Sierra Club. Utah Chapter

The Sierra Club is one of the largest environmental organizations in the United States. Nature writer John Muir founded the organization in 1892 and was its President until his death in 1914. Its stated purpose is to protect and preserve the natural environment. During the past century the club has become well known for its aggressive efforts to block projects it has deemed harmful to the earth's ecosystem.

From the death of John Muir until the 1960s, the membership of the Sierra Club remained small, only a few thousand. They continued to be actively involved protecting regions of the West, particularly in California and Alaska, as well as Yellowstone. The Club also became noted for its excursions into Yosemite and the High Sierras in California. In 1952, David Brower became the Executive Director. Under his leadership, the Sierra Club became more actively involved in trying to shape state and national policy. In 1960, the Sierra Club Foundation was established as a charitable organization to raise money for the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. Throughout the following decade, the membership of the Club grew exponentially from seven thousand, to nearly seventy thousand by the end of the decade. The Club likewise became involved in more nationwide issues. Despite his influence and success, Brower's tenure was controversial and he was removed from office in 1969.

By the 1960s the Sierra Club had been active in Utah for many years. During that decade the Uinta Group of the Sierra Club was organized. In September, 1969, the Uinta group applied to become a Chapter. Its by-laws were drawn up and approved on October 13, 1969. The Chapter was formally organized by the national office on November 17, 1969 at Eliot Hall in Salt Lake City with June Viavant at Chairwoman, Carol Weins as Secretary-Treasurer, and Jack McLellan as Conservation Chariman (the name was changed to the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club in 1975). Also in 1969, they began issuing the Uinta News, a local newsletter on environmental activism. In September 1985, the name of the newsletter was changed to Utah Sierran.

Over the years the Utah Chapter has been involved in many environmental issues both independently and in conjunction with the national Club. Among the first issues were the Alton Coal project and Kaiparowits power station in Southern Utah. The Utah Chapter fought throughout the 1970s to keep mining out of Southern Utah and to limit power stations. They also became heavily involved with many government agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. They sought to extend Wilderness designation to Utah roadless areas and to influence the decisions of those conducting the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE). In 1979 and 1980, the Utah Chapter opposed the Sagebrush Rebellion, fearing that if states got control of millions of acres of BLM land they would then allow extensive mining.

Since then the Utah Chapter has been active in politics and in disseminating environmental awareness and in extending protection to Utah's roadless and wilderness areas. They have actively campaigned for candidates and opposed others. One of their most famous members was nature writer Edward Abbey, who spent a great deal of time living and writing in Southern Utah.

In the 1990s the Chapter was noted for its opposition to nuclear dump sites in the West Deserts of Utah, and to the proposed Legacy Highway which would cross wetlands near the Great Salt Lake. They have also monitored the chemical weapons stored in the Tooele Army Depot and supported President Clinton's decision to create the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996. Currently the Chapter is involved in organizing weekly hikes and excursions to the outdoors in addition to supporting candidates and lobbying extensively in the Utah Legislature. They also continue to oppose many building and mining operations throughout the state. As of 2003, membership in the Utah Chapter was 5,000.

For more in-depth information see: Michael Cohen. The History of the Sierra Club 1892-1970 .Sierra Club Books (1998); and Stephen Fox. John Muir and his Legacy . Little, Brown & Company (1970). See also the website for the nationalSierra Club and for theUtah Chapter

From the guide to the Sierra Club, Utah Chapter archives, 1972-1986, (Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives)