SCCA is very happy to announce the 2019 GrassRoots Gala Award Winners. These esteemed people have shown great passion, fortitude, ability, and leadership in the field of Environmental Politics. We salute their ongoing efforts to ensure Sonoma County has a bright and sustainable future for all!

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    Leader in Environmental Justice and Equity Award – OMAR GALLARDO, Landpaths –

     Presenter: Algería de la Cruz

Honoring distinguished leadership in environmental justice and equity in our community. Gallardo is the oldest child of immigrant farm workers from Mexico, and the first one to pursue college. He is passionate about connecting people both to the land and to each other, while building community and staying true to his roots. With humanity and grace, he has excelled at community organizing, expanded the diversity and relevance of Landpaths’ programs and led countless youth to share his love of the land.

     Upstream Swimmer Award – RACHEL HUNDLEY, Sonoma City Council –

     Presenter: Chris Coursey

For a Sonoma County elected or appointed representative who has shown resolve in the face of adversity in standing for environmental principles despite opposition. In the face of intense retribution for an environmental vote, Hundley stood her ground and had a national impact on how women in politics can overcome a misogynistic smear campaign.

     Dick Day Community Activist Award – RICHARD CHARTER, Senior Fellow, The Ocean Foundation –

     Presenter: Neal Fishman

Honoring the activist spirit who goes the extra mile and shows outstanding organization in support of the protection and enhancement of our environment. Charter is a local and national hero in ocean protection. He helped to establish and maintain a 27-year congressional ban on offshore drilling along the Pacific, Atlantic and Florida Gulf coastlines. He worked with tens-of-thousands of people to create a network of five National Marine Sanctuaries to make coastal protection off of a large portion of the California Coast permanent, plus worked with indigenous people from Alaska and the conservation community to achieve a permanent drilling prohibition in Alaska’s fishery-rich Bristol Bay.

     Bill Kortum Innovative Leader Award – LISA MICHELI , Ph.D. –

     Presenter: Dennis Rosatti

Honoring ingenuity, creativity, and innovation in environmental activism and policy. Micheli is an internationally acclaimed expert on climate change. As the executive director of Pepperwood Preserve, a 3,200-acre ecological research center, she and her team of scientists are doing extraordinary work on climate adaptive land management. Notably, she is integrating indigenous perspectives and biocultural knowledge into the land management, habitat restoration work and educational programming.

Urgent Action Alert:

Please join us at the Board of Supervisors Meeting Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 8:30am

Location: Board of Supervisors Chambers 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa

Agenda Item to be Discussed: Toxic Free Future in and around Sonoma County Public Areas

The Board of Supervisors will be voting on a resolution to adopt an Integrated Pest Management system and prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, in sensitive areas.

Let your voice be heard! We urge you to show up at the meeting and let Board of Supervisors know that our county’s residents are unified in opposition to the use of dangerous synthetic pesticides in our public spaces! Show them that their constituents demand they make the responsible decision!

Over the past three years SCCA has worked diligently to ban Toxic Pesticides, such as Glyphosate (Round-Up) and neonicotinoids, in Sonoma County public areas. SCCA has led the way in advocating for and achieving restricted use of these dangerous chemicals in various cities in the County, such as Santa Rosa, Windsor, Sonoma and Petaluma;. These cities are now safer and greener for all residents. We are currently engaged in organizing bans in the remaining cities through our Canvass, spreading the word through community discussions and educational events in Rohnert Park and Cotati, as well as helping organize local activists in Cloverdale.

For too long the solution to pest control and weed abatement has been to spray more harmful chemicals on the problem, with little regard for the direct effects of these chemicals on our community members and the environment. We now know the terrible health hazards associated with not only Round-Up but many other pesticides used by city and county workers, all in the name of controlling weeds in our parks and open spaces. We have non toxic alternatives that can be a part of a more responsible Integrated Pest Management System. SCCA is dedicated to lead the way through education, canvassing and advocacy, aiding Sonoma County to realize the goal of a true toxic free future for our families, neighbors and communities.

Help us fund this critical work with $5, $15, $55, or $150 now!

Support Now

The County has already:

✔️ Stopped spraying on the County Complex

✔️ Worked on integrated pest management plans to reduce pesticide use by Transportation & Public Works, Sonoma Water and Regional Parks

✔️ Started testing OMRI (certified organic) and mechanical alternatives to synthetic pesticides.

On Tuesday when the resolution passes we will:

✔️ Establish official NO SPRAY ZONES to include playgrounds, plazas, playing fields, sidewalks, libraries and county campuses;

✔️ Direct staff to formally map and publish a list of all no-spray zones by the end of the year (which will include the areas mentioned above, and more);

✔️Commit to annual public reporting of pesticide use to ensure transparency and accountability to our policies;

✔️ Establish County policy to eliminate the use of synthetic pesticides in highly trafficked areas, eliminate routine synthetic pesticide use in our parks and open space, and prioritize organic and mechanical alternatives.

SCCA is member funded and can not do this important work without the support of our community. Please consider becoming a sustaining member and donate monthly or quarterly to enable SCCA’s fight for a healthy and green Sonoma County!

As Conservation Action moves toward the future, we know we’ll need a strong board and staffing presence to implement our plans and goals. In this era of Trumpian breaking-of-norms, we aim to be a solid base to grow grassroots policy and leaders.

Two New Board Members.

To that end, we’re happy to announce Blake Hooper, aide to Congressman Jared Huffman, and Miles Burgin, member of Wine Country Young Democrats have joined the Board. These two active community members bring important insights to our Board table from the national and local perspective. We are committed to growing Conservation Action through this transition time, and we are grateful for the continued support of our community in helping to ensure that SCCA remains our County’s watchdog and environmental steward as our community faces the growing pressures of development, social and environmental injustice, and climate change.

Dedicated and Talented Staff.

On the staffing front, we are lucky to have dedicated staff working daily for Conservation Action. Erica Buonasissi, Operations Manager, and Matt Callaway, Canvass Director, will be keeping our campaigns moving forward, with Board direction and participation.  Both Matt and Erica are seasoned in Conservation Action operations and management, and we’re confident in the role they will play going forward. We are preparing for the coming election season in 2020, and have a number of important issue campaigns to press forward in the coming months.

Interim Executive Management.

Additionally, our former longtime Executive Director, Dennis Rosatti, has agreed to a short term role in helping guide our internal and external affairs while the Board takes a breath and prepares to search for new permanent staffing, and we as an organization work full steam ahead on campaigns and our Gala. Dennis has a strong knowledge of what it takes to make Conservation Action go, and has expanded his service offerings since leaving Conservation Action to include non-profit executive support, as well as public relations and campaign management.

Chief Financial Officer consultant.

Also, the Board is pleased to announce a financial consultant arrangement with City of Sebastopol Councilwoman Una Glass, a  longtime former SCCA Board Member and former Coastwalk CA Executive Director. Ms Glass has a growing clientele of non-profits under her guidance, and we look forward to a continued partnership with her oversight.

Open Executive Director role.

We will release an announcement in the months ahead about the process to fill this role. We also are aiming to announce some new additions to our Board of Directors in the coming months, as we still have some space for a variety of input at our Board table.

Celebrate with us!

We look forward to seeing many of you at our Grassroots Gala on July 13th, where we celebrate 28 years of success in the face of environmental challenges. Congressman Jared Huffman will discuss “Environmentalism in the Age of Trump,”  and we also have a special video message from renowned climate change activist Bill McKibben. More information on tickets and sponsorships are available at: www.conservationaction.org/Gala2019.

Sincerely,

Neal Fishman, Board President

Michael Allen, Board Chairman

Measure M, Sonoma County Parks for All, won with over 72% of the vote! This was achieved through support of the SCCA canvass knocking on over 10,000 doors around the county. Also, SCCA-endorsed candidates for City Councils and SRJC Board of Trustees had a 75% success rate in the November election! Additionally, of our few candidates who lost, all but 2 lost to incumbents (which is a higher hurdle). We are very pleased with the local make-up of our Councils and expect stronger environmental action from them in the coming years.