Green Corps Organizer Susannah Hook Rodgers and over 40 volunteers participated in a protest against SPI’s clear-cutting practices at the annual Lumber Association of California and Nevada Conference.

Thanks to your support, Green Corps is having a great program year. Our organizers are across the country working on campaigns to conserve our natural resources, curb global warming emissions, and support local control of water sources. So far, these organizers have worked with more than 5,000 volunteers. None of this would be possible without support from our members.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains host some of America’s oldest and largest trees. Those trees are threatened by the clear-cutting practices of Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI). For the past six years, SPI has practiced a particularly harmful method of logging—first spraying 20-acre plots with herbicides; then clear-cutting; and finishing with another round of herbicides. The practice results in unnatural, pine-only forests, promotes erosion, and contaminates nearby waters.

Green Corps organizers, working on behalf of ForestEthics, have launched a campaign to rally residents and put pressure on SPI to stop its destructive logging practices. Green Corps Organizer Susannah Hook Rodgers, a 2007 graduate of Vassar College, is working with residents in the small logging town of Arnold, California, to stand up to SPI. Susannah’s first community kickoff meeting drew more than 70 people.

Four weeks later, 80 community volunteers and campaign leaders protested in front of a SPI distributor. The event was covered by the local newspaper and television station. More importantly, Susannah’s campaign volunteers are committed to leading this campaign and ensuring the long-term protection of the Sierra Nevada.

Green Corps organizers are mobilizing local citizens in Maine to protect Moosehead Lake for future generations.

Moosehead Lake, situated at the gateway of the northern forests of Maine, occupies a special place in the hearts of Mainers and out-of-state visitors. Unfortunately, Plum Creek Real Estate, the largest private landowner in the United States, has submitted a plan to develop 31 square miles of wilderness surrounding the lake into the largest resort development in the history of the state.

The developer has requested that the state allow over 22,000 acres of working forests to be turned into more than 975 house lots, 1,050 resort units, and golf courses, laced with miles of new roads and utility lines. In addition, Plum Creek wants the state to pre-approve them for another massive development in 30 years.

Green Corps organizers are working with the Natural Resources Council of Maine to activate citizen support for protecting Moosehead Lake. They have recruited and trained a group of volunteers that is committed to serving as long-term advocates for the protection of Maine’s North Woods. Utilizing the skills taught in Green Corps classroom training, organizers are mobilizing volunteers to generate 500 handwritten letters to the committee that will make the final decision on the development.

The organizers and volunteers are planning to boost attendance at a series of public hearings on the proposed development. In preparation, they are holding community events and informational meetings to ensure that hundreds of local citizens attend.