Alliance Updates
Register for the Alliance's 20th Anniversary Conference!
Pre-register and save $20 to $30 off the walk-in rate! Click here to register.
Conference Scholarships
We are pleased to announce that The Rose Foundation for Communities & the Environment are sponsoring scholarships for Member Group representatives and Sierra activists. Please email Lynn with any questions and for more information.
Come celebrate 20 years of accomplishments protecting and restoring the Sierra Nevada. Reflect on our Sierra heroes, stories and lessons learned, building on our past to guide future actions. Engage generations of leaders to discuss diverse and creative actions we can take today and tomorrow to save our beloved Sierra.
Here are a few of the exciting speakers and programs we will be offering:
- Bill McKibben - named 'the planet's best green journalist' by Time Magazine - will open the Alliance's 20th Anniversary & Conference on Friday, September 13, 2013.
- John Muir Laws - naturalist, educator and artist - will give the closing keynote on Saturday, September 14, 2013.
- Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Tahoe Queen - Help us celebrate 20 years of accomplishments in the Sierra Nevada with a paddle wheel cruise on Lake Tahoe. The night will include dinner, drinks, spectacular views and the 20th Anniversary awards ceremony.
To register for the conference click here
Click here to view the Program and Workshops.
Rose Foundation: Northern California Environmental Grassroots Fund
The Grassroots Fund supports small grassroots groups throughout greater northern California that are tackling tough environmental problems including toxic pollution, urban sprawl, sustainable agriculture, climate change, environmental degradation of our rivers and wild places, as well as, of our communities and our health.
Maximum grant size is $5,000. There are four applications deadlines each year, and grants are awarded approximately 7 weeks after the deadline.
While groups that have $100,000 or less in annual expenses are eligible, most of our Grassroots grantees tend to be very small groups - 60% have annual expenses of less than $25,000, and 80% have expenses of under $50,000.
Click here for more information and application.
California Self-Generation Incentive Program
Get paid to generate your own energy!
The Self-Generation Incentive Program provides financial incentives for the installation of distributed generation technologies installed on the customer's side of the utility meter. The electricity generated by the system provides a portion or all of the customer’s electric load.
SGIP gives incentives to retail electric and gas customers of the investor-owned utilities in California – Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric. The California Center for Sustainable Energy administers the program within the SDG&E service territory.
Click here for more information.
Resources
Position Opening: Audubon Society, Director of Public Policy, California
Description: Audubon California is seeking an experienced and driven Director of Public Policy to define and direct the organization’s policy efforts to promote the conservation of birds and their habitat throughout California. The ideal candidate will have significant conservation experience including hands-on and policy-level experience. The Director will play a critical role in shaping Audubon California’s strategy across the organization and will oversee the Policy team, as well as the policy efforts at Audubon California’s additional 18 programs, sanctuaries, and centers. This candidate will excel at strategic thinking, program implementation, and team management. This is an excellent opportunity for a goal-oriented and accomplished conservation professional excited to work with a historic organization during a period of accelerated growth. Click here for more information
Location: San Francisco, CA
Application period: until filled
Position Opening: City of Oakland, Park Services Manager
Description: The City of Oakland is currently recruiting to fill a Park Services Manager vacancy in the Parks and Tree Division of the Public Works Agency. The incumbent, under administrative direction, uses operational decision making in the direction and coordination of work in a division; plans, organizes, manages and directs the review and implementation of the City’s landscape assets including medians, grounds at City facilities, park and tree maintenance activities; and performs related duties as assigned. Click here for more information
Location: Oakland, CA
Position Opening: Assistant Water Resource Planner, Alameda County (Zone 7 Water Agency)
Description: Under supervision, performs routine to difficult planning studies and projects, and monitors planning efforts and policy issues by other agencies; performs other related duties as required.
Assistant Water Resources Planner, Zone 7, is the journey level class in the professional planning classification series. Incumbents perform routine to difficult planning work and are expected to exercise professional judgment within established parameters. Incumbents may be assigned to work with a small group of planners and technicians engaged in planning work, or in a specialized function. While some of the duties of this class may overlap with some of the tasks performed by civil engineers engaged in Zone 7's planning effort, engineers are typically more involved in the technical details of project and alternative development, impact assessment, and comparison of alternatives, such as hydraulic network analysis, determination of system capacity, sizing and citing of facilities, and feasibility studies. This class is distinguished from the next higher one of Associate Water Resources Planner, Zone 7, in that the latter is the advanced-journey level of the classification series and will be assigned lead responsibilities.
Click here for more information
Location: Livermore, CA
Position Opening: Sustainability Generalist, New Belgium Brewing Company
Description: The Sustainability Generalist supports the work of the Sustainability Team by answering inquiries from customers, collecting and maintaining metrics and data, and acting as an internal resource for coworkers who are trying to improve sustainability in their area. This ¾-time position shares responsibilities with a ¾-time Sustainability Specialist. Together, the job share team ensures all responsibilities are properly managed throughout the year. The opportunity to incorporate an additional ¼-time job at New Belgium does not exist within this role. The candidate will need to satisfy the skill requirements not only for the position itself, but also those for a viable job share partner. Click here for more information
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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Campaign Updates
Our monthly update on projects the Regional Climate Change Program is working on as part of our effort to maintain and improve the health of our beautiful "Range of Light."
The Alliance wins the Tahoe Bike Challenge for the fourth year in a row!
July 10, 2013 By Gavin Feiger Regional Climate Change Program Associate, Sierra Nevada Alliance
Out of the 49 teams (business, organizations, schools, etc.) comprised of 357 individuals around in the Tahoe-Truckee region, The Alliance ranked claimed the top spot in the Trips per Employee category of the Tahoe Bike Challenge. Alternative transportation is one of the Alliance’s core values and a big part of our organization’s culture. We choose our office location to be accessible by walking, biking, or bus year-round. Our nice, new office is directly on the bike path, adjacent to a BlueGo (local) bus stop, and is centrally located in South Lake All of our full-time staff and most of our interns have chosen to live within a mile or two of the office (the furthest is a beautiful 4 mile walk or ride).
While the rest of the country celebrates Bike to Work in May, we here in Tahoe wait until the snow is completely melted and observe Bike to Work Weeks in early June. Here is how we ranked in each category:
#1 in trips per employee (22.45)
#5 in team trips (247)
#6 in miles per employee (27.4)
#16 in team mileage (302)
#30 in # of employees (11)
Our team prevented 573.8 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere, burned 12,986 calories, and saved $66.44 in gas. This is equivalent 14 days of electricity for the average house, 51 veggie tacos from Chipotle (with all the fixings), and enough money to Give the Gift of the Sierra to two people you love (or one person and yourself).
In Tahoe, Bike Challenge riders saved over 20,000 pounds of CO2, $4,185 dollars in gas, burned over 850,000 calories, while traveling 29,000 miles and gaining over 1 million feet of elevation.
At the Alliance, we strive to make every week Bike to Work Week. Please support us in Saving the Sierra through our efforts, large and small.
The Alliance Team posing with their bikes
Welcome Danny Lapin
The Regional Climate Change Program could not be successful in our work without our talented and dedicated interns. Danny is the Alliance’s new Regional Climate Change Intern. Danny grew up exploring the Eastern Sierra and fell in love with the beautiful lakes and rivers in the region. That passion led to a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with the University of California at Riverside and the pursuit of an M.S. in Environmental Policy at Bard College in New York. He has worked with the Regional Water Quality Control Board and is focusing his research on studying and implementing resilient water planning policies for the Sierra Nevada Region. He has been involved in several projects involving water supply management, promoting efficient and sustainable irrigation practices in the global south, designing green infrastructure projects, and Sierra snowpack issues. Danny is excited to use his background in water and climate policy at the Alliance. When he’s not working, Danny can most likely be found running, cooking for people, or dancing Argentine Tango.
Events
ESLT's Lands & Legacy is an annual event to celebrate the work we do to preserve vital lands. Hosted by Rusty Gregory and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, this annual fundraiser includes a walking tour on one of our conservation projects, followed by our celebration dinner and silent auction. ESLT is thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker will be Rand Wentworth, President of the national Land Trust Alliance. In addition to our events on Saturday, there will also be an optional Friday evening reception and classical concert at the Mammoth Lakes Music Festival, featuring the Felici Piano Trio and other noted musicians. Guests must reserve separately for this event.
Date: August 3rd Place: Mountainside Conference Center - Mammoth Mountain More Information: Click Here
Eyes on the Lake is a new volunteer effort focused on stopping aquatic invasive plants in their tracks. If you are a water lover at Tahoe (swimmer, boater, paddler, fisherman, or casual beachgoer) then we need your help.
As a participant in Eyes on the Lake you will learn how to:
- Identify aquatic invasive plants threatening Tahoe,
- Conduct simple surveys for these plants while you are out enjoying Tahoe’s waters,
- Report what you find AND
- Help the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program halt the spread of these invasives before they destroy Lake Tahoe’s pristine waters.
Date: North Lkae: July 29, South Lake:July 30 More Information: Click here to register
Only a short time left for Early Bird prices! Register by June 30th and save up to 37% off Pre Registration prices and up to 50% off Walk In prices! Come celebrate 20 years of accomplishments protecting and restoring the Sierra Nevada. Reflect on our Sierra heroes, stories and lessons learned, building on our past to guide future actions. Engage generations of leaders to discuss diverse and creative actions we can take today and tomorrow to save our beloved Sierra.
Date: September 13-15, 2013 Place: South Lake Tahoe, CA More Information: Click here to register or email Lynn
Comic of the Month
Newsletter contents prepared by Danny Lapin. If you have articles, events or announcements that you would like included in this newsletter or if you have feedback, please email danny@sierranevadaalliance.org.
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