harris
President Katie Heins signs a MOU with the Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C.____
_________12
By Georgia Schell
Deborah Koons Garcia Bring a Fresh Look at Soil to the NAL Meeting
___ 13
By Annie Ager
Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, Advocate for Land and Water Conservation Fund
15
By Maureen Ogden
Representative Rush Holt Comments on Natural Resources___________________________
____ _16
By Betsy Uhlman
Senator Jack Reed, sponsor of No Child Left Inside Act, Asks GCA to Continue Conservation Efforts
_____________ 17
By Frances Trafton
Senator Susan Collins Achieves Rock Star Status Among NAL Participants
_____18
By Karen Arsenault
Insights from Representative Earl Blumenauer______________________________________________________________19
By Jill Josselyn
Johnny Isakson, Champion for Open Space , Water Resources, and Clean Air_____________________________________20
By Jane Whitaker
Robert Bonnie, Undersecretary of Agriculture Addresses GCA on the Importance of Collaborative Conservation________21
By Gail Clark
Conservation Watch NAL Meeting 2014
Index
Bryan Walsh, Senior Editor, Time Magazine, Bees in Trouble
__22
By Carol Carter
John Podesta Detailed President Obama’s Climate Action Plan
23
By Helen DuBois
Tiernan Sittenfeld, League of Conservation Voters, Explains the National Environmental Scorecard________________24
By Nancy McKlveen,
What Are the Next Steps
25
By Suzanne Booker-Canfield
E-Cycling 101—Pan for Gold:Toxic Substances Recycled: A Great Club Project
26
By Mary Palmer Dargan
Transformation and Empowerment____________________________________________________________________28
By Marsha Merrell
Pictoral Memories of NAL Meeting________________________________________________________________ 28-30
By Photographers Tempe Thompson, Suzanne Booker Canfield, Diana Fish and Vivian Todd
National Affairs and Legislation What a special pleasure it was for me to welcome 300 delegates to
the annual 2014 National Affairs and Legislation Meeting (NAL)
Committee Rallies 300 Delegates held in our nation’s capital. Looking out over the assembled particiBy Lindsay Marshall
NAL Chairwoman, Cherokee Garden Club
Zone VIII
pants from 144 clubs and 40 states that first morning, I was struck
by the electricity in the packed room—clearly everyone had energy
and enthusiasm to move the needle on GCA's environmental public
policy agenda.
The NAL annual conference has been held for 45 years, and we
have a proud record of advocating for plants, conservation, and environmental protection. For the past eight
years, our meetings have been carbon neutral and the offsets for this year's meeting have been given to the
Save the Redwoods League. We are proud of our record as a nonpartisan, independent voice on conservation
and environmental issues.
This year, more than half of the attendees were first-time delegates. I recalled how, after attending my first
NAL meeting and listening to top-level speakers followed by visiting elected officials on Capitol Hill, I realized my life and vision were changed. I also remembered the feeling of meeting GCA members who became
allies in promoting responsible stewardship of the planet.
Those who worked so hard with me to make this event happen are too numerous to mention, however, Lisa
Frulla, Jennifer Jameson and Diana Fish worked for a year to ensure a successful meeting. We are fortunate
to have a GCA president at the helm who has been so supportive of our efforts. In addition to making opening
remarks, Katie Heins participated throughout the conference, introducing the congressman from her home
district and signing a Memorandum of Understanding between GCA and the Forest Service to continue our
partnership in restoring habitat and preserving native plants.
Mother Nature cooperated, giving us just one brief snowstorm during
the week. All of the speakers appeared as planned. There was one
glitch...no vegetables in the vegetarian sandwich provided with our
boxed lunch on the Hill!
NAL focused on raising awareness of the magnitude and urgency of
the environmental issues facing our nation in 2014. Top issues included the quality of our water, the reality and effects of climate change,
and protection and safety of our food and agriculture. The first two
days of the meeting were filled with information from a balanced variety of top-notch speakers, including a senior counselor to the President, high-level agency officials, leaders of nonprofit environmental
groups, experts on an array of conservation topics, documentary film
makers, a journalist and senators and congressmen from both sides of
the aisle. Conservation and NAL Committee vice-chairs and representatives from two GCA clubs were also included in presentations. The
fact that we are a respected voice and powerful national organization
is reflected in the willingness of such speakers to take time from busy
schedules to address us.
Subjects ran the gamut of issues of interest to GCA, including protection of our coastlines and marine resources, appropriation levNAL Chair, Lindsay Marshall, GCA President, Katie Heins and
els for national parks and the Land and Water Conservation
Conservation Chair, Jennifer Fain
Fund, tax incentives for land conservation, the plight of the
pollinators, clean energy, and the multitude of challenges associated with climate change and its effects. The
list of speakers is on the NAL website, and the substance of many of the speaker presentations will be covered in this edition of Conservation Watch.
3
On the third day delegates visited their respective congressional delegations, armed with new knowledge,
conservation advocacy talking points, and a one-page summary of GCA position papers. Delegates left
Washington with new information on environmental issues, a better understanding of the legislative process,
and information about how individuals can make their views known. They also gained the confidence and
motivation needed to share GCA’s mission on environmental protections with policy makers at the national,
state and local levels.
Although the meeting has ended, our work has just begun. One recurring theme, which cut across all of the
speaker’s messages, was the important role GCA members play in making heir independent, non-partisan
voices heard. We take ideas back to our clubs and communities with our expanded vision, thereby giving
what we learned a life of its own. It is a “multiplier effect” for community activism and conservation projects.
Conservation and national and local advocacy unites important GCA values such as land conservation, protection of our nation's waters, wildlife, native plant communities, endangered species, ecosystems, and iconic
places. If we do not speak up for our world and environment, we have missed an opportunity. In the words
of Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres, “We have a chance to change the debate…and you are the game
changers.”
While I was in Washington I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant where my fortune cookie read, “Grasp opportunities to create the future.” It is a fortune that I wish for us all.
The Safe Climate Campaign Supports EPA
“Do
not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Clean Air Standards and Changes to
Automobile Gasoline Consumption Standards
By Linda James, Conservation Vice Chair for Climate Change
Emerson’s words reflect how leaders in the environmental community, who are invested in raising awareness of climate change, press for action
to address its growing stress on our society and the planet’s natural
resources. Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign
(SCC), founded the organization in 2008 to raise public awareness
of carbon pollution building in the atmosphere and to urge consumers to take action.
Using his law degree, Dan has been working since 1985 to pass environmental and consumer protection legislation As director of the
Sierra Club’s Global Warming Program from 1989 to 2007, he focused on new automobile fuel economy standards and state clean-car
laws. The auto industry’s trade magazine named Dan Becker as one
of 10 Washington “players” who most affect the auto industry.
Becker commented on the failure of congressional legislative action
to combat a warming planet. He said that Congress continues to
Dan Becker, director, the Safe Climate
block bills that would cut greenhouse gas emissions. Besides trying to
reduce the EPA budget, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has
Campaign
threatened to block EPA’s proposed regulations for new power plant
emissions. President Obama avoided congressional partisan paralysis by implementing the legal authority
confirmed in a 2007 Supreme Court decision upholding the 1970 Clean Air Act to maintain the momentum
of his Climate Action Plan.
4
The Safe Climate Campaign worked with the Obama Administration to set new automobile industry mileage
and emissions requirements termed the “54.5 mpg efficiency standard.” If these standards are instituted, it is
estimated that the average consumer will save $1.7 trillion, cut oil use by 12 billion barrels, and keep 6 billion
tons of CO2, out of the atmosphere by 2025. In a Los Angeles Times article published in December of 2013,
Becker and his co-author, James Gerstenzang, SCC Editorial Director, reported the 2012 EPA assessment confirming the success of these new auto manufacturing standards.
Despite difficulties in implementation, Becker says that the auto industry is on track to deliver a fleet by 2025
that will cut car polluting emissions in half. Because car engines burn each gallon of gasoline into 25 pounds
of CO2, the new standard can keep about 4 tons of CO2 per car out of the atmosphere. Although 2012 data
demonstrates how well regulations work, the automobile industry is still trying to weaken federal standards
before final implementation.
The EPA proposed regulations to limit CO2 emissions from new coal and gas-fired power plants under the authority granted by the Clean Air Act. The rule is expected to become final this summer in spite of the current
threat of Senator McConnell’s effort to block it. The EPA is currently at work with state clean air regulators on
a rule for existing power plants, requiring each state to submit its own plan for reducing CO2 emissions. EPA
expects to introduce this rule this summer.
Finally, Becker strongly urged political action now. He suggested that delegates’ talking points to elected officials include opposition to blocking the EPA-proposed new power plant rule, full funding of the EPA budget
and a shift of funding from highways to mass transit. Delegates were urged to speak out in their local communities in support of the EPA and to urge state and local officials to buy only the energy-efficient cars and appliances now available and to support retrofitting municipal buildings.
Other Featured Speakers
David Goldston
Chip Akridge, Chairman
National Resources
Trust for the National
Mall
Defense Council
Sally Yozell, Director of Policy
NOAA
5
Mindy Lubber has spent 35 years as an advocate for the environment. At one time, she
served as New England’s Regional Administrator for EPA under President Clinton. She
later made a decision to target her energies
Climate Change
where they could have the greatest impact. In
her view, capital market players have the most
By Ellen Rouse Conrad, NAL Vice Chair for Climate Change
influence on these issues, since they create
many of the problems and have the resources
Bedford Garden Club, Zone III
to block action. This led her to become president, CEO and a founding board member of Ceres, a nonprofit group that mobilizes business and investor
leadership on climate change.
Address by Mindy Lubber, CEO of Ceres: Engaging
Corporate America to Address Water Shortages,
Natural Resource Depletion and
In that capacity, Mindy Lubber is at the cutting edge of the effort to engage corporate America in making a
clear and profound commitment to sustainability, to addressing the issues of water shortage, natural resource
depletion and climate change. She is a major player in the business sector’s shift toward viewing sustainability as a bottom line financial issue, not a do-gooder social issue. She maintains that, as a nation, we need to
address sustainability issues not in small incremental steps but by significant, robust moves that create the
opportunity to take on the magnitude of the problem.
Ms. Lubber is widely recognized in the business community for her work advising institutional investors on
both the business risks and the opportunities of climate change. She regularly speaks on the subject of corporate and investor sustainability issues to leaders at the New York Stock Exchange, United Nations, World
Economic Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, and more than 100 Fortune 500 firms.
Ms. Lubber’s
address to the
NAL focused
on three areas:
the current response to climate change;
the economics
of climate
change, i.e.
business risks
and opportunities; and the
importance of
“changing the
debate.” She
railed about the
federal government’s present
response to
climate change,
stating, “It is
the epitome of craziness that climate change has become an issue for Democrats; that the future of the world
is only for Democrats. It is about each one of us…. These issues are the future of the world. Whether we
have enough water or food, climate change is going to have an enormous impact.”
6
Referring to the study soon to be released by the International Panel on Climate Change, Mindy pointed out
the urgency of climate change. “It is here. We need to act now. It will impact our world in ways we cannot
imagine.” She drew laughter from all the delegates when she used the analogy of climate change deniers and
a plane 99% of whose engineers stated unequivocally that it had mechanical problems and would crash. She
asked how many in the room would listen to the 1% of engineers who were not so sure the plane would crash
and would send their family on the flight. Ms. Lubber continued with a theme that was repeated by several
other speakers at the conference: “We must get rid of the ‘tyranny of the minority,’ the deniers of climate
change”.
GCA attendees were called on to be the “game changers”, to influence the debate in Congress, on TV, on
radio. “We need to make this a world crisis that impacts every single one of us,” declared Ms. Lubber. “We
cannot let the conversation stop because Congress has broken down and will not deal and will not speak
about the price of carbon,” she continued. “We are an important voice to change the debate. It is not about
jobs or tree huggers; it is about HUMANITY.”
Mindy Lubber switched gears when she spoke about major risks being presented by climate change: insurance liabilities of $50 billion due to storm damage in 2013; $50 billion government spending due to Hurricane Sandy; the impact on the agricultural sector of loss of crops, floods, and droughts; with impact as well
on job loss, the trucking industry and restaurants. She pointed out that floods and droughts created a 2 percent hit to GNP last year. Lack of water starts wars. The capital markets leaders need to act, she says.
Ms. Lubber then turned to the work Ceres was doing with the program they call “Investor Network and Climate Risk.” She explained several tactics that are being recommended: integrate sustainability from the
board room to the supply chains; tie compensation to sustainability; require these standards from your suppliers; set and meet greenhouse reduction and clean energy targets. She says, “Employees, shareholders and
consumers care. Investing in sustainability will not show a return in one quarter, but it will in 2 years.”
In contrast to corporate voices on fracking and oil drilling, Ms. Lubber urged that the position not be “full
speed ahead” but “slow down, wait for innovation.” She referred to a GE study of the 36,000 acres available
for fracking. Forty seven percent of them are in areas of drought. If one considers the tremendous amounts
of water to frack one well (4.4 million gallons in the state of PA), the process in such areas is almost impossible. We cannot go “full speed ahead” with fracking or tar sands. We need to wait for advanced technology.
With respect to government policy and federal legislative issues, Ms. Lubber urged us to advocate for subsidies for renewable fuels. She pointed out that fossil fuels have a guaranteed subsidy for 50 years, while renewable fuel subsidies must be granted every year. Since energy conservation is vital, we need to support
legislation that promotes it. EPA’s actions on carbon emissions and higher fuel economy standards for cars
and trucks are essential to curb the nation’s carbon pollution, estimated to originate 40 percent from coalfired power plants and 30 percent from transportation.
In a final burst of encouragement, she urged the assembled delegates to communicate with our legislators, to
move the debate from one about the environment to “the debate of our lifetime.” Let our legislators know
that the LAST thing we should do is pull back on the EPA. We need policy change and we need it now. “We
are the game changers.”
Ceres: www.ceres.org
7
Kristine Kingery and the Army’s Net
Zero Program
By Barbara Geltosky, NAL Vice Chair for Energy
Sources, The Gardners, Zone V
Barbara Geltosky, Natalie Jones, and Kristine Kingery
This year we were privileged to hear our first speaker from the military, Kristine Kingery, the director of the
Army Sustainability Policy Office. She spoke to us on the topic of army-wide sustainability issues. Ms.
Kingery explained how the Army has initiated a Net Zero Program to reduce overall energy and water use,
maximize efficiency, recycle and reuse water, and to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost waste.
Seventeen pilot sites volunteered, receiving no funds but with the requirement to do extra reporting, when
the Army began the Net Zero Programs under a Federal mandate in 2011.The army loves competition and
many sites vied for a chance to participate. The chosen sites are in eleven States, the Marshall Islands, Puerto
Rico, and Germany. The army also generated external collaborations, including working with local and regional governments, the EPA, Habitat for Humanity, the Girl Scouts, and the Department of Energy. Fort
Bragg, NC was one of the first places in the army to embrace sustainability in partnership with the Sustainable Sandhills organization.
Goals were set in the three areas: energy, water and waste. They were established using some baseline statistics. For example, they conducted an audit to find out how much water was actually being used (47 billion
gallons) in order to set the goal of reducing waste. Some of the water programs include recharging the aquifers through xeriscaping, leak detection, and use of native landscaping. Best practices were identified in all
three areas. They include reducing energy usage, encouraging sustainable design and development, maximizing water recycling and repurposing and reusing materials throughout. At Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the
state of Washington there is an earthwork recycling stream and they are now selling the compost!
8
Ms. Kingery said, “One of the basic tenets of army waste reduction is that if I don’t purchase it in the first
place, I don’t have to get rid of it!” To reduce waste, in 2010, the Army also updated its sustainable design
policy, SDDP, requiring new vertical construction to achieve Silver LEED ratings. In 2013 the SDDP also
addressed irrigation and landscaping strategies. One project was installing a living roof on the Tobyhanna, PA
Army Depot and a Rapid Infiltration Water Treatment Plant at Camp Rilea, Oregon, which recycles 65% of
its effluents.
In addition, the Army has identified and is working to protect native species, including the Mazama Pocket
Gopher, Taylors Checkerspot Butterfly and the Red Cockaded Woodpecker.
They’ve received their marching orders.
Delegates Taking Notes and Asking Questions
Problems of Coal Ash Storage and Drilling in
George Washington National Forest
Highlighted by Nat Mund
By Celie Harris, Conservation Vice Chair for Forests/Redwoods
Winchester-Clarke Garden Club, Zone VII
Nat Mund, Legislative Director of the Southern Environmental Center, describes his job as “engaging and
educating” members of Congress as well as those serving in the departments of Interior and Agriculture. He
joined the Southern Environmental Law Center (SCLC) in 2007, the year that its Washington office was
opened, after graduating from the University Of North Carolina School Of Law, lobbying at North Carolina’s
state capital, and relocating to Washington, D.C. in 2001 with the Sierra Club and then the League of Conservation Voters.
The SCLC, a nonprofit organization, was founded in Charlottesville, Virginia 27 years ago by its current executive director, Rick Middleton. The organization has grown to include some 60 attorneys in nine locations
throughout the southeast (Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Washington, D.C.). They address environmental concerns in areas such as clean water, global warming, coast and
wetlands, clean energy, southern forests, and clean air. The SELC works with over 100 partner groups and
with all branches of government. It does not charge for its services and relies on gifts and donations for funding.
9
From among these concerns, Mund concentrated on two current issues:
1. Coal ash storage
Coal ash is the waste left after coal is burned at power plants. It is usually stored in unlined ponds at the
plants, which are often located near water. The ash contains contaminants including arsenic, selenium, thallium and mercury. To prevent the ash from being blown around by the wind, the ponds are sprayed with
water. The material steeps like tea, and even if the ponds don’t rupture they leak into the soil and water.
Photo of Coal Ash Goop that has seeped into
a River and is being retrieved.
Submitted by Celie Harris
The SELC has been trying to force the cleanup of coal ash ponds at various sites around North Carolina. The
cleanup would involve drying the coal ash and moving it to lined ponds away from water sources. Recently
an accident occurred, sending tons of coal ash into the Dan River. Prior to this, the state had committed to
cleaning sites across North Carolina. According to a press release by the SELC on March 6, a Wake County
judge ruled that water quality standards are being violated at 14 coal-fired power plants in North Carolina.”
At the federal level, the EPA has been slow to act on coal ash regulation, as well. The process of developing
rules has been ongoing for four years. The agency is now under court order to come up with regulations by
December. To be addressed is the question of whether to classify coal ash as ‘hazardous’ or not.
2. The threat of horizontal drilling in the George Washington National Forest
Every ten years the U.S. Forest Service is required to develop a management plan for the forest, and a new
plan for the George Washington National Forest is due soon. An early version included a proposal to prohibit horizontal drilling for oil or gas (fracking); however, since then the USFS has wavered. In certain other
forests, mining and drilling have been longstanding practices. This is not the case in the George Washington, which is in a rural area that encompasses a beautiful and pristine landscape and contains the headwaters
of the James and Potomac rivers. None of the local governments support “fracking” in the area and it is opposed by the Rockingham County Farm Bureau. Mund says that the SELC is working hard to convince the
Forest Service to retain the proposal to prohibit horizontal drilling.
10
Mr. Mund asked the GCA to continue to follow these issues and to let their legislators know their positions.
George Washington National Forest Vistas
Horizontal Drilling , “Fracking “ photo from another forest
Photos submitted by Celie Harris
The following is a link to “Don’t Fall for It”, a piece Nat Mund authored recently in which he dispels
the myth that environmental regulations will bring ruin to the US economy:
http://www.southernenvironment.org/uploads/publications/SELC__Quotes_and_Facts_About_the_Clean_Air_Act.pdf
11
President Katie Heins signs a Memorandum of Partners for Plants puts into practice the GCA values
Understanding (MOU) with the Department of outlined in its position paper titled “GCA Supports
Agriculture in Washington, D.C.
Preservation of Native Plants.” It is a habitat restoration
program affiliated with GCA conservation and horticulBy Georgia Schell, Partners for Plants Co-chair
ture committees that facilitates collaborations between
The Portland Garden Club, Zone XII
local GCA clubs and land managers on federal, state,
local, and other significant public lands. Projects may
include the removal of invasive plants, the monitoring and protection of rare endangered and medicinal
plants, and the propagation and replanting of native plants.
Partners for Plants began in 1992 with recognition by far-sighted GCA women that our national parks and
forests did not have the resources to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As a result, GCA entered into its first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and with the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Parks Service. These MOUs
lay out working agreements between our organizations and are reviewed and signed every five years.
On February 26, 2014, at the NAL meeting, Katie Heins signed a fifth MOU with Charles Richmond of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GCA and the Forest Service agreed to continue cooperation
and coordination of training, conducting assessments, inventory, research monitoring, protection, restoration
and other activities necessary to conserve and restore native plants in U.S. Forest lands. In his role as Director of Rangelands Management, Director Richmond oversees the national range, vegetation ecology, botany,
and invasive species programs within the agency. He has been with the Forest Service for 36 years in a variety of leadership positions.
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Recreational activities on Forest
Service lands contribute $14 billion annually to local U.S. economies. The agency manages 193 million
acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry
research organization in the world.
The Partners for Plants program continues to be relevant, since resources allocated to native plant management and recovery continue to be underfunded. An estimated 31 percent of native plant species in the United
States are considered at risk of extinction and 11 percent receive protection under the ESA of 1973. However, they receive only 5 percent of funding for species recovery from federal and state agencies. The work of
40 GCA clubs currently involved in the Partners for Plants Programs contributes significantly in an area
with great needs.
GCA President, Katie Heins
signs MOU with
Charles Richmond,
US Forest Service
12
Deborah Koons Garcia Brings a Fresh Look
at Soil to the NAL Meeting
By Annie Ager, Conservation Vice Chair Agriculture
French Broad River Garden Club, Zone VII
In a break from routine, Deborah Koons Garcia (wife of
the late Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead fame) arrived late
at our meeting (she went to the wrong Renaissance Hotel!) with seeds exploding out of a suitcase and brochures flying around. She quickly arranged everything
on the table, handed her film to the tech man, and
entered the room with great aplomb.
We then viewed a clip from her film “Symphony of the Soil.” Members were spell bound by the beauty of it:
the simplicity, the reverence for soil, and the undeniable importance of it in our lives. As in her earlier movie
“The Future of Food,” the story begins at the beginning: glaciers grinding rock into smaller particles and
dropping their minerals, peat moss forming, coral becoming sand on the beach, and microbes working in the
soil. The movie goes on to show how we are losing soil and how we can save it in ways that might help us
ameliorate climate change.
Deborah Garcia’s work helps the populace understand our dependence on soil in a most appealing visual
construct by showing its complex and dynamic relationship with air, water, plants, animals and humans. This
film might be used as an educational tool for many age groups and would be perfect for a garden club program. You can order “Symphony of the Soil” by going to the website: www.symphonyofthesoil.com .
Deborah Koons Garcia, film producer , “Symphony of the Soil”
Strategy Session: “How do we tell
our elected officials this important
information”?
13
GCA Goes to the Hill
Security Takes Time
UP Stairs to the Cannon Caucus Room
Elected Officials Share Their Views and Answer Questions as Membership
Listens and Takes Notes
14
Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen was introduced as the
man who ensured that plants at the Thomas Edison National
(R-11th NJ), Advocate for LWCF
Historic Park would not be allowed to die as a result of the
By Maureen Ogden, Short Hills Garden Club, Zone IV “Sequester” of 2013. When the Conservation Committee of
Zone IV contacted the congressman at that time, he learned
that the Garden Club of the Oranges was nurturing plantings
that weren’t being watered as a result of related cutbacks. He was able to give the park superintendent permission to water. Perhaps the most high-profile plant that Frelinghuysen helped save was an agave that dates
back to the time of Thomas Edison.
Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen
Congressman Frelinghuysen and some NAL Delegates from NJ
Congressman Frelinghuysen is serving his tenth term and is New Jersey’s senior Member on the House Appropriations Committee. In addition, he serves on three key subcommittees: Energy, Water Development
and Homeland Security and Defense, which he chairs. His record is strong in support of conservation-related
issues. Rodney Frelinghuysen represents 54 municipalities and has quickly built a reputation for exemplary
service to his constituents with regular town hall meetings as well as visiting schools and attending community events.
Congressman Frelinghuysen sponsored the Federal Highlands Conservation Act in 2004, which continues to
provide open space in NJ, PA, NY and CT and protect the states’ water supplies through the preservation of
watershed lands. He committed to continue to lead the effort to protect New Jersey’s environment and make
it a cleaner and healthier place in which to live. This year, he voted against the Farm Bill based on his support for small family farmers typical of those in New Jersey, as opposed to subsidies for large profitable agricultural companies. In response to questions, the Congressman stated that he believed there was a need to
address the implications of climate change.
Congressman Frelinghuysen is a strong advocate of the Land and Water Conservation Act that GCA has supported for many years. He confirmed that the House Appropriations Committee had recommended an appropriation of $300 million for Land and Water. He also worked to gain funding from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to purchase more acreage surrounding New Jersey’s Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge. In the 1960s, GCA
members joined in the national effort to prevent the 7600 acres of unique wetlands from becoming a national
airport.
15
Congressman Frelinghuysen concluded his remarks by announcing that his daughter, Sarah, who until recently was a member of the New York GCA staff, was at home taking care of her baby daughter, Louisine.
With a large smile, he stated that he and his wife, Virginia, are proud grandparents for the first time.
After thanking the members of NAL for traveling to Washington, Congressman Frelinghuysen urged the
members to visit their Members of Congress in their home districts as well as coming to Washington to lobby.
GCA President Katie Heins introduced Representative Rush Holt as an outstanding and principled representative from her district. Rep. Holt is a member of the
Representative Rush Holt, D-12th, NJ,
Natural Resources Committee and Energy subcommittee.
He is a co-sponsor of the No New Drilling Act and is foComments on Natural Resources
cused on restoring and protecting the coast. Holt also cochairs the Children’s Environmental Health Caucus. Since
By Betsy Uhlman, NAL and Conservation
1999, he has held a 100 percent lifetime rating from EnviRepresentative Zone IV, Garden Club of Madison
ronment America. He is brilliant—the only person to beat
the computer on Jeopardy. When Holt announced that he
would not seek re-election, former Governor Byrne lamented that he’d no longer have a “rocket scientist” as representative.
Rush Holt spoke of representing the Garden State, as New Jersey was labeled in 1954. He joked that the
founding of GCA and a failed attempt to designate the meadow violet as New Jersey’s state flower both occurred in 1913. The flower designation faded after a year but the GCA is still going strong. The GCA, he
commented, is influential because it does its homework and its members are active in the local community.
He believes that climate change—observed in the devastating western drought, increasing numbers of invasive species, glacier melt and wildlife habitat changes—is extremely costly to the U.S. economy. Eventually humans will be affected: millions will die, according to the World Health Organization, due to drought
and disease patterns. He believes that legislators have a moral obligation to curtail carbon emissions.
A delegate asked, “How can I speak to my climate change denier?” He suggested that climate change deniers have retreated from logic. Any conversation will need a personal connection, such as a struggling ski
resort owner with little snow, or observations that gardeners are making as to timing of blossoms and plants
appearing that have not grown well in a region
before.
Regarding National Parks and Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) holdings, he believes that
federal lands belong to all of us. He thinks that
we should be investing more money for their
support. Western states’ representatives on the
Natural Resources Committee, Holt says, believe
the BLM controls too much state land and resists
adding more land under federal control. This
makes acquiring desired inholdings for National
Parks and lands for buffers very difficult.
Lindsay Marshall thanks Representative Rush Holt
16
Holt is very supportive of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and would like to see it fully funded at the
$900 million level. He views the Endangered Species Act, which is now forty years old, as having been successful in promoting the survival of species and continuing the web of life. He would like for it to be continued.
GCA delegates, he said, can make a difference. As effective advocates, members should tell stories that are
grounded in evidence. Congress needs to be encouraged to pass legislation that goes further to improve the
environment in the United States. We need more than Executive Orders by the President to have impact.
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Sponsor of No
Child Left Inside Act, Asks GCA to Continue
Conservation Efforts
By Frances Trafton, NAL Vice Chair for Transportation
Corridors
When Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), sponsor of the No
Child Left Inside Act, spoke to our assembled group on
Capitol Hill, he thanked the GCA for its work as custodians of the environment. He added that our voices advocating for clean air, water and conservation are now
more important than ever in the face of climate change
and its effects on our national economy, security, and
environment.
Perennial Planters, Zone II
Senator Reed recognizes the economic value of environmental protections: they put people to work. Investment in “fixing the plumbing” improves the environment and creates jobs. State Revolving Funds and federal
lending programs are available to help pay for maintenance of existing infrastructure as well as funding for
new green technologies. Budget constraints result in huge challenges going forward, but Reed says that we
must continue to fight against the perception that good environmental policy equals bad economic policy. He
supports the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the need to acquire more land for preservation.
Citing the valuable contributions of the GCA scholarship
programs, the senator spoke briefly about the importance
of education and the No Child Left Inside Act, which was
designed to create environmental sensitivity and
knowledge among children. Senator Reed said,
“Environmental awareness should be second nature for
our young people, and protecting the environment is crucial to future economic growth.”
Senator Jack Reed and NAL
delegates from Rhode Island
Reed warned that the cost of
ignoring our environment will be diminished human and
planetary health that results in the deterioration of our quality of life. He described the idea of a carbon tax as
an “interesting approach,” being both market-based and consistent with a free market economy. However, the
anti-tax environment currently stands in the way, suggesting, he says, that a carbon tax is probably not going
to pass any time soon.
When asked about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)’s potential challenge to EPA’s ability to
regulate coal-fired plant emissions, the senator replied that thoughtful debate should reject the idea because it
would set a terrible precedent. He encouraged constituents to weigh in with their representatives against such
a move. We must support the EPA’s ability to regulate in a thoughtful and deliberate manner, confirming that
someone “needs to keep the walls up.”
17
Senator Susan Collins(R-ME) Achieves
Rock Star Status Among NAL
Participants
This year a lot of talent and experience will be exiting
the halls of the Capitol. Twenty-one house members
and six senators are retiring and another 17 house members will be running for other offices. The people who
By Karen Arsenault, Conservation Vice Chair for
are leaving are frustrated. Many will be leaving town
Land Use/Sustainable Development
with terribly bitter feelings. Maine’s Senator Susan
Collins is not one of them. She still has a lot of fight left
in her—along with a tremendous will to succeed in “bringing people together to legislate responsibly” and
giving the people of this country the “government they deserve.”
Senator Collins spoke of the government shutdown last fall, calling it a disgrace. Acadia National Park, as an
example, was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars while colleagues were giving partisan speeches on the
floor of the Senate without offering a way forward. She gathered together a group of 14 senators comprised
of Republicans, Democrats and Angus King, the Independent Senator from Maine. Calling themselves “the
Common Sense Coalition,” they put together a plan to re-open the government and put Congress on a path to
produce a budget. She challenged her colleagues to stop fighting and start legislating in a manner appropriate for the American people.
With women leading the way, their ideas became the backbone of plan finally accepted by Congress. Although Senator Collins initially thought that her Common Sense Coalition would be a short-lived group,
members wanted to continue. In fact, others wanted to join. She decided to accept three more members into
this group to continue the dialogue between Democrats and Republicans. They are all invigorated by working together. She stated, “I hope our group can be the bridge to get things done.”
She praised the GCA’s commitment to advocacy and the importance of environmental funding, and implored
our members to let their legislators know about their commitment to these issues. To illustrate their importance, Senator Collins explained that Maine’s economy is built on the environment. “Conservation programs create jobs in tourism, recreation, fishing . . . and partnerships ensure the economic viability of its
communities,” she said. “Seed money for conservation leverages many times more dollars in return for that
investment, and more than $1.7 trillion in economic activity comes from conservation,” she continued, asserting that the Land and
Water Conservation Fund
has been critically important in enabling purchases of land within the
boundaries of Acadia National Park and Maine’s
Reserve System. The Forest Legacy Program has
helped provide funding
for working forests and
the jobs they sustain.
Senator Susan Collins and Constituents
18
Someone from the floor asked Senator Collins how to get women more involved in politics. She replied,
“Women think they’re never quite ready, they don’t know enough. They need to step forward and take a
risk.” The Senator is certainly a role model. She received a standing ovation from the attendees.
Insights from Representative
Earl Blumenauer(D-OR)
By Jill Josselyn, NAL Vice Chair for National Parks and
Public Lands
The Portland Garden Club, Zone XII
The Cannon Caucus Room was filled to capacity for
the presentation by Oregon’s Representative Earl Blumenauer. He began with sage words of advice to the
audience regarding how to effectively advocate for environmental issues with elected officials during the visits to Capitol Hill.
“Don’t be timid at your meetings” he implored. Blumenauer encouraged us to substantiate our passion with scientific knowledge and clearly articulate our advocacy on specific bills. “Don’t be too gentle stating your position,” he reminded us with a stern look and disarming smile.
Blumenauer’s major message to his NAL audience was that investment in conservation and energy programs
adds value to the economy and for the country. He noted the expense of inappropriate development regarding
flooding, anticipating the effects of climate change, the importance of maintaining a clean water supply, and
reduction in pollution remediation through improved environmental priorities.
He referenced the draconian cuts to the EPA and other agencies that protect the nation’s shared resources
and national treasures. Regarding the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) he stressed the need for
“more—not less—for the LWCF, a commitment that has not been honored.” Nine hundred million dollars
are supposed to be placed into the fund yearly, but only $300 million has been allocated in the FY 2014
budget. The LWCF is funded by companies drilling for off-shore oil and gas; however, the monies collected
are regularly diverted to purposes other than the protection of public lands. The current mandate for LWCF
runs only until January 2015 and the program needs to be re-authorized.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Oregon NAL Attendees
19
Representative Blumenauer advocated for sensible protection of our coastal lands and for reform of coastal
flood insurance. He acknowledged that the country cannot continue to subsidize redevelopment of floodprone areas and suggested one change needed to be the repeal of the grandfathered subsidized insurance rates
to new owners. “Hold local government responsible for development in risky areas,” he recommended.
Regarding the Farm Bill which has recently been passed, Blumenauer gave the resulting legislation just a
C+. He noted a litany of failures from this huge and far-reaching piece of legislation:
The bill cut conservation funding by $6 billion
It insulates large agriculture business with an insurance program
It does little to improve nutritious food for families
“We can and must do better,” he stated.
Senator Isakson and the Georgia Ladies
Johnny Isakson, US Senator (R-GA)
Champion for Open Space , Water
Resources and Clean Air
By Jane Whitaker, Cherokee Garden Club, Zone VIII
The senior US Senator from Georgia, Johnny Isakson, has been a strong supporter of conservation
easements throughout his political life. He has introduced and cosponsored legislation to allow for
preservation of undeveloped lands. He joked that
this was a little unusual for someone who had been
involved in residential real estate before being elected to public office.
At the 2014 NAL Meeting Senator Isakson spoke with pride about the parks and undeveloped lands along
the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta, Georgia. These parks, about 48 miles long, provide a natural oasis for
city dwellers; they also protect the river from development impending on the waterway. He believes that this
can be a model for other cities.
Senator Isakson has also been a proponent of clean and abundant water. He introduced the Twenty-first
Century Water Commission Act in the 110th Congress, the purpose of which was to set up a commission to
develop strategies for increasing water supplies and for improving the quality of freshwater resources. He
continues to be a fair negotiator in the Southeast’s struggle to apportion water to the individual states.
He said that he continues to support clean air regulations by pushing for alternative energy sources and mass
transit alternatives.
20
GCA was honored to have Robert Bonnie, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources
Agriculture, Addresses GCA on the
and Environment (NRCS), address their annual
NAL meeting in Washington, D.C. Mr. Bonnie, a
Importance of Collaborative Conservation
strong proponent of collaborative conservation,
By Gail Clark, The Garden Club of Mount Desert
brought his extensive knowledge of natural resource
conservation to the Department of Agriculture in
Northeast Harbor, Maine, Zone 1
2009, when he was appointed as a Senior Advisor
for Environment and Climate. Before that, he directed the Center for Conservation Initiatives at the Environmental Defense Fund. In his current capacity since July 2013, he supervises the U.S. Forest Service and the N
(NRCS). Mr. Bonnie, a Harvard graduate, holds a master’s degree in resource economics and forestry from
Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in Durham, NC. He grew up on a farm in Kentucky,
and he now lives on a farm in Virginia.
Robert Bonnie, Undersecretary of
Mr. Bonnie spoke to the need for developing incentives to reward farmers, ranchers, and forest owners for
stewardship activities on private lands. “These working lands and our National Forests provide significant
benefits to the American people, including production of food and fiber, clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation,” he said, “and the USDA has enrolled a record number of acres in conservation programs.” The key
message Mr. Bonnie drove home was that given the right incentives these different interest groups are eager
to invest in conservation. “The NRCS plays a key role in this process,” he said. “This agency’s mission is to
provide financial and technical assistance to conserve soil and water, improve rangeland for cattle and wildlife, and protect habitat to promote outdoor recreation.”
He also spoke to the importance of maintaining the health of our national forests and addressing threats from
catastrophic wildfires, insect outbreaks, and disease. To this end, he emphasized that we must move away
from the timber wars of the past toward a shared commitment to restore and manage these forests for the benefit of all Americans. His solutions called for increasing the pace and scale of restoration and management of
our forests. “There are ample areas where restoration can improve the health of our forests while also providing jobs and economic prosperity,” he concluded.
In terms of current legislation, Undersecretary Bonnie was instrumental in the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, a final compromise bill
between the House and Senate. His focus going forward will be to
ensure this legislation maintains a strong conservation focus.
Another area of high importance to Bonnie this year will be the substantial budgetary challenges created by the growth of catastrophic
wildfires for the Forest Service. Since the 1970s, the average acreages burned have doubled from 3-4 million acres per year to over 7 million acres per year…and these numbers are expected to double again
by 2050. The combination of a warming climate, increased fuel
Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Natural
loads, and housing construction in the wild land-urban interface has
Resources and Environment,
increased the loss of lives, homes, watersheds and forests. The reUS Forest Service
sultant cost of increased fire preparedness and suppression has
sapped an increasingly large proportion of the Forest Service budget
at the expense of forestry, biologists and recreation staff. Bonnie stressed that he must work with the president, the USDA secretary, and Congress to address both the budget and land management challenges presented by catastrophic wildfires.
21
Bryan Walsh, Senior Editor,
Time Magazine, Bees in Trouble
By Carol Carter, Albemarle Garden Club
Zone VII Conservation & NAL Representative
Bryan Walsh, Senior Editor for Energy and Environment for Time Magazine, described a world without
honey bees as “a lonely and quiet world” to NAL attendees. His cover story on August 19, 2013 was one
of the Time’s best-selling issues.
The honeybee is an introduced species in North America and yet it is so integrated in our lives that it plays an
enormous role in our food supply. We are dependent on the honeybee for the food products we buy and the
prices we pay for them. A survey of a Whole Foods grocery store yielded the fact that 52 percent of the products on the shelves depended on honeybees for pollination.
The problem with bees has evolved quickly. It first gained national attention in 2006, when bees began disappearing in large numbers. Beekeepers inspected their hives to find that there was honey and wax but no bees.
Between 2012 and 2013, one third of honeybees disappeared. There is no “smoking gun” implicated in this
record die-off. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a complicated syndrome, still undergoing research that
adds to the other factors besieging bees. These include pesticides—particularly neonicotinoids—as well as
varroa mites, small hive beetles, and tracheal mites. Even the miticides now used to protect the honeybees
from mites that attack them are under scrutiny. Overwork and the stress of pollinating monoculture crops
might be in part to blame. Neonicotinoids, a type of systemic pesticide, appear to cause suspicious interference with flight behavior. Some European countries have banned them.
What can we do? Nationally, we can tighten regulations on pesticides, fund more honeybee research, and
provide Conservation Reserve Program funds so that farmers will use marginal lands for soil conservation
and bee-friendly forage instead of planting corn and soybeans. Currently, one third of farmland is dedicated to
corn and soybeans, which creates a desert for honeybees. Individually, we can avoid pesticides, plant beefriendly flowers (honeybeeconservancy.org), consider rooftop gardens and beekeeping, and support local beekeepers. The honeybee is a servant of our agricultural system. The irony is that it may be a victim of this
same system as we continually reshape our planet.
Bryan Walsh and Marilyn Brumder
Editor’s Note:
President Obama has included $50
million in his FYI 2015 budget for
honeybee research. This underscores the seriousness of CCD and
its ramifications. The fate of the
honeybee is worthy of our attention.
22
John Podesta Detailed President Obama’s
Climate Action Plan
By Helen DuBois, Conservation/NAL Zone VI Representative
Georgetown Garden Club
John Podesta, a former White House chief of staff for
Clinton, addressed 300 GCA NAL delegates in the
venerable Cannon Caucus Room on February 26th.
Mr. Podesta currently serves as Senior Counselor to
President Obama. In rapid-fire speech, he detailed
the president’s multi-part initiative aimed at addressing climate change.
The Obama administration is committed to cutting carbon emissions. With the goal of an energy system that
is cleaner, more reliable and more sustainable, President Obama promulgated new regulations to restrict carbon emissions at new coal-fired plants. Criteria for existing coal plants will be published in June of 2014.
Across the U.S., coal-fired power plants supply between 35 and 70+ percent of electricity demand, so curbing
these emissions will have a huge impact on the nation’s carbon contribution. Significant health benefits will
result from reduced carbon pollution just as limits on mercury and arsenic produced improved health outcomes.
Even as new steps are taken to cut carbon pollution, however, we must prepare for the impacts of a changing
climate that are already being felt across the country. After a vulnerable Atlantic coast was pummeled by
Hurricane Sandy, causing billions in damages, President Obama created a series of initiatives to better support
local climate resiliency planning and infrastructure. In concert with the healthcare industry, efforts are being
made to insure that our hospitals are less vulnerable to extreme weather events. Through the National
Drought Resiliency project, timely science-based information will be delivered to our nation’s food producers
to better maintain agricultural productivity. The Climate Data Initiative, a centralized “tool kit,” will provide
state, local, and private sector leaders with information that will help them prepare for climate-related change
in their communities.
Further federal climate initiatives include state and local task forces to promote climate resiliency as well as
50 new renewable energy projects on public lands. New fuel economy standards for commercial trucks and
buses, the second largest source of greenhouse gases, were announced in February. They will save 270 million metric tons of carbon and 530 million barrels of oil by 2018. This follows the president’s successful effort to increase fuel efficiency standards for passenger vehicles, which will require a fleet average of 54.5
miles per gallon by 2025. Mr. Podesta stated that the Obama Administration would be following up on a
fracking study conducted by former Deputy Secretary of Defense John Deutsch, since current standards of
regulation at the state level were inconsistent and often inadequate. Methane gas emission limits are also
expected.
Internationally, Secretary of State Kerry is leading efforts to reduce
air pollution across the globe. The Administration is pursuing this
goal through existing international climate-related measures and international forums as well as bilateral negotiations with China, India
and other major emitters. The World Bank is no longer financing the
new coal generating plants except in special circumstances.
Calling on the Garden Club of America to bear witness to the effects
of climate change, the membership was urged to carry this message
to our elected representatives. In closing, Mr. Podesta warned us not
Mr. John Podesta
to underestimate the GCA’s impact. “We will need your support if
we are going to succeed with our climate action plan,” he said. It
was an exhortation to make our voices heard in the halls of Congress and at the local level.
23
Tiernan Sittenfeld, League of Conservation Voters,
Explains the National Environmental Scorecard
Each year GCA delegates to the
National Affairs & Legislation
By Nancy McKlveen, Past NAL Chairman/Committee Advisor
meeting receive a hefty copy of
the National Environmental
Scorecard in their meeting packets. The scorecard is a publication of the League of Conservation Voters, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. that was founded by leaders of the environmental movement following the first Earth Day in
1970. What does the “LCV Scorecard” tell us and how can that information be used during congressional visits?
Tiernan Sittenfeld answered those questions when she spoke to the NAL delegates. She explained that the
scorecard represents the work of dedicated environmentalists and national leaders who volunteer their time to
identify and research crucial votes about important environmental legislation and the voting records of all
members of Congress. The most recent LCV scorecard reviews the first session of the 113th Congress. Ms.
Sittenfeld remarked that 2013 is widely acknowledged to be the “least productive and most dysfunctional”
year in history as a result of the government shutdown last fall and the increased assault on environmental
legislation. The 2013 scorecard reflects the historical depth of anti-environmental legislation in the House.
Yet, she reported that in the Senate, bipartisan votes confirmed Gina McCarthy as Administrator of EPA and
Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior. The Senate was also able to block many of the House passed attacks
on the environment and public health such as an effort to discredit the Clean Water Act, the Clean Water Act
and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Of interest to the delegates was the “score” (0-100%) reflecting pro-environmental voting by their members
of Congress. With that information in hand, each delegate was encouraged to thank legislators for their dedication to the environment and address how GCA environmental positions are crucial to the health and future
of our earth.
Tiernan Sittenfeld, League of Conseration Voters
24
What Are the Next Steps?
By Suzanne Booker-Canfield, NAL Assistant Vice Chair for
Legislative Updates
Suzanne Booker-Canfield
Garden Club of Winnetka, Zone XI
The 300 GCA delegates who spread out over Capitol Hill last month advocated
with their legislators about a number of critical environmental issues. A chief concern was proposed congressional action to limit the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) authority, especially its ability to regulate greenhouse gases, including those emitted by new and existing power plants. Delegates supported improved gas mileage for cars as another means of reducing carbon emissions.
In addition, the GCA advocated for energy conservation as the cleanest and most efficient way to address climate change and reduce our need for foreign energy supplies. To that end, delegates voiced support for the
Shaheen-Porter energy efficiency legislation in the Senate (S.1392) and the Better Buildings Act (H.R. 2126)
in the House, both of which have strong bipartisan support. Representatives in the House listened: on March
6, the House passed the Better Buildings Act on a 375-36 vote. The senate bill is likely to come to the floor
soon, so making our voices heard again will be important.
As we near the 2016 centennial for the National Park Service, addressing the extensive backlog of maintenance becomes even more important. Delegates supported increased funding for staffing and infrastructure
and urged legislators to protect the parks from mining and other private uses that harm the integrity of the
ecosystems and compromise the parks’ recreational and economic value.
The GCA has long advocated for a permanent, fully-funded Land and Water Conservation Fund. As population increases and water supplies and recreational space decrease as in proportion to growth, protecting open
spaces becomes even more critical. Funding has been frozen at $300 million for several years, and the current
budget authorization expires next year. Full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund is $900 million. In addition, continuing incentives for landowners to donate conservation easements is one of the most
effective conservation measures. Delegates asked their legislators to join the 172 cosponsors of HR 2807 in
the House, and 19 cosponsors of S. 526 in the Senate.
Delegates also urged legislators to avoid disproportionately large reductions in conservation and environmental programs and not to lessen current appropriations for the EPA, National Parks, land and water conservation, ocean and coastal protection. The budget gridlock is likely to continue until the beginning of fiscal 2015
on October 1. With relatively few days for the House to debate the budget, pundits predict a continuing resolution to keep government running at 2014 levels until the end of the calendar year as the likely outcome.
On the policy front, GCA delegates made a tremendous impact in urging President Obama to release the
EPA’s draft legislation on the Waters of the U.S. Not only did Lindsay Marshall and Jennifer Fain write a
letter to President Obama, many individual delegates sent letters to the president as well. Again, our voices
were heard.
On March 25, the E.P.A. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a draft of the proposed rule to clarify protection for streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and
2006 undermined key provisions in the Clean Water Act and created uncertainty about what types of waters
the law protects. The proposed rule clearly protects tributary and headwater streams. Interested GCA members are encouraged to provide comments to the EPA during the 90-day comment period. Additional information will be sent to Conservation and NAL chairs for dissemination to our members and will likely address
the so-called “isolated” waters, which include water bodies such as wetlands, prairie potholes, vernal pools,
and Carolina bays. The EPA’s Waters of the U.S. report can be found at epa.gov/uswaters.
25
A Project That Might Work for Your Club
E-Cycling 101—Pan for Gold :
Toxic Substances Recycled: A Great Club Project
By Mary Palmer Dargan RLA, Cherokee Garden Club
“Thar’s GOLD ‘n them there cell
phones, don’t cha’ know?”
Zone VIII, Conservation/NAL Zone Representative
Following up on research shared by our current GCA NAL Committee Chairman, Lindsay Marshall
(ConWatch winter 2010), the state of affairs continues:
 80 to 85 percent of electronic products are discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can release certain toxics into the air.
 E-waste represents 2 percent of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70 percent of overall toxic waste.
The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.

20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.
 Cell phones and other electronic items contain high amounts of precious metals like gold or silver. Americans dump phones containing over $60 million in gold/silver every year.
Only 12.5 percent of e-waste is currently recycled.
( source: http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-e-waste)
26
Thankfully, today, more and more recycling centers that handle zero-waste are available due to demand and
new technology. These are easily accessed by zip code and location using a quick internet search. Quite possibly, a center is located near you!
So, what a great club project. Several clubs already conduct routine e-cycling days twice a year. Would you
like to embark on a club project and help the environment?
It is amazing how quickly the tonnage of microwaves, VCR’s, plastic cases, monitors, gadgetry, cell phones,
computers, alarm systems and redundant wiring accumulate in our garages and offices. The term e-cycling
refers to the process of recycling the components or metals contained in obsolete electronic equipment, otherwise known as electronic waste (e-waste).
It is easier now than ever before to recycle your “hidden” treasures. The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) supports guidelines of :
Keeping used electronics out of landfills.

Recovering materials thru safe extraction of materials for reuse in other products.
 Reducing environmental impact and energy demands of manufacturing. Electronics are made from valuable resources such as metals, copper, and engineered plastics.
Supporting community thru creation of local jobs.
( EPA’s STEP Initiative : Solving the E-waste Problem http://www.step-initiative.org/
How to start a successful Club program?
1. Keep an electronic e-cycle bin in your home or garage.
2. Bring old electronics to a club meeting, preferably in Jan after new Christmas items purchased
3. Club Conservation/NAL chairs collect and take to an approved e-cycle company after the meeting.
A quick video guide to this process was shared at the 2014 National Affairs Legislation meeting in Washington, DC. This and the
handout links are below:
E-Cycle 101: Pan for Gold to Recycle Toxic Substances HANDOUT download here
27
I hesitate to use the word transformation as I think it
tends to be overused. Yet, that term kept leaping into
my thoughts when I reflected on the NAL meeting of
2014.
Transformation and Empowerment
By Marsha Merrell, Editor
James River Garden Club, Zone VII
I had the wonderful experience of being with Meg North and Libbo McCollum from the Little Garden Club
of Birmingham. It was the fist NAL meeting for these dedicated environmentalists. They expressed some
anxiety and insecurity with speaking to our elected officials. We brainstormed, planned our strategies and
prevailed. Once in the offices of our Senators and representatives, a transformation truly occurred. The
“newbies” used the information they had learned during the educational sessions and their passion for conservation issues as though they had been doing this for a long time. They were never at a loss for words or
graciousness; nor did they shrink away from any contentious issue.
As an educator, I always believed and taught that education was a means of empowerment. This is exactly
what happens during the NAL Washington meetings. GCA members are awed by the caliber of speakers,
the vast amounts of information and in the end are transformed and empowered!
Photographers for this issue were : Tempe Thompson, Suzanne Booker-Canfield,
Diana Fish and Vivian Todd
Memories of GCA in Washington DC During the NAL Meeting
Monument Tour
Yes, there was time for lunch!
28
Meeting organizers: Jennifer Jameson and Lisa Frulla
(Diana Fish must be troubleshooting)
Victory Handshake between
Rich Innes, GCA NAL
Washington Consultant, and
Lindsay Marshall
A Job Well Done!
The GCA Conservation and NAL Committees
29
GCA is Not Just a Club
for Girls
Peter Byck, Producer of Carbonation and
Dinner Speaker with Lindsay Marshall
Photographers, Tempe Thompson and Vivian Todd Mug It Up. Who
says that Conservationists are too serious?
30
CONSERVATION WATCH | Spring, 2014
Jennifer Fain, Chairwoman
Marsha Merrell, Editor
GCA Conservation Committee
GCA Conservation Committee
Hancock Park Garden Club (CA)—Zone XII
James River Garden Club (VA)—Zone VII
425 S. Windsor Boulevard
P.O. Box 165
Los Angeles, CA
Mentone, AL 36984
(323) 857-0931
(256) 634-0206
[email protected]
[email protected]
Lindsay Marshall, Chairwoman
Anne O’Brien, Assistant Editor
GCA National Affairs and Legislation
GCA Conservation Committee
Cherokee Garden Club (GA)—Zone VIII
Columbine Garden Club (AZ)—Zone XII
3656 Cloudland Drive NW
6018 East Cholla Lane
Atlanta, GA 30327
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
(404) 949-0020
(480) 874-3323
[email protected]
[email protected]
Conservation Watch, a publication of The Garden Club of America,
is produced by the GCA Conservation Committee. Readers’ ideas,
contributions, and suggestions are welcome, as are requests for
additional information on any of the subjects presented, and may
be emailed to the Editor.
Marsha Merrell , Editor