EPA To Participate in White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation
 
 
 
April 15, 2005
 

[Original Message]
 
 
To: EPA news releases epanews@lists.epa.gov
 
Date: 4/15/2005 5:52:39 PM
 
Subject: [epanews] News Release: EPA To Participate in White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation
 
News for Release: Friday, April 15, 2005
 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
 
EPA To Participate in White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation
 
Contact: Megan Barnett, 202-564-9828/ barnett.megan@epa.gov
 

Washington, D.C. - EPA Acting Administrator, Stephen L. Johnson, will participate as a keynote speaker at the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation. This conference will convene in St. Louis, MO, from August 29-31, 2005 to advance President Bush's vision for cooperative conservation defined in his Executive Order issued on Aug. 26, 2004. Mr. Johnson will highlight EPA's goal of continuing to build on the four cornerstones of new technologies, market incentives, collaborative networks, and results to achieve greater gains in environmental protection.
 
The White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation (WHCCC) seeks to broaden cooperative conservation with state, tribal and local governments, communities, private for profit and non-profit organizations, and private citizens and to enhance and integrate public and private land stewardship. The conference will bring together interested participants and decision makers who can advance cooperative conservation and identify ideas for future conservation and environmental policies and initiatives. Participants will be encouraged to exchange information that will build successful partnerships and institutionalize cooperative conservation to enhance on-the-ground conservation results and progress.
 
The Bush Administration announced that invitations to the 2005 WHCCC have been distributed to a broad cross-section of private individuals; agricultural and forestry organizations; local community groups;businesses; outdoor organizations, conservation groups; local, state and tribal governments; heritage groups; philanthropic foundations; members of Congress and state governors. Federal participants include the Environmental Protection Agency, Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and the Interior, as well as the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
 
Current EPA programs such as watershed protection, Brownfields redevelopment, and the Great Lakes Legacy Program are built upon effective community involvement and partnerships to promote the conservation of our nation's resources. EPA looks forward to furthering our mission to protect human health and the environment by exchanging ideas and best practices on cooperative conservation.
 
The text of President Bush's Executive Order can be viewed at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040826-11.html (see below for full text)
 
For more information about the Cooperative Conservation Conference, go to: http://www.conservation.ceq.gov
 
R067
 
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Additional related, researched information:
 

The registration fee will be approximately $250.00. The program will be finalized and registration will open in May. You will receive an email message announcing the opening of Conference Registration. http://www.attendeeinteractive.com/shows/whc0501/index.cfm?fuseaction=Custom.EditRSVP

&CustomLayout=Yes

 
Conference Fee The registration fee will be approximately $250.00. The program will be finalized and registration will open in May. You will receive an email message announcing the opening of Conference Registration.
 
Conference Location St. Louis Convention Center (America’s Center)
701 Convention Plaza St. Louis, MO 63101 General Phone: (314) 342-5036
 
America's Center is located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The main entrance to the convention complex is on Washington Avenue at Eighth Street. Registration will be set up at this entrance and begin at Noon on Sunday, August 28.
 
Parking is available in the garage and surface lots throughout downtown St. Louis. The closest facilities to America's Center are the garage and lot located on Seventh Street between Washington Avenue and Convention Plaza. The Cost of parking ranges from $5.00-$12.00 per day.
 
Hotel Accommodations Renaissance Grand Hotel (Across the street from the Convention Center)
800 Washington Avenue St. Louis, MO 63101 Phone: (314) 621-9600 Visit hotel website
 
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Renaissance Grand at the room rate of $89 per night ($9 below government per diem). Reservations may be made by calling the Renaissance Grand at (800) 397-1282 or (314) 621-9600. The cut off for making reservations at the conference rate is August 1, 2005, so please act promptly. You may also make your reservation online by clicking here
 
Hotel Parking Valet Parking is available at $20.00 per day (no additional charge for in/out); Self-Parking is available at $14.00 per day (additional charge for in/out). Garage clearance is 6 feet and cannot accommodate vans or recreational vehicles. There are also several self-park garages in close proximity to the hotel. Driving Directions
 
Area Airport The Main Airport serving St. Louis is the Lambert - St. Louis International Airport (STL) visit airport website
 
Public Transportation Options to and from the Airport
 
MetroLink St. Louis' light rail system, with a stop conveniently located 2 blocks from the hotel, has an affordable Round Trip fee to and from the Airport of $4.75. Visit MetroLink website
 
Shuttle Service A variety of shuttle service options are available from the airport to the hotel. Visit airport website for shuttle information
 
Taxi service Taxi’s are available to and from the airport at an estimated fare of $35 each way.
 
 
Regarding program content
Please contact Peggy O’Dell
202-456-7384
Margaret_G._O'Dell@ceq.eop.gov
 
Regarding program logistics
Please contact Jim Gasser
202-354-6935
Jim_Gasser@nps.gov
 
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Executive Order Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation 
 
 
 
August 26, 2004
 
For Immediate Release
 
Office of the Press Secretary
 
 
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: 
 
Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of this order is to ensure that the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency implement laws relating to the environment and natural resources in a manner that promotes cooperative conservation, with an emphasis on appropriate inclusion of local participation in Federal decisionmaking, in accordance with their respective agency missions, policies, and regulations. 
 
Sec. 2. Definition. As used in this order, the term "cooperative conservation" means actions that relate to use, enhancement, and enjoyment of natural resources, protection of the environment, or both, and that involve collaborative activity among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental entities and individuals. 
 
Sec. 3. Federal Activities. To carry out the purpose of this order, the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations and in coordination with each other as appropriate: 
 
(a) carry out the programs, projects, and activities of the agency that they respectively head that implement laws relating to the environment and natural resources in a manner that: 
 
(i) facilitates cooperative conservation; 
 
(ii) takes appropriate account of and respects the interests of persons with ownership or other legally recognized interests in land and other natural resources; 
 
(iii) properly accommodates local participation in Federal decisionmaking; and 
 
(iv) provides that the programs, projects, and activities are consistent with protecting public health and safety; 
 
(b) report annually to the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality on actions taken to implement this order; and 
 
(c) provide funding to the Office of Environmental Quality Management Fund (42 U.S.C. 4375) for the Conference for which section 4 of this order provides. 
 
Sec. 4. White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation. The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations: 
 
(a) convene not later than 1 year after the date of this order, and thereafter at such times as the Chairman deems appropriate, a White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation (Conference) to facilitate the exchange of information and advice relating to (i) cooperative conservation and (ii) means for achievement of the purpose of this order; and 
 
(b) ensure that the Conference obtains information in a manner that seeks from Conference participants their individual advice and does not involve collective judgment or consensus advice or deliberation. 
 
Sec. 5. General Provision. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities or entities, its officers, employees or agents, or any other person. 
 
GEORGE W. BUSH 
 
THE WHITE HOUSE, 
 
August 26, 2004.
 
 
Cooperative conservation - The term "cooperative conservation" means actions that relate to use, enhancement, and enjoyment of natural resources, protection of the environment, or both, and that involve collaborative activity among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental entities and individuals. G.W. Bush’s Executive Order dated August 24, 2004: Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040826-11.html