2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

Volume 1, Issue 1 February 2007

This Second National Conference on Ecosys-tem Restoration and future restoration con-ferences serves as a forum for individuals engaged in ecosystem restoration to exchange information and “lessons learned” on the challenges and oppor-tunities for sustainable restoration of natural ecosystems.

The conference provides many opportunities to learn about ecosystem restoration efforts throughout the coun-try, including Missouri River Basin, Parks, Canada, Agency efforts, Louisiana Coastal Area, Columbia River, Ever-glades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Puget Sound, and the Missis-sippi River Basin, just to mention a few.

Throughout the confer-ence, participants will

investigate challenging restoration-related questions, such as:

•How do we effectively partner to integrate planning, policy and science?

•What state-of-the-art approaches, technolo-gies, tools and data are available for ecosystem restoration? Who is leading the way?

• Are there local, re-gional and national policies guiding restora-tion?

• How do we ensure that new science, new and improved technol-ogy, and new and im-proved modeling are integrated into restora-tion planning and im-plementation?

• How do we set res-toration objectives, define success, and ensure sustainability?

I look forward to meet-ing you at the 2nd NCER, and know you will enjoy the confer-ence. By maintaining a spirit of cooperation and with continued ad-vances in science and policy, we all can move forward on a successful ecosystem restoration journey.

- David A. VighDavid A. VighDavid A. VighDavid A. Vigh

Conference Chair – and –

Environmental Team Leader

US Army Corps of Engineers

Mississippi Valley Division

Restoration Coffee Houses 2

Featured Keynotes:

John Barry &

Storm Cunningham

3

Special Sessions & Workshops 4

Optional Field Trips 5

Conference Sponsors 6-10

Meeting Site and Hotel

Accommodations

11

NCER Planning Committee 14

Welcome to Kansas City 12

Exhibitor Information 15

Inside this issue:

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER

Page 1 2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

April 23-27, 2007, Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri

NCER WEB SITE

conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007

Conference Purpose The purpose of the 2nd NCER is to provide a forum for physical, bio-logical, and social scientists, engi-neers, resource managers, plan-ners and policy-makers to share their knowledge and research re-sults concerning ecosystem resto-ration throughout the United States. The public forum will ex-change information and "lessons learned" on opportunities for and challenges of achieving ecosystem restoration through partnership. Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about

multi-scale ecosystem restoration

programs (e.g., Missouri River, Great Lakes , Everglades, San

Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay Columbia River, Louisiana Coastal Area, Puget Sound, Mis-sissippi River) and what has con-tributed to success, as well as les-sons learned from these pro-grams. The roles of policy, plan-ning and science in establishing goals and performance expecta-tions for achieving successful and sustainable ecosystem restoration will be explored. Successful part-nerships and means to leverage resources will be an important component of these meetings.

RCH sessions will provide an open forum to discuss lessons learned, help identify improved pathways based on existing successes and failures and explore three such vi-tal issues including:

(1) approaches for defining and agreeing upon successful restora-tion endpoints,

(2) setting priorities for implemen-tation of program components in the context of constraints and trade-offs, and

(3) integration of system-wide as-sessments of ecosystem responses.

A major goal of NCER is to provide participants with a unique oppor-tunity to collectively identify vi-tally important issues faced by ecosystem restoration programs around the country. It is impor-tant we understand what prac-tices and processes are used for dealing with issues, determine what has worked and what hasn’t, and most importantly, why.

In addition to programmatic ses-sions of contributed papers which allow restoration practitioners to share accumulated knowledge, NCER 2007 will feature special sessions called “Restoration Coffee Houses” (RCH).

Each Coffee House session will consist of a panel of representa-tives from restoration programs around the country who will com-pare strategies for addressing these key issues. Coffee House Sessions will also incorporate in-teractive discussion amongst panel members and conference participants, with major conclu-sions synthesized in real-time by panel leaders. Following NCER, conclusions of these RCH ses-sions will be converted into a “restoration strategies” white paper.

Restoration Coffee Houses

age resources, management activi-ties, and to formulate goals and approaches to ecosystem restora-tion. This includes federal, state, and local agency personnel, tribal governments, non-government or-ganizations, private interests, wa-ter resource engineers, water re-source managers, environmental consultants, environmental policy managers, ecological scientists and researchers, hydrological modelers,

students, and environmental in-terest groups.

Who Should Attend?

The conference is designed to bring together scientists and engi-neers, policy makers, planners and partners who are actively in-volved in and/or affected by all aspects of ecosystem restoration regardless of project or program size. Participants will interact in an interdisciplinary setting to summarize and review state-of-the-art science, planning, means to create partnerships and lever-

Page 2

To Register for the Conference, log onto:

conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007

Volume 1, Issue 1

Storm Cunningham

Author of The Restoration Economy (Berrett Koehler, November 2002) ,

Storm is also the Executive Director of the Revitalization Institute, an alli-ance for community renewal and natu-ral resource resto-ration. Revitaliza-tion Institute is a non-profit research

and education organization sup-ported by its members. Its mission is "to advance integrated renewal of communities and natural re-sources worldwide". He is also the CEO of Revitalization Strategies, Inc. RSI is a consulting firm that helps communities, counties, tribes, regions, and nations develop integrated revitalization strategies.

As the world's leading advocate on restorative development strategies and integrated revitalization poli-

Opening Plenary Session to Feature Keynote Speakers

John M. Barry John M. Barry is a prize-winning and New York Times best-selling author whose books have won more than twenty awards. The National Academy of Sciences gave The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History the 2005 Keck Award for the year’s outstanding book on science or medicine, and the Cen-ter for Biodefense and Emerging Pathogens gave Barry its 2005 “September Eleventh Award.” Ris-ing Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America, won the 1998 Francis Parkman Prize given by the Soci-ety of American Historians for the year’s outstanding book of Ameri-can history. A member of several advisory boards including at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a federal gov-ernment Infectious Disease Board of Experts, he has advised federal,

state, and World Health Organization officials on influ-enza, crisis manage-ment, and commu-nications strategy. After Hurricane Katrina, the Louisi-ana Congressional delegation asked him to chair a bipartisan working group on flood control. He is co-originator of River sphere, a $125 million center being developed by Tulane University which will be the first facility in the world dedicated to comprehensive river research.

He has been keynote speaker at the White House Conference on the Mississippi Delta, has appeared as a guest on shows on every broad-cast network, from Meet the Press to Fox, is a frequent commentator on NPR and the BBC, has contrib-uted to award-winning television documentaries, and he has written for such publications as Fortune, Time, Newsweek, The New York

Times Sunday Magazine, Esquire, and The Washington Post. His books have also received less formal recognition. In 2004 GQ named Rising Tide one of nine pieces of writing essential to un-derstanding America; other writ-ing on that list included Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ad-dress and Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” His first book, The Ambition and the Power, was cited by The New York Times as one of the eleven best books ever written about Washington and the Congress. His second book The Transformed Cell: Unlocking the Mysteries of Cancer, coauthored with Dr. Ste-ven Rosenberg, was published in twelve languages. John is cur-rently the Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Center for Bioenvi-ronmental Research of Tulane and Xavier Universities, and he divides his time between New Orleans and Washington.

cies, Storm specializes in being a generalist. On any given day, he might be working with educators, fishery biologists, city planners, agronomists, watershed managers, transportation engineers, environ-mentalists, economic development organizations, real estate develop-ers, GIS software firms, project managers, mayors, ecosystem re-storationists, brownfields experts, historic preservationists, or catas-trophe recovery agencies.

He is retained on a regular basis to speak or consult with federal agen-cies (such as Environment Can-ada), state/provincial governments, metropolitan areas & rural com-munities, and Fortune 500 compa-nies. [A recent example: The U.S. State Department (through the American Embassy in Warsaw) sponsored Storm's Polish speaking tour (and series of meetings with mayors) in 2006.] Storm also lec-tures at leading academic institu-tions worldwide on a regular basis.

He's currently working with Gover-nor Brian Schweitzer of Montana to create a statewide restoration econ-omy.

Storm Cunningham was—from 1996 to 2002—Director, Strategic Initiatives at the Construction Specifications Institute, a 50+ year-old association of 18,000 archi-tects, engineers, contractors, and manufacturers. They provide training and certification for con-struction specifiers and document specialists, and their formats are the standard for quality commer-cial construction in the U.S., Can-ada, and several other coun-tries. During this time, he was CSI's staff liaison to the U.S. Green Building Council. He was previ-ously CEO of a small manufactur-ing company that developed aqua-culture systems based on a pio-neering water purification technol-ogy invented at the Smithsonian Institution.

2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration Page 3

Restoration Integration Issues in the Mississippi River Basin

holders and environmental or-ganizations.

This workshop is intended to help participants:

1.Gain an understanding of what AM is and is not and when it is appropriate to use AM;

2. understand some of the real world challenges involved in the implementation of an AM program designed to enhance restoration success;

3.identify strategies to overcome institutional barriers in order to improve the effectiveness of AM efforts; and

4. foster relationships with other colleagues dealing with AM.

Because of the interactive nature of this workshop, attendance is limited to the first 50-registrants, and advance regis-tration is required.

Monday, April 23, 2007 9:00am – 12:00pm

CAMNet is offering an introduc-tory course on adaptive manage-ment (AM) free of charge to confer-ence attendees. The objective of the course is to introduce AM principles to natural resource practitioners as an alternative to traditional management ap-proaches. The workshop will be taught using a combination of lecture and practical group exer-cise designed to provide partici-pants with “hands-on” experience in developing a mock AM program. Topics to be addressed include: experimental design, monitoring and evaluation, collaboration, and consensus building with stake-

SPECIAL SESSION: Informal USACE Staff Gathering to Share Ecosystem Restoration Informa-tion Including Lessons Learned

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:00pm – 5:30pm

There will be an informal round table gathering of USACE staff involved with large-scale ecosys-tem restoration programs and projects from across the Country. The purpose of the meeting is to allow conference attendees from Corps’ districts, commands and

research facilities to meet their counterparts and share lessons learned and exchange informa-tion. This informal meeting is be-ing coordinated and led by Jim Boone of the Jacksonville District, South Atlantic Division, Ken Barr, Rock Island District, Mississippi Valley Division and Mike George, Omaha District, Northwest Divi-sion.

USACE Staff Gathering

Adaptive Management Workshop offered by CAMNet

Volume 1, Issue 1

Special Sessions and Workshops

For more information contact Tom St. Clair at:

Thomas.StClair@saj02.usace.army.mil

To pre-register for this workshop and the conference, visit:

conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER

For more information contact Jim Boone at:

James.E.Boone@saj02.usace.army.mil

mation from relevant agencies and organizations to field practitio-ners, and the experiences and rec-ommendations of field staff to high level decision makers.

The Tuesday plenary session will explore ways by which the next Farm Bill might facilitate greater attention to multi-scale spatial restoration approaches that sup-

Several conference sessions, in-cluding the Tuesday morning ple-nary session, an open discussion session, and focused concurrent sessions throughout the week, will address ecosystem restoration within the Mississippi River basin, especially ideas related to cumu-lative project benefits. These ses-sions are organized to foster the flow of planning and policy infor-

port both site and downstream ob-jectives.

The Tuesday open discussion will provide an opportunity for practi-tioners to explore common ques-tions and to present collaborative suggestions to a selected set of management and policy represen-tatives from relevant restoration organizations.

Page 4

souri River for about three hours, 25 river miles downstream to the La Benite Park boat ramp, river mile 352. Details including bus transportation to and from the field trip site will be provided to those registered.

Presentations will cover river deg-radation concerns, sand dredging operations and navigation struc-ture maintenance/ modifications. They will also feature Missouri River restoration issues and man-agement efforts by several differ-ent partners and interested groups. Remember to bring your binoculars. Participants will be on the barge the entire trip and re-turn about 5:30 PM.

Friday, April 27, 2007 1:00pm – 5:30pm This guided boat trip on the Mis-souri River through the Kansas City area will include several pres-entations and many developed and natural sights to see. We will board a U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers inspection barge which has both outside and inside covered spaces, plenty of seating and rest-room facilities. Participants will board the barge in Parkville at the English Landing boat ramp, river mile 377, and travel on the Mis-

Friday, April 27, 2007 1:00pm – 5:30pm

Join Kansas City Wild Lands, Kansas City (MO) Parks and Rec-reation Department, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an exciting guided half-day tour. Biologists and wild-life ecologists familiar with ongo-ing restoration efforts will guide you on a tour of two efforts to re-store and manage the remnants of Kansas City's original landscape, including native prairie.

Rocky Point Glades

(Swope Park)

Located in Swope Park (Kansas City’s largest park), Rocky Point Glades contains a mosaic of small limestone glades set within a fire-maintained oak woodland. An ag-gressive restoration of this site was initiated in 1999 and has

been accomplished with volunteer

labor. Restoration including woody re-moval, exotic species control, native plant reintroduction and prescribed burning is still in progress. Here chinquapin and post oaks preside over a part forest, part prai-rie herbaceous flora atop a dra-matic layer of Bethany Falls lime-stone outcrops. Nearly 200 species of native plants have been identi-fied at this site which showcases the forest/prairie ecotone of this region.

Jerry Smith Park & Saeger Woods Conservation Area

These two contiguous tracts con-tain remnant native prairie. An ap-proximately 40-acre area on the west side of Smith Park has been the subject of intense restoration efforts since 1998 involving tree

removal, prescribed burning and control of sericea lespedeza. The site contains the largest popula-tion in Missouri of the state-listed eared false foxglove. Smith Park contains the largest remaining tract of remnant prairie on the Missouri side of the metro area and the only one in the city limits of Kansas City. Prairie forbs grown at Powell Gardens from lo-cally collected seed have been planted here at KC Wild Lands public workdays in recent years. The smaller east prairie of Jerry Smith Park was cleared of woody invasive encroachment in the 2004, and the newly opened prai-rie underwent its first prescribed burn in the fall of 2004. This area has a diverse spring flora which includes a number of conservative prairie forbs.

Register for Field Trips by March 1, 2007!

Optional Field Trips

Missouri River - Kansas City Reach

Page 5

Rocky Point Glades & Jerry Smith Park

Limited to the first

60 registrants!

Limited to the first

100 registrants!

2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

Efforts in both areas are guided by the Corps environmental operating principles, which help us balance economic and environmental con-cerns.

The Corps supports or manages nu-merous environmental programs, that run the gamut from cleaning up areas on former military installa-tions contaminated by hazardous waste or munitions to helping es-tablish a small wetland that helps endangered species survive.

For more information contact

David Vigh, Conference Chair at: David.A.Vigh@mvd02.usace.army.mil

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 6

Platinum Conference Sponsors ($20,000 or more) Our mission is to provide quality, responsive engineering services to the nation including:

• (Planning, designing, building and operating water resources and other civil works projects (Navigation, Flood Control, En-vironmental Protection, Disas-ter Response, etc.)

• Designing and managing the construction of military facili-ties for the Army and Air Force. (Military Construction)

• Providing design and construc-tion management support for other Defense and federal agen-cies. (Interagency and Interna-tional Services)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers environmental mission has two major focus areas: restoration and stewardship.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is made up of approximately 34,600 Civilian and 650 military members. Our military and civilian engineers, scientists and other specialists work hand in hand as leaders in engineering and environmental matters. Our diverse workforce of biologists, engineers, geologists, hydrologists, natural resource managers and other professionals meets the demands of changing times and requirements as a vital part of America's Army.

The USGS employs the best and

the brightest experts who bring a range of earth and life science dis-ciplines to bear on problems. By integrating our diverse scientific expertise, the USGS is able to un-derstand complex natural science phenomena and provide scientific products that lead to solutions. Every day the 10,000 scientists,

technicians, and support staff of the USGS are working for you in more than 400 locations through-out the United States.

As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, is-sues, and problems. The diversity of our scientific expertise enables us to carry out large-scale, multi-

The U.S. Geological Survey serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and en-hance and protect our quality of life.

disciplinary investigations and pro-vide The U.S. Geological Survey also provides scientific information in-tended to help educate the public about natural resources, natural hazards, geospatial data, and uni-versity -level inquiry and research.

For more information contact

Ronnie Best, Conference Co-Chair at: Ronnie_Best@usgs.gov

Today, as always, we stand ready... engineers, scientists, real estate

specialists and administrators alike to meet national security, emergency and other national requirements.

Page 7 2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

results in environmental conserva-tion, science and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Foundation’s science-based, results-driven orientation stems from the principles and interests of Gordon and Betty Moore. The Foundation operates proactively in three specific areas of focus—environmental conservation, sci-ence, and the San Francisco

Bay Area—where a significant and measurable impact can be achieved.

In addition to initiative-based grant-making, the Foundation is providing significant funding to Conservation International and the California Institute of Technology.

These long-term funding commit-ments have been made to support these two organizations on multiple projects that will lead to large-scale

Platinum Conference Sponsors Continued…

Established in September 2000, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for future genera-tions.

Located in the Presidio of San Francisco, once a military base and now a national park, the Foundation’s headquarters are in a historic building originally con-structed in 1938 and renovated by the Foundation with an emphasis on the environment and sustain-ability.

As responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us, the Foundation forms and invests in

outcomes supporting the respective programmatic priorities of conserv-ing the environment and fostering scientific progress.

For more information contact

Barry Gold at: Barry.Gold@moore.org

tance for many conservation ac-tivities. Participation in our pro-grams is voluntary.

• Our Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program pro-vides voluntary conservation technical assistance to land-users, communities, units of state and local government, and other Federal agencies in plan-ning and implementing conserva-tion systems.

• We reach out to all segments of the agricultural community, in-cluding underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, to ensure that our pro-grams and services are accessible to everyone. • We manage natural resource conservation programs that pro-vide environmental, societal, fi-nancial, and technical benefits.

• Our science and technology ac-tivities provide technical exper-

Since 1935, the Natural Re-sources Conservation Service (originally called the Soil Conserva-tion Service) has provided leader-ship in a partnership effort to help America's private land owners and managers conserve their soil, wa-ter, and other natural resources.

NRCS employ-ees provide technical as-sistance based on sound sci-ence and suited to a customer's specific needs. We provide fi-nancial assis-

tise in such areas as animal hus-bandry and clean water, ecological sciences, engineering, resource eco-nomics, and social sciences.

• We provide expertise in soil science and leadership for soil surveys and for the National Resources Inventory, which assesses natural resource conditions and trends in the United States.

• We provide technical assistance to foreign governments, and participate in international scientific and techni-cal exchanges.

For more information contact

Mike Sullivan at:

Michael.Sullivan@wdc.usda.gov

Helping People Help the Land

The Midwest Natural Resources Group (MNRG) was formally established in 1998 as a forum for Federal agency senior executives to obtain proactive coordination of activities and to clearly establish the proper role of each Federal bureau with the Midwest, including the Upper Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River and the Great Lakes watersheds. The MNRG aims to achieve this overarching goal through enhanced communications, coordination and collaboration on mutually recognized resource issues and by providing timely inter-agency assistance where needed.

The result is a dynamic partnership bringing focus and excellence to Federal activities supporting the

vitality and sustainability of natural resources and the environment. Work-ing together, the agencies represented by this group are committed to bringing results to the American public in the communities, towns, and farms of the Midwest.

For more information contact John Perrecone at: perrecone.john@epa.gov

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 8

Gold Conference Sponsors ($10,000 or more)

The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a unique collaboration among 25 state and federal agencies that came together with a mission: to improve water supplies in California and the health of the San Francisco Bay/Sacrament-San Joaquin River Delta. The Bay-Delta Plan is a balanced, comprehensive approach to reduce conflicts over limited water supplies and to address the Program's four objectives: water supply reliability, water quality, ecosystem resto-

ration and levee system integrity.

Water Supply Reliability - Expand water supplies to ensure efficient use of the resource through an array of projects and approaches Water Quality - Improve water quality from source to tap for the 22 million Californians whose drinking wa-ter supplies come from the Bay-Delta watershed Ecosystem Restoration - Improve the health of the Bay-Delta system through restoring and protecting habitats and native species Levee System Integrity - Improve Bay-Delta levees to provide flood protection, ecosystem benefits, and pro-tect water supplies needed for the environment, agriculture, and urban uses

For more information contact Ron Ott at: ronott@calwater.ca.gov

CH2M HILL is a global leader in full-service engineering, planning, consulting, construction, and operations. Founded in the U.S. more than 60 years ago, we have over 14,000 employees in 100 offices across the country. We create, construct, and operate facilities, infrastructure, and systems that bring clean water, safe transportation, effi-cient industry, environmental solutions, and communica-

tions to people everywhere. In more than 40 countries, with over 18,000 employees worldwide, and US$3.8 billion in revenue, we are your single point of contact and responsibility—taking your project from concept through planning, financing, design, construction, and operations.

CH2M HILL offers a full range of environmental engineering, consulting, and construction services including site remediation, contaminated sediment services, ecosystems management, waste management, and muni-tions response programs. Applying innovative, creative, and value-based approaches is integral to every pro-ject we work on—CH2M HILL saves you money and time by focusing efforts that balance practicality, regula-tory requirements, and cost-effectiveness.

For more information contact Sharook Madon at: Sharook.Madon@ch2m.com

Page 9

Moffatt & Nichol was founded in 1945 to provide design engi-neering services to the United States Navy and the growing commercial waterfront in

Southern California. Today the firm has grown from this simple beginning to be a leader in the planning and design of the infrastructure and facilities that surround our rivers, harbors and coastlines as well as innovators in the transportation complexities as-sociated with the movement of freight.

Operating out of 22 offices in the United States, Can-ada, and the United Kingdom, Moffatt & Nichol em-ploys over 300 professionals in areas as diverse as transportation planning to economics to marina de-sign. Our expertise in dredging design, beneficial re-use of dredged material and ocean structures is con-sidered among the best in the country.

With clients around the world, Moffatt & Nichol con-tinues to face the challenges found in today’s water-front and transportation arenas allowing creative people to provide our clients with practical solutions.

For more information contact Tiffany Johnson

Fernandez at: TjohnsonFernandez@moffattnichol.com

HDR is an architectural, en-gineering and consulting firm that excels at managing complex projects and solving challenges for clients.

We offer our clients the best possible economic, so-cial and environmental value by delivering inte-grated sustainable solutions.

Balanced sustainable solutions result in sound choices and decisions that are resource sensitive; that provide private and public sector opportunities for economic growth and development; that create quality and diverse places where people can live, grow, and flourish; are socially equitable; and con-sider the broad context of each decision.

HDR's Sustainability Initiative includes an internal Sustainable Business Initiative, a Climate Change Initiative, and services in the following areas of ex-pertise: building design, mobility, water resources, energy management, waste management, commu-nity, and economic and environmental modeling.

For more information contact John Engel at:

john.engel@hdrinc.com

BEM Systems, Inc. (BEM) is a nationwide, full-service environ-mental engineering and consult-ing firm providing innovative solutions to complex environ-mental, health, and safety is-

sues facing private industry, state transportation agencies and federal clients. Since our formation in 1990, BEM has grown to become a leader in environ-mental management, earning a distinguished reputa-tion for client responsiveness and creative problem solving.

Headquartered in New Jersey with regional offices nationwide, BEM supports its clients throughout the United States. BEM's growing roster of major public and private sector clients is a testament not only to our expertise but also to the service-oriented ap-proach we undertake with each client and project.

BEM’s Natural Resources Group consists of a multi-disciplined team of professional knowledgeable in biological sciences, ecology, regulatory compliance issues, site planning and development, impact miti-gation, and natural resource management.

For more information contact Pat Strayer at:

PStrayer@bemsys.com

URS is the largest global engineering design firm and a leading U.S. federal government contractor

providing a comprehensive range of professional planning, design, systems engineering and technical assistance, program and construction management, and operations and maintenance services. Our 28,900 employees serve the U.S. federal govern-ment, state and local government agencies and pri-vate-industry clients, including Fortune 500 compa-nies worldwide.

URS offers unmatched services in water and waste-water industry. URS is actively engaged on a day-to-day basis in addressing challenges on behalf of our public and private sector water, wastewater and wa-ter quality clients. We offer a full range of planning, design, and program and construction management services across the water and wastewater industry, including water supply planning, water storage and transmission, water quality management planning, water treatment and distribution, and wastewater collection, treatment and disposal.

For more information contact Tom Denes at: tom_denes@URSCorp.com

Silver Conference Sponsors ($5,000 or more)

2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

Sponsorship Opportunities You have the opportunity for your products and services to be promoted to more than 20,000 prospects and

1,000 attendees, including national, state and local leaders in ecosystem and community-based restoration. NCER provides an excellent opportunity for organizations and companies to become an active partner in hosting this

conference as a sponsor and an exhibitor.

For more information, visit the Conference Website at:

conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007

Conference Registration Is Open!

Register online at:

conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007

Register by February 16, 2007 and receive the early bird discount!

Silver Conference Sponsors Continued…

Page 10

A full-service environmental engineering firm, Brown and Caldwell has been de-signing and implementing customized solutions to

complex environmental problems for more than 58 years. BC environmental engineers, scientists and technicians deliver efficient, cost-effective compli-ance solutions for industrial, commercial, munici-pal and federal clients. We deliver client success by understanding your environment, delivering long-term savings and adding value through innovation. Our expertise extends from understanding the practicalities of soil, groundwater and air, to devel-oping state-of-the-art environmental management systems that can minimize compliance costs while boosting your program's responsiveness.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., we have 45 offices and more than 1,300 professionals working with municipalities, government agencies and pri-vate industry across the country.

For more information contact Ann Spaulding at:

ASpaulding@BrwnCald.com

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for na-ture and people. Our mission at The Nature Conser-vancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy works in all 50 states and in more than 30 countries. Through its efforts The Nature Conservancy has pro-tected over 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river around the world. They also operate more than 100 marine conservation projects in 21 countries and 22 states.

Headquartered in Arlington, VA, The Nature Conser-vancy boasts 1 million members and supporters, more than 1,500 dedicated volunteers, and 3,200 employ-ees.

For more information contact Ken Lubinski at: klubinski@tnc.org

Volume 1, Issue 1

Meeting Site & Hotel Accommodations

Hyatt Regency Crown Center 2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri, USA Tel: 816 421 1234; FAX: 816 435 4190 Web Site: crowncenter.hyatt.com

The conference will be held at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Crown Center. The Hyatt is the ultimate central location in Kansas City, and is connected by an enclosed walkway to the fascinating Crown Center, an office and shopping complex featuring numerous restaurants and specialty shops where attendees are sure to find the fare of their choosing - all at affordable prices.

Room Rate Information: The Hyatt Regency is offering the prevailing Gov-ernment Rate for the conference, which is cur-rently $96 per night with one or two people in a room (single or double occupancy) and $121 a night with three or four people per room, plus sales and occupancy tax (currently 15.225 per-cent) plus $1.50 per night (plus tax) city develop-ment fee.

You may upgrade to the Hyatt's Regency Club Level for an additional $30 per night. Please note these room rates are non-commissionable, and may change depending on federal per diem estab-lished for Kansas City at the time of the conference.

TO MAKE A RESERVATION:

To make a room reservation, contact the Hyatt's Ho-tel Reservation Department by calling (816) 421-1234, or 1-800-233-1234. Be sure to specify you are attending the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER). All hotel reserva-tions must be made by Friday, March 9, 2007. After this date, reservations will be accepted based on availability at the hotel's prevailing rates.

(To receive tax exempt status, payment must be made in the form of a government issued check, credit card or purchase order, and, be accompanied by a Missouri sales tax exemption certificate pre-sented at check-in.)

Special Instructions: A first night's room deposit must be made with a credit card, check or cash within 10 days of placing your reservation. For any reservations that "no show" or, are canceled within 72 hours of arrival, the deposit will not be refunded. Check-in time is after 4pm and check-out time is 11am. Should you arrive early or depart after these times, baggage storage areas are available for early arrivals and late departures.

Page 11 2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

SPECIAL NOTES: - Adults are 18 years old and over. Children

under 18 are free. - Rollaway beds are available for $20 per

day plus current taxes.

- Self parking is $13/day.

Culinary Delights

Kansas City is famous for its culinary delights. The legend of Kansas City barbecue. The taste of a Kansas City strip steak. Delicious Mexican and Italian food. It's all here and more. Discover Kan-sas City restaurants.

Kansas Citians are no strangers to dining out. Who, after all, can resist the constant temptation of long-established restaurants with impeccable reputations, favorite diners that are just like home and new establishments that add spice and flavor to an already vast selection?

The notable Kansas City Strip and steaks of every cut trace their recipes to the area’s famous stock-yards, which opened in the late 1800s. Today, perfectly grilled beef can be found at restaurants such as the Plaza III, the Hereford House and Majestic Steakhouse.

Barbecue, of course, is syn-onymous with Kansas City. Since its local beginnings in the 1920s, barbecue’s pit mas-ters have produced the smoky delicacies that have attracted a worldwide follow Barbecue,

of course, is synonymous with Kansas City. Since its local beginnings in the 1920s, barbecue’s pit masters have produced the smoky delicacies that have attracted a worldwide following. Arthur Bry-ant's Barbecue and Gates Barbecue are two local favorites. Today, you'll find over 100 Kansas City barbecue establishments each offering their own versions of the heavenly “cue.” The search for “best” and “favorite” never ends.

Mexican food, Italian fare and other ethnic spe-cialties can be found in neighborhoods ranging from Southwest Boulevard and the Country Club Plaza to 39th Street and Southern John-son County.

After dinner, stop at one of the city’s popular wa-tering holes in Westport, or head to the area's

casinos for gaming excitement. Live jazz can be heard around the city at clubs like the Blue Room, Jar-dine’s Restaurant & Jazz Club or the Phoenix Pi-ano Bar & Grill. On weekends, the Mutual Musi-cians Foundation near 18th & Vine gets started af-ter about 1a.m. for fierce late-night jam sessions.

Artistic Heartland

Kansas City and the visual arts truly go hand in hand. Interna-tionally known museums, dy-namic gallery districts and out-standing performances create a colorful palette that attracts locals and visitors.

Best known is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. This esteemed collection includes works large and small, from 5000-year-old Egyptian pottery to the lat-est contemporary sculpture. The Nelson, widely known for one of the world’s finest Asian art collec-tions, soon will boast a 160,000-square-foot, glass-wall addition created by the internationally recog-nized architect, Steven Holl.

The Nelson’s expansive grounds also feature the Kan-sas City Sculpture Park, highlighted by one of the largest collections of Henry Moore sculptures outside of England and four gigantic shuttlecock sculptures by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The grounds are open year-round to the public for free viewing during daylight hours.

Contemporary art also thrives nearby, at the 11-year-old Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. There, visitors enjoy the works of Georgia O’Keeffe, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, Frank Stella, Robert Map-plethorpe and Nancy Graves, among many others.

The Crossroads Arts District is just one of the many contemporary art neighborhoods flourishing in Kan-sas City. The first Friday of each month, thousands of art enthusiasts gather along the trendy gallery dis-trict from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Welcome to Kansas City, Missouri www.visitkc.com

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 12

See the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at

Union Station,

February 8 - May 13.

Kansas City Continued… www.visitkc.com

Experience KC Live!

Live performances are bountiful in Kansas City. KC-style jazz is featured nightly at clubs across the city. You'll also discover a mix of choices from comedy clubs and casinos to opera and sym-phonic concerts.

The area’s stages are rarely dark. As in the days of old, you can still listen and fall in love with live jazz in the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District. Both the Blue Room and the renovated Gem Theater offer an array of local and national talent. Dinner theater delights audiences at The New Theatre Res-taurant in Overland Park, Kan.

At Crown Center, Broadway-style shows includ-ing comedies, dramas and musicals enthrall American Heartland Theatre goers. Also located in the Crown Center is the Coterie Theater. TIME magazine recently ranked the theater one of the

top five children's thea-ters in the nation.

Midtown’s Unicorn Theatre offers contem-porary and thought-provoking off-Broadway-style pro-ductions. And some of the best professional

plays and musicals in the country appear at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, on the Univer-sity of Missouri-Kansas City campus near the Country Club Plaza.

Dance also has enjoyed a solid following in Kan-sas City. The highly regarded company of the Kansas City Ballet performs at the Lyric and Midland theaters, as well as at annual free con-certs in the parks when not on tour throughout the country. Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey brings the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to the area every other year.

Shopping Getaway

Casual, upscale, antique or urban—have we got shopping for you! Kansas City has shopping to fit anyone’s tastes. Unique designs and comfortable settings characterize the area’s many shopping op-portunities. The City Market, for example, features more than 30 specialty stores filled with souvenirs, imported goods and unusual finds.

To the south, shoppers can stroll through Westport, once the site of Civil War combat but now offering boutiques, art galleries, jewelry stores and an array of restaurants and watering holes. Nearby, the Country Club Plaza offers more than 150 shops and dining spots, nestled among Spanish

and other European-influenced architecture and decoration. Brookside continues this chain of shop-ping opportunities, with its collection of boutiques, specialty stories and gift shops. For an urban shop-ping experience, wander through the city’s Cross-roads Arts District.

On the Kansas side, unique locally owned shops in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Kansas highlight the Prairie Village Shops. To the south, buy an-tiques, a new outfit or a gift for the kids in the open-air environment of the Corinth Square Shops.

And don’t miss the many malls. Kansas City’s wide landscape includes plenty of ground devoted to shopping centers, includ-ing the sprawling Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kan., the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe, Kan., Town Center Plaza in Lea-wood, Kan., and Zona Rosa near KCI Airport. All include nationally recognized stores and specialty shops, along with a selection of local favorites.

Page 13 2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

A Great Sports Town Kansas City is a great sports town - Royals baseball, Kansas City Chiefs football and NASCAR action at Kansas Speedway. You can also catch indoor and outdoor pro soccer and hockey. Plan your trip today for a Kansas City sports escape.

Planning Committee

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 14

G. Ronnie Best, Co-chair Coordinator, Greater Everglades Science Initiative US Geological Survey Pembroke Pines, FL

Donald F. Boesch President University of Maryland Cambridge, MD

Jim Boone Chief, RECOVER Branch US Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville, FL

Sandra Brewer Biologist US Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island, IL

Becky Brown Administrative Support Assistant US Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg, MS

Tom Denes National Planning Program Director URS Corp Gaithersburg, MD

Steve Emmett-Mattox Vice President Restore America's Estuaries Niwot, CO

David Erne Senior Associate Booz Allen Hamilton McLean, VA

Beverley B. Getzen Former Chief, Office of Environmental Policy RET; US Army Corps of Engineers Wadesboro, NC

Barry D. Gold Marine Conservation Initiative Lead The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation San Francisco, CA

Allen Hance Senior Policy Analyst Northeast-Midwest Institute Washington, DC

Valerie Hansen Project Manager US Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City, KS

Dan Hayes Chief Permit Evaluation Section Regulatory Branch Rock Island District, USACE

Dave Koran US Army Corps of Engineers Washington, DC

Ken Lubinski Science Director The Nature Conservancy/ Upper Mississippi River Program Brownsville, MN

Frank J. Mazzotti University of Florida/IFAS University of Florida-Wildlife Ecology Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Ross Melinchuk Director of Public Policy Ducks Unlimited, Southern Regional Office Ridgelend, MS

Beth Miller-Tipton Director UF/IFAS Office of Conferences and Institutes (OCI) Gainesville, FL

John Ogden Chief Environmental Scientist South Florida Water Management District West Palm Beach, FL

Ron Ott Deputy Director for Science CALFED Bay-Delta Program Sacramento, CA

Denise Reed University of New Orleans Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences New Orleans, LA

Jeffery Robichaud Chief, Data Integration & Support Operations Branch Environmental Services Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Kansas City, KS

Jennifer Salerno Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Austin, TX

Charles Simenstad Research Associate Professor, Coordinator, Wetland Ecosystem Team University of Washington Seattle, WA

John Sowl Landscape Ecologist National Park Service, Midwest Region Omaha, NE

Ann Spaulding Brown and Caldwell Water Resources Walnut Creek CA

Tom St. Clair Senior Project Manager PBS & J Jacksonville, FL

Patricia Strayer Senior Engineer BEM Systems, Inc. Chatam, NJ

Bill Streever Environmental Studies Leader BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. Anchorage, AK

Mike Sullivan Mississippi River Basin Coordinator USDA-NRCS North Little Rock, AR

David A. Vigh, Chair Environmental Team Leader US Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg, MS

Page 15

Tom St. Clair, Program Committee Chair PBS&J 701 San Marco Blvd., Suite 1201 Jacksonville, FL 32207-8175 PHONE: 904 232 1774 FAX: 904-232-1056; EMAIL: Thomas.StClair@saj02.usace.army.mil

Organizing Committee

The Office of Conferences and Insti-

tutes (OCI) is a full-service confer-

ence planning agency at the Univer-

sity of Florida. OCI was created to

assist Institute of Food and Agricul-

tural Sciences (IFAS) faculty with

their research, teaching and exten-

sion mission of developing knowl-

edge in agriculture, human and

natural resources, and making that

knowledge available to people to

sustain and enhance the quality of

life.

Phone: 352-392-5930 FAX: 352-392-9734

Becky A. Brown, Conference Assistant Administrative Support Assistant U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division P.O. Box 80 Vicksburg, MS 39181-0080 PH: 601-634-5842 FAX: 601-634-5849

EMAIL: Becky.Brown@mvd02.usace.army.mil

Beth Miller-Tipton, Conference Coordinator University of Florida/IFAS Office of Conferences and Institutes (OCI) PO Box 110750 Gainesville, FL 32611 USA PHONE: 352-392-5930 FAX: 352-392-9734 EMAIL: bmt@ufl.edu

David Erne, Partnership & Exhibitor Committee Chair Booz Allen Hamilton 8283 Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102 PHONE: 703-377-7998 CELL: 571-334-2474 FAX: 703-917-2692 EMAIL: erne_david@bah.com

Exhibitor Opportunities On behalf of the organizing committee of NCER 2007, it is our pleasure to announce the oppor-tunities available for exhibitors at the conference. Reap the benefits of marketing to those who play a pivotal role in helping America meet the challenges of ecosystem restoration. You'll be able to meet decision-makers individually and personally, and network with colleagues from around the country. Federal agencies in attendance at the conference will include, but not be limited to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others.

By exhibiting at NCER, your company will: • Strengthen its prominence as a leader in providing ecosystem restoration services

• Increase brand recognition and national exposure

• Enhance product awareness

• Reinforce visibility in the environmental and restoration arena

• Showcase new products and services

• Network with colleagues who make decisions on small & large-scale restoration projects

• Be featured on the conference web site with a link to your home page

• Be listed in the program with your booth number indicated on the trade show diagram

Two types of display space are available:

EXHIBIT BOOTHS — $2,500

TABLE TOP DISPLAYS — $500 (available for non-profit or educational entities)

For more information and to register for exhibit space, visit the conference

web site at: conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007

2nd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

David A. Vigh, Conference Chair Environmental Team Leader U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division P.O. Box 80 Vicksburg, Mississippi 39181-0080 PH: 601-634-5854 FAX: 601-634-5849 EMAIL: David.A.Vigh@mvd02.usace.army.mil

G. Ronnie Best, Conference Co-Chair Coordinator, Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science United States Geological Survey c/o University of Florida/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center 3205 College Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7799 PH: 954-577-6354 FAX: 954-577-6347 PHONE (CELL): 954-658-4676 EMAIL: Ronnie_Best@usgs.gov

The Office of Conferences and Insti-

tutes (OCI) is a full-service confer-

ence planning agency at the Univer-

sity of Florida. OCI was created to

assist Institute of Food and Agricul-

tural Sciences (IFAS) faculty with

their research, teaching and exten-

sion mission of developing knowl-

edge in agriculture, human and

natural resources, and making that

knowledge available to people to

sustain and enhance the quality of

life.

conference.ifas.ufl.edu

University of Florida, IFAS

Leadership & Education Foundation, Inc. (UFLEF)

Office of Conferences & Institutes

PO Box 110750, Gainesville, FL 32611

Phone: 352-392-5930 FAX: 352-392-9734