Policy Forum Begins at 10 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 13 at Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, Ill. - The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center's (NGRREC) Annual Conference will culminate on the campus of Lewis and Clark Community College as conference attendees present recommendations related to sustainable practices in the Mississippi River Basin to key elected officials and decision makers. The Policy Forum will begin at 10 a.m. in the Commons, on the College's Godfrey campus.
NGRREC's conference entitled "Visions of a Sustainable Mississippi River" will take place Aug. 10-13 in Collinsville and on the College's campus. The conference has attracted more than 200 diverse participants with interest in the nation's largest river. Participants include stakeholders in the recreational, navigation, and agricultural sections, as well as researchers and natural resource professionals.
"Through conference presentations, panel discussions and workshops, our conference attendees will formulate new and useful insights and recommendations on four issues critical to the sustainable management of the Mississippi River and the human communities that depend on it," Dr. John Chick, NGRREC affiliate and organizer of the conference, said.
The four issues to be presented at the conference include Ecosystem Services and the Economic Value of the Mississippi River; Floodplain Connectivity, Flood Control and Hydrologic Regime; Ethanol Production and the Mississippi River; and Clean Water and the Mississippi River - Uses and Threats.
Policy makers in attendance at the Aug. 13 Policy Forum will include Congressman Jerry Costello (Illinois), Congressman John Duncan (Tennessee), Brigadier General Michael Walsh and members of the presidentially appointed Mississippi River Commission, Tinka Hyde, Water Division Director , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, William A. Spratlin, Water, Wetlands, and Pesticides Division Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director, Marc Miller, and Colonel Thomas O'Hara. Other invited guests include Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, members of Congress' Mississippi River Caucus, representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other key policy makers and legislators dealing with environmental and river-related issues.
The conference is hosted by NGRREC and The Nature Conservancy. This year's keynote address will be given by Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the legendary Jacque-Yves Cousteau and founder of Blue Legacy International. Cousteau will present "This Blue Planet" beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12 in the Hatheway Theater on the College's campus. The event is free and is open to the public.
For more information on the conference contact Chick at 618-466-9690.
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