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	Wow. I didn't think this would be so hard. But I think I've got all
the bugs worked out, and this should be the first of many newsletters Ill
be sending every two weeks or so.
	My apologies for the length. It took me a while to figure out how
to send it (among other things) so the information piled up. 
	I've included the names of the ExComm at the end of the message.
	I suppose I could introduce myself, while I'm at it. My  name is
Natalie MacLellan. I'm a third Biology and Theatre student at Dalhousie
University. I am also the editor of the Science and Environment section at
the Dalhousie Gazette. And now, I am your new Sierra-News editor. So here
goes...

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Paul Falvo, previous Sierra-News editor, sends his greetings to Chebucto
Group members. (By the way Paul, you spelled my name wrong, but I fixed it
for you!)

From: Paul Falvo, pfalvo@chebucto.ns.ca, (902) 492-1995

Happy New Year!  I'm delighted to report that Arciris Garay is now Group
Chair and Natalie MacLellan has taken over as your sierra-news editor.  I
leave you in good hands!

But I'm not really leaving you.  Chebucto Group is part of the Eastern
Canada Chapter of the Sierra Club.  I am one of the Chapter's two reps on
the national board of directors of the Sierra Club of Canada, so feel free
to contact me with national concerns. 

In addition I am a member of the executive committee (excomm) of the
Chapter.  The ECAN Chapter covers the Maritimes, Newfoundland, and Upper
and Lower Canada, so talk to me about regional concerns too!  Peter Lloyd
has just taken over as Chapter Chair, so it's a bad time to be a polluter
in Eastern Canada ... :

I hope everyone made New Year's resolutions to get more involved with the
Sierra Club!!  We have three vacancies on the Chapter excomm.  This is an
ideal way to get involved in the Sierra Club.  The "job" involves at a
minimum, taking part in one conference call per month.  Of course you can
do a lot more if you want to.  For more details contact me or Chapter
Chair Peter Lloyd at peter.lloyd@entrust.com.

If you'd like to have a say in the Sierra Club, please consider applying. 
The board is headquartered in Ontario, and needs more voices from Atlantic
Canada! 

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Atlantic Coast Ecoregion (ACE) Report
by Allison Denning

        The Sierra Club Atlantic Coast Ecoregion, or ACE, is a group of
Sierra Club activists from each of the U.S. states along the East Coast
and from Nova Scotia, Canada.  The purpose of ACE is to work on projects
which encompass areas that are beyond the scope of individual Groups and
Chapters.  These include issues which are between states and between the
countries of Canada and the U.S.  ACE has three main areas of
concentration, and each of its projects must reflect one or more of these
areas.  The first is the bioreserve campaign, wherein the members of ACE
are to identify areas of land currently protected and to determine areas
in need of protection in order to establish a corridor of protection for
migratory and other species along the East Coast.  The second is to
examine water quality issues, including sources of pollution and the
protection of watersheds as a means of habitat enhancement for aquatic
organisms.  The final area of interest for ACE is the limiting of human
population encroachment in the coastal regions.  Urban sprawl is an
ongoing problem, particularly in the fragile coastal zones and ACE is
committed to trying to halt or minimize population increases in these
areas.

        ACE met on January 17-18, 1998, in Washington D.C.  Representing
the Sierra Club Chebucto Group, Halifax, NS, and the only Canadian at this
meeting was Allison Denning.  The meeting was intended to discuss current
projects, finalize the budget and to discuss potential new ACE projects.
Current projects include an attempt to protect Chapmans Landing, an
old-growth forest in Maryland which is currently being proposed by the
state government as a place to establish a new city, and an examination of
water quality in the Delaware River watershed in the State of Delaware, in
order to reduce/eliminate point and non-point sources of pollution,
particularly agricultural run-off from thousands of chicken farms in the
area.

        Allison Denning, the Canadian representative, proposed three new
projects for ACE approval.  The first was an education program involving
northern, deep-water corals, wherein an individual from Nova Scotia would
be funded to educate people in Canada and the United States about these
corals, their importance and the damage being inflicted upon them by human
activity.  This project was of interest to the group, who recommended
further study on media connections and on potential public support.

	The second proposed project involved the Muggah Creek Watershed
(formerly known as the Sydney Tarponds).  There has been an initiative
from the Sydney Sierra Club group to become involved in a toxic exchange
wherein 8 people from Sydney travelled to an area with similar
contamination problems, to Fort Valley, Georgia, and 8 delegates will be
coming from there to Sydney early this year.  Allison proposed future
toxic exchanges between Sydney and other contaminated sites.  ACE
questioned the benefit of these exchanges and requested further
development of the proposal prior to any agreement on funding.  The final
proposal again dealt with the Muggah Creek Watershed and involved
financing a major media event to create awareness of the area and mobilize
political support for remediation, particularly during an election year.
Unfortunately, the goal of this project did not meet the criteria for ACE
and they recommended searching for alternative sources of funding.

        The next ACE meeting will be held on November 14-15, 1998, in
Annapolis Maryland.  Any questions or comments can be directed to the ACE
representative Allison Denning at adenning@is2.dalca.

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The following is an excerpt from a New Years letter by Elizabeth May,
setting out the Sierra Clubs priorities for the year:

SIERRA CLUB PRIORITIES FOR 1998

 1)  Climate Change  -  Implementing Kyoto

 2)  Stopping the Multilateral Agreement on Investment

 3)  Stopping the destruction of forests across Canada

 4)  Winning our lawsuit against nuclear CANDU sales to China

Welcome to 1998!  The campaigners at the national office are covering a
wide range of issues.  These are the top four in the near term.  We are
also committed to campaigns to eliminate pesticide use, clean up the
Sydney  Tar Ponds and its surrounding contaminated watershed, stop the
Cheviot  mine, and demand strong endangered species legislation.  To give
Sierra  Club members a thumbnail sketch of our current challenges, this is
our "top  four" wish list.
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Chebucto Group Excomm:

Group Chair     Arciris Garay   443-8472        af169@chebucto.ns.ca

Vice / Treas.   Jack Devenney   463-0090       jack.devdart@ns.sympatico.ca

Secretary       Allison Denning 423-6486        adenning@is2.dal.ca

Outings         Lola Doucet     455-6365        doucetl@is2.dal.ca

Membership      vacant

Cape Breton     Fran Morrison   737-2855	fran.morrison@ns.sympatico.ca


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Sierra Club is North America's most effective grass roots environmental
group.  Chebucto Group is the local branch, covering Atlantic Canada.  To
subscribe to our bimonthly email newsletter, and receive regular updates
on conservation activities, outings, and get-togethers just send a message
with only the words "subscribe sierra-news" to 

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/Sierra/