Dede Smith endorsed by the Sierra Club
Piedmont Group endorses 2 candidates for City Council

PRESS RELEASE
DATE: AUGUST 4, 2011
FROM: THE PIEDMONT GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB
REGARDING: ENDORSEMENTS OF CANDIDATES FOR CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL

The Sierra Club is one of America’s oldest environmental organizations.  Protection of the natural world is a fundamental goal of ours.  We appreciate, however, that protection of natural systems is possible only if our governmental and political systems foster sustainable use of natural resources by humans and simultaneously provide opportunities for individuals to live rewarding lives.  This is no small challenge but it is a necessary one.

Unlike many of our allied environmental organizations, the Sierra Club may, and regularly does, endorse political candidates.  We endorse candidates that we believe have the ability to simultaneously protect the environment and provide opportunities for better lives for people.

Our decisions on endorsements are based on our knowledge of the performance histories of candidates in public life.  Generally, we also ask candidates in races in which we do endorsements to fill out a questionnaire.  The subjects of questions in the questionnaire we sent to candidates in the Charlottesville City Council races included transportation issues, agriculture, population growth, water supply, development goals for the City and City-County cooperation. 

All the responses to questionnaires we received from candidates are posted on our web site ( virginia.sierraclub.org/piedmont)

The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club is pleased now to endorse Colette Blount and Dede Smith as candidates for Charlottesville City Council.

As a long time educator in our community and member of the Charlottesville School Board, Colette Blount has demonstrated a strong commitment to:

• the preservation of our city parks,
• a transportation system that provides alternatives to the automobile,
• the responsible use of our natural resources,
• citizen involvement in community planning, and
• expanding educational opportunities for youth and adults.

We believe Colette will be a champion for the environment when she serves on City Council.

Dede Smith has been a member of our community for three decades.  She is known and appreciated for her:

• stewardship of the Ivy Creek Natural Area
• co-founding the local Virginia Master Naturalists program
• service on the Charlottesville school board
• co-founding of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan

We are certain Dede will provide vision and leadership when she joins the City Council.

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