Green Building Report and Regional Webinar Planned
FREE Webinar: May 17, 2012!
U.S. EPA and the Southeast Watershed Forum invite you to participate in a webinar on Developing Green Building Programs in the Southeast.
Why are some communities developing Green Building programs? What incentives, programs and policies encourage green construction? What are the cost savings from greener development?
These are some of the questions that will be discussed by speakers from three Southeastern communities who have developed cutting edge programs that address local needs to preserve community quality of life and conserve resources.
Speakers include: Heidi Pruess, Environmental Policy Administrator, Land Use and Environmental Services for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; John Baker, Policy and Program Development Administrator at the Environmental Policy and Energy Resources Department in Tallahassee, Florida; and Anj McClain, Manager of GreenSpaces in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and, Steve Smith and Suganthi Simon, from EPA Region 4, who will give an overview of the Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Governments.
Christine Olsenius, Executive Director of the Southeast Watershed Forum, will moderate the program and present highlights from its newly published research report - An Analysis of Selected Community Green Building Programs in Five Southeastern States (see link below). Research for the report was conducted by the University of Georgia River Basin Center. The project was supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 office.
April 2012 Newly Released: An Analysis of Selected Community Green Building Programs in Five Southeastern States
The report identifies why and how local governments have developed green building programs. It appears the motivating factors have been many, from meeting air quality standards, to reducing infrastructure costs, to saving energy costs and promoting a green image. The 125-page report contains highlights of the economic benefits from green building programs, factors that encourage green building programs, 16 case studies of community green building programs, a chart comparing 48 communities and their green building practices, and an appendix with additional information and web links.
The project was conducted on behalf of the Southeast Smart Growth Network, a consortium of over 20 universities, organizations and agencies working in southeastern communities to help implement smart growth policies and practices. Additional information on green building practices is also available from the EPA's Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Communities available at: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/tools.html.
Click here for your free PDF of the Green Building Report: Total Report (14MB);
or Part 1 (5.6MB); Part 2 (6.5MB); Part 3 (1.3MB).
Explore and Promote the East Tennessee River Valley
Geotourism MapGuide
The East Tennessee River Valley Geotourism MapGuide was launched under its new URL, www.TennesseeRiverValleyGeotourism.org, in November of 2011. The MapGuide provides a unique interactive online guide to distinctive natural, historical and cultural sites of a region Where Rivers and Mountains Meet, from the Smoky Mountains through Knoxville, Chattanooga and North Georgia. It is one of only 11 National Geographic interactive online Geotourism MapGuides worldwide to date. Currently there are 625 sites on the MapGuide and more are being added.
The East Tennessee River Valley Geotourism Council, currently including representatives from 21 organizations across the project area, has been hard at work promoting the MapGuide. Twenty-five thousand promotional postcards have been distributed to tourism organizations across the region to include in mailouts and visitor/convention packets, placed in visitor centers and given to attractions for their distribution. National Geographic is sending the attached html postcard to its nationalgeographic.com subscribers. The East Tennessee River Valley Geotourism Council has joined with other geotourism councils in the United States to form a National Geotourism Council which will share best practices and develop partnerships to support the international marketing efforts of all U.S. MapGuides.
We need your help. Please add this image to your website, including social media, to link to the MapGuide (right click on the image to download a copy to your computer - "save picture as"):
The Annual Georgia Environmental Conference
This conference is planned for August 22-24, 2012 in Savannah. Go to www.georgiaENET.com for more information.
Key SE Southeast Forum Partner
Highlights Regional Habitat Protection
Southeast Forum partner - the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, showcases their 2011 year in review and highlights work with the Forum on Supporting Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Conservation. See their report: 2011 SARP Review, view or download the PDF document (3.1MB).
2012 Brings an Array of Important Conferences
to the Southeast
2012 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium: Please note that the deadline for abstract submission for the 2012 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium is Monday, January 30. The symposium is scheduled for Monday, March 19, 2012 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Southeast Regional Land Conservation Conference is scheduled for March 14-16, 2012 at Sea Palms Resort on St. Simon's Island, Georgia. The program offers concurrent seminars, keynote sessions and roundtable discussions. Land Trust Alliance president, Rand Wentworth will be presenting. The conference ends with a celebratory Oyster Roast at Village Creek Landing, hosted by our friends at St. Simon's Land Trust. http://www.landtrustalliance.org/training/rc/southeast/2012/schedule-at-a-glance
The North American River Management Symposium
The River Management Society is a national nonprofit professional organization supporting professionals who study, protect, and manage North America's rivers. Their national symposium - "from intimate creeks to the infinite sea," is scheduled for April 24-26, 2012 in Asheville, NC. The program and field sessions will offer a rich portfolio of presentations and panels covering case studies, research reports and forums intended to stimulate dialogue on issues of critical interest to agencies, communities, industry and individuals. http://www.river-management.org/symposium.asp
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