Agenda

     Working Draft

     September 22-24, 2006
     Red Lion Colonial Inn, Helena, MT

The Saturday morning session will present information concerning the challenges Montanans will face from climate change. This will be followed Saturday afternoon by a session presenting some examples of solutions to those challenges.

Late Saturday afternoon and early Sunday morning, conference participants will work on developing a "Montana Climate Challenge Document" via facilitated break-out sessions in five topic areas (Agriculture, Forestry, Wildlife, Energy, and Recreation/Tourism/Lifestyles).

Late Sunday morning the break-out sessions will report and the document will be finalized.

The conference co-sponsors hope that a use for this document would be adoption by the legislature as a resolution putting Montana's leaders on the record as being concerned about these issues and their solutions. This would be a valuable step in anticipation of the report of Governor Schweitzer's “Climate Change Advisory Council” a year from now.

Reception and Hosted Mixer ...
...will begin Friday evening (Sept. 22) at 7:00 PM at the Myrna Loy Center for the Performing and Media Arts (15 N. Ewing St., Helena, 406-443-0287) followed at 8:00 PM by a special free screening of the acclaimed film on climate change "An Inconvenient Truth" (film sponsored by National Center for Appropriate Technology). Conference registration and background materials will be available at the reception.

[1hr 40min - Rated PG - Documentary]

Opening Comments

• Tom France, Director, National Wildlife Federation, Northern Rockies Natural Resource Center, Missoula, MT
• Kathy Hadley, Executive Director - Montana, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Butte, MT

PANEL: The Challenges of Global Warming

Moderator: Bob Brown, Senior Fellow, Public Policy, O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, Missoula, MT

Panel Members:
• Dr. Steve Running, Ecologist, University of Montana, Missoula [science overview]
• Dr. Dave Naugle, Wildlife Biologist, University of Montana, Missoula [wetlands and waterfowl]
• Dr. Vince Smith, Agricultural Economist, Montana State University, Bozeman [agricultural economics]
• Dr. Ronald H. Wakimoto, Professor of Forestry, The University of Montana, Missoula [fire ecology]

An interactive Q&A period will follow each presentation of panelists.

PANEL: Solutions to the Global Warming Challenge

Moderator: Tracy Houck, Executive Director, Montana Farmers Union, Great Falls, MT

Panel Members:
• Jerome Ringo, President, Apollo Alliance, Washington, DC ["Economics of Clean Energy and Environmentally Sound Solutions"]
• Ted Dodge, Director, National Carbon Offsett Coalition ["Carbon Sequestration and Cap and Trade Solutions"]
• Michael Bowman, Wheat/Corn/Alfalfa Producer, Bowman Family Farms, Wray, CO and 25x25 Coalition
• Timothy Buroughs, Regional Program Officer, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives Policy Institute, Oakland, CA

An interactive Q&A period will follow the presentation of panelists.

FACILITAED BREAK-OUT SESSIONS - These five sessions will address major topics and develop sections of the Montana Climate Challenge Document

Moderator: Ginny Tribe, Professional Facilitator, Inc., Missoula MT

• Agriculture Chair - Dave White, State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bozeman, MT
• Recreation/Tourism/Lifestyles Chair - Ron Tussing, Mayor, Billings, MT
• Forestry Chair - Jim Burchfield, Associate Dean, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula
• Wildlife Chair - Carolyn Sime, VP of the Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society and Statewide Wolf Coordinator with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
• Energy Chair - John Engen, Mayor, Missoula, MT