Yokuts Group Sierra Club, P. O. Box 855, Modesto, CA (2026)

Mission: To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. Photo header: Jim Gain

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Anita Young, Elaine Gorman, S

teve Tomlinson, Milt Trieweiler, Kent Mitchell, Candy Klaschus and Laura Stokes

LEADER POSITIONS:
Chair: Anita Young
Vice Chair: Elaine Gorman
Political Chair: Kent Mitchell
Secretary: Sara Averett
Treasurer: Steve Tomlinson
Hospitality: Candy Klaschus
Program Chair: Laura Stokes
Membership: Anita Young
Mailing: Kathy Weise
Publicity: CeCe Hurst
Publicity Assistant: Jeff Olson
Conservation and Sustainability Chair: Milt Trieweiler
Calendar Sales: Doug Hardie
Outings Chair: Randall Brown
Outings Leaders: Randall Brown, Elaine Gorman and Jeff Olson
Newsletter: Kevin Augustine

Meetup Event Link:
https://www.meetup.com/S-M-S-SierraClub

Valley Habitat Newsletter Link:

https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/yokuts-group/September_October_2021.pdf

WHAT IS “YOKUTS?”
Members of the Sierra Club residing in Stanislaus County are also members of the Sierra Club’s Yokuts Group. The name “Yokuts'' comes from the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, one of the original ethnic Native American tribes that settled in the San Joaquin Valley. “Tachi'' means mud duck. “Yokuts'' means people. Before Columbus they were seed gatherers not farmers. They are friendly and peaceful loving people who lived a simple life. Their population was estimated to be about 17,000+ in 1770 but dwindled to about 600 by 1910. There are about 2000 Yokuts people now enrolled in this federally recognized tribe. Our Stanislaus Group has been known as the Yokuts Group since 1965. In 2019 the Yokuts Group obtained official permission from the Yokut Tribal Coalition to use their name.

08/08/2026

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SECOND FINAL DEL PUERTO CANYON RESERVOIR PARTIAL DRAFT EIR: August 19th, 2026

Link to copy of notice and dEIR: https://www.savedelpuertocanyon.org/post/notice-of-public-hearing-for-the-second-final-del-puerto-canyon-reservoir-partial-draft-eir-august

- Speak out and prepare for possible public comment opportunities on August 19th!

- Let other groups you know who might be interested in contesting this EIR or pursuing their own cases to oppose this project to stop the permanent destruction of habitats for sensitive species, Native American archaeological sites, viewing access for Allan Bennison's dinosaur discovery site by school groups, and interference with pre-existing plans for a new community park by the city of Patterson!

- Say NO this big business-backed, non-potable storage project whose main dam would be near a known fault line and proposed public roadway reroute that's also sparked concerns about safety and landowners who don't want their properties possibly altered by construction!

- Say NO a project some local officials have said should be a model for damming other areas in the Diablo Range that are also being eyed for land conservation efforts and that has been named by other lawmakers trying to weaken state and federal environmental laws!

07/27/2026

September program:STATE OF THE CENTRAL SIERRA

Speaker:John Buckley, CSERC, Friday, September 18, 2026

Trump politics, shrinking budgets, staffing cutbacks, and other changes threaten our forests. Our presenter.John Buckley served as a wildland firefighter for 13 years prior to setting up a non-profit conservation center. That organization, the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) is intensely engaged in all forest issues affecting millions of acres of the central region of the Sierra Nevada. They also survey rare wildlife species, manage restoration projects, monitor logging, livestock grazing, and roads on national forest lands. His slideshow will also contain some great photos of the forest and wildlife. Join us and let's find out what we can do to help!

October 16, program meeting. We meet at 6:45 (socializing and greetings) with the program beginning at 7:00, at the Valley Improvement Projects office, 1224 K Street, in downtown Modesto. Here is the program description:
Tesla – “Hismet Warep” – “Sacred Earth” Join us to learn about the state parkland known as Tesla. Located in eastern Alameda County near the San Joaquin County line in the Corral Hollow, Tesla has been at the center of conservation efforts in the Northern Diablo Range for over 2 decades. Celeste Garamendi, a founding member of Friends of Tesla Park, will discuss Tesla’s rich natural and cultural landscape. Generations of naturalists and scientists have studied Tesla’s exceptional biodiversity and sensitive habitats. Local Tribes call Tesla “Hismet Warep,” meaning “Sacred Earth” in the Ohlone Chochenyo language. Having fought back the destructive plan to open Tesla to OHV recreation, State Parks is now planning for what type of unit of the State Parks System Tesla will be. A large coalition, including the Sierra Club, are working to establish Tesla as a State Park Reserve. Join us to learn more about the work to permanently preserve this important natural landscape on our doorstep and how you can help make it happen.
The presenter will be Celeste Garamendi: Celeste Garamendi is a rancher, conservationist and community activist, in addition to her professional career in managed health care administration. For over 35 years, Celeste has lived and worked on Connolly Ranch, a 150-year old family operated cattle ranch in the Corral Hollow along the Northern Diablo Range. Celeste, and her husband Mark Connolly, have worked to protect open space in the Corral Hollow and Tracy area for decades. Since the early 2000s, Celeste has been working with a broad coalition to permanently preserve the land known as Tesla at the heart of the Northern Diablo Range as a State Natural Reserve.

07/16/2026

Sierra Club Monthly Meeting

Socializing and Snacks: 6:45 PM |Presentation: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Office of Valley Improvement Projects, 1224 K Street, Modesto

STATE OF THE CENTRAL SIERRA

Speaker:John Buckley, CSERC, Friday, September 18, 2026

Trump politics, shrinking budgets, staffing cutbacks, and other changes threaten our forests. Our presenter, John Buckley, served as a wild,land firefighter for 13 years prior to setting up a non-profit conservation center. That organization, the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) is intensely engaged in all forest issues affecting millions of acres of the central region of the Sierra Nevada. They also survey rare wildlife species, manage restoration projects, monitor logging, livestock grazing, and roads on national forest lands. His slideshow will also contain some great photos of the forest and wildlife. Join us and let's find out what we can do to help!

05/08/2026

YOKUTS POTLUCK
Friday, June 5, 2026
1009 Clarksburg Way
Modesto 95355
6 p.m. - ???
Please join your fellow Yokuts members at the home of Doug and Judy Hardie for our annual potluck gathering. Bring your own service (helps cut down on trash!), whatever you would like to drink, and a dish to share. Doug and Judy have a beautiful backyard and pool, and it's a great time to visit with fellow Yokuts. If you know someone who is interested in environmental issues but is not a Sierra Club member, please bring them. There will also be a plant exchange featuring some of Doug's offerings, as well as those members want to share, so look around your gardens for those items you might want to pass along. Mark your calendars for this great June Friday evening. Hope to see you there!

04/28/2026

A NEW DESERT RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES: THE SAN JOAQUIN
Friday, May 15th, 2026
7 PM

Valley Improvement Projects Office
1224 K St., Modesto 95354

Speaker: Michael Westphal PhD
Join us for an interesting and informative presentation. Dr. Westphal has a background in linguistics and zoology. His specialty is herpetology. He has done extensive research on San Joaquin Desert reptiles. See you there.

Refreshments begin at 6:45 PM, program will start at 7 PM. All community members are welcome.

04/14/2026

Thanks to Milt and all of the Yokuts Sierra Club members who helped with our booth at the Pollinator Festival. We had a great time chatting with visitors, admiring the flower and insect costumes, and checking out the native plant garden.

Address

P. O. Box 855
Modesto, CA
95353

Website

https://www.sierraclub.org/mother-lode/yokuts

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