September 22, 2026
Protecting Our Public Lands
We began the evening with a presentation from Mary Lunetta of the Sierra Club. Mary started by sharing a brief history of the Sierra Club and its founders before discussing several current threats facing our national parks, monuments, forests, and public lands.
She began with the message “Keep Roadless!”, explaining the importance of protecting the Roadless Rule, one of the nation’s most significant forest conservation measures. Keeping our forests roadless helps protect wildlife habitat and connectivity, clean water, and recreational opportunities while also supporting tourism and helping communities maintain natural areas that can play an important role in fire safety.
Mary explained that changes to the rule could open millions of acres of national forest to new road construction, logging, and other development. She also discussed the Travel Management Rule and concerns about changes to restrictions and regulations governing roads and motorized access on public lands.
Mary emphasized that many of the protections surrounding our national parks and monuments have been weakened or removed, and that the long-term effects may not be immediately visible. Without action to preserve or restore these protections, our national parks and wild spaces could be permanently changed.
Local Environmental Concerns
Following Mary’s presentation, Bob Sherman spoke about ongoing concerns surrounding Willow Creek, including alleged state and local violations and illegal or unpermitted alterations that have already caused damage to the area. He expressed concern that the situation could become worse with anticipated weather conditions and shared his frustration over the lack of acknowledgment and meaningful action to address the problems.
His message highlighted the importance of residents continuing to speak up when our local environment is threatened and ensuring that community concerns are heard.
