Networking opportunity

Volunteers Wanted for Landscape Conservation Conference June 19 New York City On June 19, about one hundred conservation leaders will gather in New York City for an important conversation on advancing landscape conservation in the Northeast Megaregion. This by-invitation event will take place at the National Museum of the American Indian. "Landscapes: Improving Conservation Practice in the Northeast Megaregion" is presented by Regional Plan Association and our national planning program, America 2050. The conference is sponsored by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; the US Forest Service Northeastern Area; and the National Park Service Northeast Office. Co-sponsors include the US Fish and Wildlife Service North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; Piedmont Environmental Council; and Practitioners' Network for Large Landscape Conservation.

Volunteers are asked to record discussions at two 75 minute workshop breakout sessions, essential for the final published summary of the conference. The organizers will waive the registration fee, and participants are free to attend the rest of the conference. Interested participants are asked to send an email to Corey Piasecki at Regional Plan Association corey@RPA.ORG<mailto:corey@RPA.ORG>.

As documented in RPA's recent report<http://www.rpa.org/library/pdf/RPA-Northeast-Landscapes.pdf>, landscape conservation is proving to be a valuable tool for addressing the critical challenges of the 21st century, such as shifting land uses, climate change, large scale energy and transportation projects, and limited public funding. This is especially true in the 13 state Northeast Megaregion from Maine to West Virginia, where complex geography and fragmented land ownership make working across boundaries especially important.

The goal of the conference is to provide participants with access to technical and financial resources that can help accelerate the pace of landscape conservation in the northeast. Plenary presentations and interactive workshops led by national experts will make connections between civic leaders, agency officials, and funders interested in this growing field. The conference program<http://www.rpa.org/pdf/NE_Landscape_Conference_Prelim_Agenda.pdf> will feature many opportunities to improve skills while helping advance best practices and policies in collaboration with others.