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| National Conference Explores Urban Forest as Untapped Resource |
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2006/6/12
America--CHARLOTTE, NC桾he 2005 National Conference on Urban Ecosystems will be held Nov. 17-18, 2005, at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference, Nature at Your Service, will explore the urban forest as an untapped resource梠ne that can help cities meet regulatory requirements for clean air and water, revitalize neighborhoods, and reduce the costs of building and maintaining infrastructure.
The 2005 National Conference on Urban Ecosystems is presented by AMERICAN FORESTS. Presenting sponsor is The Home Depot Foundation.
揝ponsoring this national conference of experts and advocates is the culmination of a series of commitments to urban and community forestry and a strong complement to our goal to help families live in quality housing they can afford to own and maintain,?said Kelly Caffarelli, executive director of The Home Deport Foundation. 揥e are pleased to help bring together the nation抯 leading experts from federal and state agencies, universities, and national and local nonprofit organizations.?br />
Deborah Gangloff, AMERICAN FORESTS?executive director, praised involvement by The Home Deport Foundation and other conference sponsors. 揥e must do all that we can to improve the livability of the cities where so many of us live,?Gangloff said. 擜merican Forests?research shows that it is possible to quantify the many benefits we realize from trees梐 powerful argument for any city to nurture and increase its tree cover.?br />
Mecklenburg County, which surrounds the Charlotte metropolitan area, has seen a 72 percent growth in population since 1980, making it one of the nation抯 10 fastest-growing metro areas. The area抯 commitment to improving and expanding its tree cover made it a natural location for the bi-annual conference, which will show how to reconnect citizens to their city抯 natural resources.
Architect and city planner Michael Gallis, considered America抯 leading expert in regional development, will deliver a keynote address on Friday, Nov. 18. Gallis?urban projects, which provide a framework for integrating environment into regional development, have resulted in strong consensus and new public, private, and institutional coalitions for promoting and developing strategic regional programs.
Also on Friday, Paul Hearn, senior scientist with the US Geological Survey, will demonstrate a web朾ased application for accessing geospatial data through The National Map, a nationwide digital data source.
There are new faces in urban forestry in addition to new thinking. The Reverend Fletcher Harper, executive director of Green Faith, will explore the growing interest in building relationships between faith communities and the environmental community during the Global ReLeaf Lunch on Saturday.
Nature at Your Service is designed both for those who want to influence the shape and direction of their community and for those who must meet environmental quality requirements. From local to regional perspectives, the conference will highlight latest technologies, emerging public policies, and tools to help put the urban forest to best use.
AMERICAN FORESTS helps people improve the environment with trees and forests. We are a world leader in tree planting for environmental restoration. We are a pioneer in advancing the science and practice of urban forestry and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests. AMERICAN FORESTS helps people identify, recognize and preserve their special trees, and our community- based initiatives help people plan and implement local actions to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities. American Forests is on the World Wide Web at . |
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