Eight Sierrans went to Washington, D.C. in June to lobby the Illinois Delegation in Congress.  The goal of the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Team was to set up appointments with all 19 congresspersons from Illinois and the two Illinois U.S. senators.  To accomplish this task the team divided into three smaller groups and made appointments with all 21 members of the Illinois Delegation in Congress (19 Illinois congresspersons plus the two senators).

The aim of these lobby meetings was twofold.  One purpose was to establish an ongoing relationship with the representative/senator and his/her staff.  The Sierrans introduced themselves and presented each legislator with a copy of the Illinois Chapter's newsletter, the Lake & Prairie.  As representatives of the 25,000 members of the Sierra Club's Illinois Chapter, the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Team helped to develop a relationship with the D.C. Office of the representative/senator.  Future D.C. and home district visits would build upon this visit.  In an effort to keep the Illinois legislators informed about environmental issues and the activities of the Sierra Club's Illinois Chapter, all representatives/senators would begin receiving a complimentary issue of the Lake & Prairie in both their D.C. and home district offices.

The second purpose of these visits was to lobby on specific issues.  The Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Team asked the legislators to support and cosponsor HR 979 and HR 770 in the house and S 770 in the senate.  HR 979 would protect the rainforests of the Tongass and Chugach in the panhandle area of Alaska while HR 770 and S 770 would protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from gas and oil exploration/drilling. (For more information on how you can help to support these wilderness areas of Alaska, contact Erik DuMont of the Alaska Wilderness League at erik@alaskawild.org.)  

The lobby teams also discussed energy issues.  It was expected that the final energy bill working its way through Congress would end up in a conference committee.  Members of the lobby teams encouraged the Illinois legislators to support the concept of an energy portfolio that would support a national policy of finding 10% of its energy needs from renewable sources by the year 2020.

As legislators from the State of Illinois, the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Teams asked all of the Illinois delegates to support the establishment of three new wilderness areas in the Shawnee National Forest of Southern Illinois.  There was a lot of interest among the Illinois legislators about establishing wilderness areas in the State of Illinois.  Members of the lobby teams left very informed packages about these three designated areas in the Shawnee and made the Illinois legislators aware of this issue.  (For more information about how you can help with this wilderness designation, contact Illinois Chapter Staff member Terri Treacy)

The members of the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Teams attended the weekly Thursday Coffee Hour with Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Peter Fitzgerald.  Around 75 people from all over Illinois attended this weekly tradition with the Illinois senators.  Participants asked the senators questions about policy, and both senators responded.  A member from the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Team asked the senators about their position on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  Both senators responded with statements opposing any oil and gas exploration/drilling in the coastal plain.  During the photo session that followed, the team presented both senators with plaques honoring them for their votes to protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

If you would like to help to continue to build upon the Illinois Sierra Lobby Team's D.C. trip with a home district visit to your Illinois congressperson, contact Illinois Staff member Jennifer Hensley.  One immediate way you can help to build upon this relationship is to make a phone call to the home district offices of both your Illinois congressperson and your two Illinois Senators.  For your Illinois congressperson, informed that you saw the picture of the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Team with the congressperson/staff member on the chapter's web page and that you wish to thank the congressperson for setting up time in his/her D.C. office to meet with representatives from the Illinois Chapter.  For Senators Dick Durbin and Peter Fitzgerald, you can call their home district offices and mentioned that you saw their photos in the Lake & Prairie with members of the Illinois Sierra Club Lobby Team.  Thank both senators for their continued support to preserve the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  For information about the phone numbers and names of your Illinois legislators, click here, or call the Illinois Chapter office at 312-251-1680.

Rep. Kirk's aide Cholly Smith w/ Barbara & Linda S.	Rep. Weller's aide Allan Tenille w/ Carol K., Terri & Frank	Rep. Costello's aide Heather Lepeska w/ Linda S. & Barbara	Rep. Biggert's aide Paul Doucette w/ Frank, Carol K. & Terri
Speaker Dennis Hastert w/ Fran, Linda F. & Carol S.	Rep. Johnson's aide Rachel Lehman w/ Barbara & Linda S.	Rep. Manzullo's aide Ryan Frost w/ Carol S. & Linda F.	Rep. Evan's aide Erin Doyle w/ Carol S., Fran, & Linda F.
Rep. LaHood's aide Andrea Tebbe w/ Barbara & Linda S.	Rep. Shimkus' aide Jennifer Daulby w/ Terri & Frank	Senator Fitzgerald's aide Laura Appleby w/ Linda S., Gina Piek, Barbara, & Terri	Senator Durbin's aide Cathrine Potter w/ Frank, Carol K., & Terri