Sierra Club, Toiyabe Chapter Records

Collection

Identifier: 87-04

Staff Only

The records of the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club were deposited in the Special Collections Department in June 1987 by Chapter Chair Rose Strickland. The collection consists of 24 cubic feet of material dating from 1924-1987, with the bulk dating from 1972-1986.

The records are divided into six series: administration, Sierra Club subcommittees, affiliated organizations, subject files, Bureau of Land Management materials, and environmental impact statements and printed reports. They consist of materials created by the Sierra Club and/or Toiyabe Chapter, and materials collected by the Chapter.

The subject matter of the collection relates almost entirely to the environment and its protection and preservation, and because of both the quality and quantity of the records, it is a unique resource for documenting those efforts. It also documents the policies and activities of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Nevada through correspondence between the Bureau and the Chapter and the extensive reports issued by the BLM.

The collection provides an in-depth look at the following subjects: the BLM, conservation, the environment, wilderness and forests and their management, public land management in Nevada, mines and mining, nuclear waste disposal, Lake Tahoe, the MX Missile project, the Sagebrush Rebellion, the Nevada Fish and Game Department (now known as the Nevada Department of Wildlife), wild horse and burro herd management, off road vehicles, the Truckee River, development plans for Reno, Rancho San Rafael, and the Fallon Naval Air Station. Many of these topics are documented from their inception, as for example, are Rancho San Rafael and the MX Missile. The documentation comes from both "inside" and "outside sources," i.e. that generated by an organization such as the federal government and those created in response to that entity. The result is a resource more complete than would ordinarily be found in repositories such as government document centers.

Dates

1924-1987

Creator

Sierra Club. Toiyabe Chapter (Organization)

Restrictions

Currently the administrative records, Series 1, are closed; researchers must request permission to access those records from the Chapter's Executive Committee. All other portions of the collection are open with no restrictions.

Extent

24 Cubic Feet (25 boxes)

Additional Description

Abstract

Records created or collected by the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, related to the environment, its use, and its preservation. Records document chapter activities, the policies and activities of various governmental bodies, especially the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Nevada Fish and Game Department (now, Nevada Dept. of Wildlife).

Administrative History

The Toiyabe Chapter is a regional chapter of the Sierra Club, a California-based national organization devoted to preserving nature for future generations. The Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club was organized in 1957 and now consists of members of the Sierra Club residing in Nevada (mainly north of Clark County); and in California, east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and north of San Bernardino and Kern Counties, including parts of Inyo, Mono, and Alpine counties. The Chapter formerly included the State of Utah and the California counties of Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc; those areas subsequently established separate chapters.

The purpose of the Chapter is to foster the goals of the Sierra Club and in particular to educate members and others in the knowledge and proper utilization of the mountain, forest, desert, seashore, and other national features of the country, and in the means of preserving them.

The Chapter is governed through an Executive Committee (sometimes referred to as Excom) of nine members for terms of two years each. The chair of each of the Chapter's regional groups serves as an ex-officio member of Excom. Officers are the chair, vice chair, secretary, and treasurer.

Standing committees as designated by the Executive Committee are the Conservation and Membership Committees, and the Regional Committees (or groups) based on geographical location.

The Toiyabe Chapter is headquartered in Reno, Nevada, and has approximately 2,740 members as of August, 1988, and is growing rapidly. The Chapter publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, Toiyabe Trails.

The Chapter and its members have for many years taken an activist role in issues affecting Nevada and the west. Recent examples of such involvement include the MX Missile Project, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)/U.S. Forest Service land swap, off-road vehicle policies of the BLM, the BLM's wilderness management policies, and the Sagebrush Rebellion. More general concerns are energy conservation, protection of the quality of the air and water, safe disposal of toxic and nuclear wastes, siting of nuclear power plants, and wilderness management and protection.

Arrangement

The records of the Sierra Club, Toiyabe Chapter, are divided into the following series:

1. Administration

2. Sierra Club Subcommittees

3. Affiliated Organizations

4. Subject Files

5. Bureau of Land Management

6. Environmental Impact Statements and Printed Reports.