The Sierra Club, Lancaster Group

The mission of the Sierra Club is ?To Enjoy, Explore and Protect the Planet.? For those people not familiar with the Club?s governance structure, the framework (from top down) is as follows: The National Organization; State Chapters; and Groups within those chapters, defined by geographic boundaries (Lancaster is one of eleven in Pennsylvania). Sierra Club Groups, which operate at the grassroots level, are run solely by Sierra Club members who volunteer their time and talents on behalf of these organizations. The Lancaster Group is committed to supporting all issues and programs related to improving and enhancing the environment, through educational outreach and other activities. Its primary focus, however, is Lancaster County?s air quality, which ranks high on a list of regions with the most polluted air in the nation; consequently, many of the Group?s activities center on this environmental and public health problem.

The Lancaster Group of the Sierra Club is the Pennsylvania Chapter?s newest Group, formally authorized by the national Sierra Club organization in July, 2008. For many years before that, Sierra Club members from Lancaster County were affiliated with the Chapter?s Governor Pinchot Group (GVP), which covered Lancaster County and most of south-central Pennsylvania.