Information

Please join us in the mile-high city of Denver,Colorado, for the 2004 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Community Involvement Conference and Training. We hope you can join us to exchange experiences and ideas about “going the extra mile in meeting community needs,” while also satisfying the statutory and regulatory requirements of our nation’s environmental programs. The conference begins Tuesday, June 15, at 8:15 a.m. and concludes Friday, June 18, at 12:15 p.m.

Who Should Attend

This conference is for EPA and its federal, state, local, tribal, academic, private sector, and community-based partners who are responsible for implementing environmental public education and community involvement activities and programs. Over 400 people from around the country are expected to attend this conference.

Conference Agenda

• Three plenary sessions, one during a working lunch on Thursday, June 17;
• 40 concurrent workshop/panel sessions;
• Two poster presentation sessions;
• Four field trips, two each on Tuesday, June 15, and Wednesday, June 16;
• Two open-times for discussing hot topics;
• Five 4-hour and four 8-hour optional training courses, on Thursday afternoon, June 17, and Friday morning, June 18; and
• Exhibits on various outreach, educational and community involvement topics.

Plenary Speakers/Panels

During the three plenary sessions at this year’s conference (one each day), we will hear from EPA’s Administrator, a speaker on western environmental issues, and two panel discussions about the role of community involvement in environmental decision-making. The keynote presentations include:

Speaker: Mike Leavitt (Invited)

Mike Leavitt is the tenth Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to leading the Agency, Leavitt served as Utah’s 14th governor and was a national leader on homeland security, welfare reform, and environmental management. Administrator Leavitt’s vision for sound management of our natural assets is articulated in the Enlibra Doctrine, an approach to environmental stewardship, co-authored by Leavitt and former Governor John Kitzhaber of Oregon. Enlibra, from Latin, means “to move toward balance.” The Administrator will share with us his vision on collaborative problem-solving as a means for protecting the environment.

Speaker: Ed Marston

Ed Marston is a speaker and freelance writer who is concerned about environmental issues in the Western U.S. He and his wife Betsy founded two newspapers and published and edited High Country News from 1983 to 2002. High Country News received numerous awards during his tenure, including a George Polk Journalism Award in 1986, an award for journalism from the United Nations, and two awards for journalism from the National Wildlife Federation. Ed also has written and edited several books, including Western Water Made Simple, 1987; Reopening the Western Frontier, 1989; and Ranching West of the 100th Meridian, 2001.

Panel: Role of Community Involvement in Watershed Protection

This panel features leaders and visionaries in the world of watershed protection discussing the past and future role of community involvement in watershed protection. Panelists will present perspectives and accomplishments at the national, state, and local levels. They also will highlight the central importance of watersheds to our lives and discuss strategies for motivating communities to take action to protect them.

Panel: The New Role of Communities in Environmental Protection: What Does it Mean?

Communities across the nation, from watersheds to inner cities, are playing an increasingly important role in environmental protection. This panel will bring together senior Agency managers and leading representatives of community innovation to reflect on these developments and to discuss the significance of the new role of communities in environmental protection. Panelists also will discuss the changing role for the Agency as it learns to partner with these growing community initiatives and the importance of the national effort to build civic capacity as the foundation for successful community initiatives.

Open-Time Sessions

The conference includes open-time sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons (June 15 and 16) for participants to network or discuss hot topics. During the plenary sessions, participants will be asked to propose and explain topics of interest and invite other participants to meet to discuss the issues during scheduled open-time sessions. The person proposing the topic will host the discussion group and is responsible for coordinating with conference planners to schedule a meeting place during the open-time sessions. Open-times do not conflict with other conference sessions or activities.

Poster Presentations

As with last year’s conference, we are sponsoring a poster session to provide another avenue for participants to share information about an interesting project or activity. Participants are encouraged to prepare and display a poster on their public education and community involvement projects. These stand-alone visual presentations will be on display throughout the conference and will be highlighted during the Networking Hour/Poster Session on Tuesday evening and a Poster Breakfast on Thursday morning. During these periods, participants will have an opportunity to speak one-on-one with the poster authors. Awards will be given for the two best posters. Conference participants will vote on the “People’s Choice Award,” and the “Best Overall Award” will be determined by a panel of conference organizers. Limited space is available for posters and may be requested on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want more information about the poster presentation, poster guidelines, the poster awards, or would like to reserve space to display a poster, please click here or contact Lisa Gebler, (Conference Coordinator) at 301-589-5318.

Exhibits

Free-standing or table-top exhibits on environmental outreach, education, or community involvement topics or activities can be displayed in the conference exhibit area. These exhibits will be available for viewing during the entire conference. Limited space is available for the display of exhibits and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to reserve space to display an exhibit, please contact Lisa Gebler, (Conference Coordinator) at 301-589-5318. Note that exhibits are separate from the poster presentations and will not be considered for the poster awards.

Plenary Lunch Session

On Thursday, June 17, we are hosting a working lunch for all conference participants. The plenary lunch session will include a keynote presentation, announcement of the poster awards, presentation of the “Citizen Excellence in Community Involvement” award, and closing comments by conference organizers. We ask that you please sign up for the lunch when registering for the conference so that we can plan for the appropriate number of guests.

Field Trips

Four field trips will be offered at this year’s conference, two each on the afternoons of Tuesday and Wednesday, June 15 and 16. On these days, you either can attend a field trip or a concurrent session. A brief description of each field trip is provided on the Agenda page. Space is limited for the field trips and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Optional Training Sessions

Nine optional training and skills development sessions are included on this year’s agenda. These training sessions are available on Thursday afternoon, June 17, and Friday morning, June 18. Three 4-hour sessions are being presented on Thursday afternoon and two additional 4-hour sessions will be offered on Friday morning. The 8-hour sessions will begin on Thursday and conclude on Friday. Space is limited for these sessions, so please register early to ensure your participation.

Networking Hour/Poster Session

You are invited to join us for a Networking Hour/Poster Session on Tuesday evening from 5:45-7:00 p.m. Not only will you be able to chat with old friends and meet new ones, you can learn about innovative outreach, education, or community involvement projects by talking with poster authors who will be discussing their posters at this time.

Evening Activities

Two social activities are planned for Wednesday evening, June 16: a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field, and a picnic dinner in the mountains at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. There is limited space available for both events (50 for the baseball game and 100 for the picnic). We encourage you to register early for these events since registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. For additional information contact Nancy Mueller, U.S. EPA-Region 8, by telephone at 303-312-6602 or by e-mail at mueller.nancy@epa.gov.

Baseball Game: Tickets for the Rockies/Red Sox game are $9 per ticket; seats are located along right field in the upper deck. The game begins at 7:05 p.m. and concludes around 10:30–11:00 p.m. You are responsible for your own transportation between the Hyatt Regency Denver Hotel and Coors Field, which is located in downtown Denver and is a short walk or cab ride from the hotel. Should you decide stadium food is not to your liking, there are numerous restaurants located near the stadium.

Picnic Dinner: The cost for the picnic in the mountains is $30, which includes transportation, dinner, beverages, and park fees. The buses will depart from the Hyatt Regency Denver Hotel at 6:00 p.m. and return no later than 10:30 p.m. The bus will take us to the Red Barn Group Picnic area within Golden Gate Canyon Park, which is about 30 miles west of Denver. The park consists of 12,000 acres of dense forest, rocky peaks, and aspen-filled meadows with numerous trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The Red Barn Group Picnic area is equipped with sheltered picnic tables and offers a wonderful view of an open meadow and mountain creek. Picnickers can enjoy nearby fishing areas, hiking trails, a small playground, a volleyball court, and a horseshoe pit. Click here for additional park information. Dinner, which will be provided by KT’s BBQ, will include barbecued pork spareribs, brats, hot dogs, and burgers (beef, chicken, and veggie), several side dishes, a choice of desserts, and beverages.

Requests for Special Accomodations

It is EPA’s policy to make reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities. To request special accommodations, please contact Lisa Gebler (Conference Coordinator) by June 1, 2004, at 301-589-5318 or by e-mail at lisa.gebler@emsus.com.