How Sierra Club Activism Re-Established Itself on the Olympic Peninsula
By Ben Greuel, Public Lands Organizer, and Bob Lynette, North Olympic Group Executive Committee
Historically there had been an active group on the Olympic Peninsula. But it had long fizzled out in the late 80s and early 90s, despite the fact that there had been more than 1,200 Sierra Club members on the Peninsula and more than 800 in the two northern counties (Clallam and Jefferson) alone.
That has all recently changed with the creation of the Washington Chapter's North Olympic Group. Based on campaign strategy, the early tactics the Wild Olympics Campaign utilized were mostly if not exclusively internal and non-public. We began outreach in the forms of member meetings, presentations, and outings, where interpersonal communication between members was both a possibility and a goal.
The result of the outreach was the creation of the North Olympic Group –- the newest Sierra Club group in the state of Washington. Over the course of the effort, more than 250 people participated in these events. It has greatly benefited the Washington Chapter by building volunteer leadership in a geographical location we were absent prior.
This couldn't have happened without volunteer leadership. We were lucky to work with seasoned and savvy volunteer leaders who had been involved in the past. Without the engagement and hard work from those volunteer leaders, creation of the Group would not have taken place.
The key to creating a new group is finding leaders who are interested in not only conservation work, but the nuts and bolts of administrative work that comes with ensuring a group that is viable and organized in the long-term. It was a challenge finding local leaders to take responsibility for managing the group. Another challenge was the large geographical area and sparse population in the area. This was primarily solved by recruitment of ExComm members representing each of the three largest population centers.
One key lesson was that recruitment of key leaders must be done carefully by first investigating and identifying them, and then having one-on-one meetings to gain their interest.
The Group received formal approval from the National Sierra Club in 2010, and it now represents the largest grassroots organization that is part of the Wild Olympics Coalition of environmental organizations. Four members participate in strategic meetings with the tribes and other stakeholders associated with the campaign. Since its formation, the North Olympic Group has rapidly become the most respected voice on the Peninsula for a range of environmental issues.
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