Join Pee Dee Sierra Club Group
By Deborah Adams, David White, and Rev. Leo Woodberry
The South Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club was founded in 1978 and has since grown to represent roughly 20,000 members and supporters across the state. It is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the state.
The Club is made up of member-advocates who seek to explore, enjoy and protect South Carolina and to participate with their local Group, of which there are currently six around the state. Until several years ago, the Pee Dee Group representing members from Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marlboro, Marion and Williamsburg Counties met routinely to hear presentations from leading environmental and natural resource conservation authorities from the area and to advocate for environmental protection locally.
We have now come together to revitalize that past effort. The Pee Dee region of our state has a history of needed local conservation advocacy and in the wake of the impacts of Hurricane Matthew earlier this month, the time is now to renew our collective efforts to protect this vital region of our state.
Proposed mega landfills in Marlboro and Williamsburg Counties, egregious lead pollution in Florence, the Pee Dee river being named one of the “most endangered rivers in the US” this year, and illegal coal ash pollution in Darlington — these are just some examples of past environmental hazards in our corner of the state. While our area does have a strong agricultural backbone, our area’s past environmental problems are exacerbated by significant pockets of rural, low-income communities and food deserts. The flooding and dam failures from Hurricane Matthew have further focused our attention on the need for an environmental advocacy and environmental justice infrastructure here in the Pee Dee.
Together, we are an environmental and political advocate, a businessman and farmer, and a Reverend and community organizer, respectively. We ask that you consider joining us as we relaunch the Pee Dee Group and endeavor to educate and advocate for our region’s prosperity and environmental conservation.
We will hold an initial “start-up” meeting this upcoming Saturday, November 12th from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library in the 1st Floor Stukes Room in Florence. The library is located at 509 S. Dargan St., Florence, SC. We will provide coffee and light breakfast snacks from 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. and move into our organizing meeting from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. It is free and open to the public, whether or not you are currently a Sierra Club member.
Deborah Adams is a retired Federal Government employee and is now a community and environmental activist in Cheraw.
David White is the owner of family farm Maypop Free Range Chicken in Darlington.
Rev. Leo Woodberry is the Director and Pastor at Kingdom Living Temple and founder of New Alpha Community Development Corporation in Florence.