Steve Miller 8/18/2020 Climate Chair report

8/11/2020 Ally Samuel (Sierra Club Northeast Organizing Representative) began Middletown Campaign planning (final push?) RF100  R-GEA implementation in Middletown. 

8/25/2020 campaign planning continues

8/10/2020 Distributed “Middletown Energy Plan V2”. Supporting spreadsheet

Middletown Planning Director plans to work with Middletown for Clean Energy to integrate into the “Sustainability Element” addition to the Middletown Master Plan

The Middletown Energy Plan relies on the current NJ-wide 8% “Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration”
source: “2019 NJ Energy Master Plan – Pathway to 2050”, page 24

July 20, 2020 Middletown Committee resolution

places on Nov ballot a 1cent (per $100) tax increase (from present 2 cents) in “Middletown Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund”
Current Trust Fund is depleted (paying off bonds to support earlier acquisitions)
Press Conference expected week of Sept 14 (likely Sept 16).

Middletown Mayor requests help to ensure passage of referendum

I seek input from SC ExComm: I see parallels with SierraClub “30X30 Conservation Agenda” (8/18/2020) (#2, below):

30X30 "Putting Our Plan into Action":
1. Conservation on national public lands…
2. State and local government agencies could potentially conserve 50 percent more land than they currently do through efforts like open-space programs, designation of wildlife corridors that defragment habitat while safeguarding the lands within them, and the creation and expansion of state and local parks.
3. ..Tribal Nations on traditional and cultural lands…