Laurel Highlands Summit 2011

Draft Agenda, 1/21/2011

Keynotes

1. Secretary or Secretaries of DCNR and DEP

2. Speaker or probably PANEL on economic benefits or trails, recreation, open space and heritage.

      Must include benefits of open space for hunting, fishing, birding, viewing nature!!

Trail Brochure Development -- combine with ExplorePATrails.com

  All day, in a central hallway, stop and make sure your trail's information is in there.

Breakouts -- TB indicates focus on Trail Building, CC indicates focus on Conservation Coalition

Tract 1: Trails 101  (TB, some CC)

• 1A: Getting Started -- for communities or groups new or relatively new to trail development

  PEC updating manual. Identify "assets" to link.  Malcomn Sias, Hannah Hardy,

• 1B:  4 Counties' Trails and Greenways plans - outcome is identify the following: (CC) 
  • Community possibilities
  • Major multi-county corridors
  • People trails AND conservation or wildlife corridors including birding potential, biodiversity (CC)
  • What's getting done
  • What nobody's doing that should be getting done (and who might do it)
  • Water Trails?
• 1C:  Community-Based Trail Planning
  • Ligonier, Derry, Jenner, Johnstown for sure
  • Mount Pleasant, Donegal?
  • Could include conservation where communities can be linked to natural assets

Tract 2: Selling (Promoting) Your Trail (or Park or Stream) (TB and CC)

• 2A: What's Your Trail's Story (what historic, geologic, scenic features to highlight)?
• 2B: Conservation Benefits of Trails
• 2C: How to Do an Economic Impact Study on Your Trail (or Park/Land?)

Tract 3: Capacity and Tools (CC and TB)

• 3A. Building Capacity Within Your Group
  • Fundraising
  • Memberships
  • Volunteer Recruitment, Retention
• 3B. Organizational Capacity
  • Developing Leaders
  • How to Assess Group Capacity and Operate Accordingly
• 3C. Tools for Conservation
  • Easements v ROW v fee ownership
  • Conservation Easements
  • How to negotiate with land owners

Tract 4: Conservation (CC)

• 4A. Marcellus - what specific issue??
• 4B. Farmland Preservation, Sustainable Agriculture
  • Farmers Markets
  • Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Dave Steele?
  • Progress Fund's Ag preservation effort -- David Eson
• 4C. Landscape Level Biodiversity
  • Powdermill Nature Reserve
  • Natural Biodiversity