The following is a description of the nine breakout sessions for the Laurel Highlands Summit. Sessions are subject to change.  Updated March 24, 2011.

Track 1: Trails 101 

• 1A, 10:45-11:45 a.m:  Getting Started – for those relatively new to trail development.
  • Hannah Hardy, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, overview of available trail-development tools (moderator and panelist).
  • Malcolm Sias, Allegheny Trail Alliance and Westmoreland County, working with municipalities, getting people involved, lessons learned
  • Adam Mattis, DCNR, steps in trail development – from concept plan to design and construction.
• 1B, 1:45-2:45 p.m:  Community-Based Trail Planning – how communities can use trails as a catalyst for development.
  • John Turack, Community Development Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension, former Main Street Manager; overview.
  • Diane Kripas, Chief of DCNR’s Partnership Division, creating greenways with innovative land-use approaches.
  • Sara Walfoort, Bike-Ped Coordinator for Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, creating trails in developed areas.
  • Moderator: Alex Graziani, Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County.
• 1C, 3:00-4:00 p.m: What's Your Asset’s Story – identifying historic, geologic, natural and scenic features to promote your river, trail, park or other asset.
  • Erin Hammerstedt, Preservation Pennsylvania, Trail Towns Preservation Plan, historical resources to interpret.
  • Jim Shaulis, DCNR Bureau of Topological and Geological, geological resources to interpret.
  • Paul Wiegman, Allegheny Trail Alliance/photographer/retired botanist, scenic and natural values to interpret.
  • Moderator: Frances Stein, DCNR.

 Track 2: Capacity and Tools (CC and TB)

• 2A, 10:45-11:45 a.m: Social Networking Tools – Facebook, Twitter, smart-phone apps….
  • Ted Eubanks, Fermata, Inc., is a national and international consultant on developing outdoor recreation-based tourism and has developed smart-phone apps for trails; he is author of the Laurel Highlands CLI plan.
  • Paul Fireman, Fireman Creative, plans of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor to develop web-based apps using QR coding systems that work on various types of smart phones.
  • Olga Herbert, Lincoln Highway National Heritage Corridor, moderator.
• 2B, 1:45-2:45 p.m: Funding Opportunities – the latest on Renew Growing Greener, current funding opportunities, the “just do it” approach.
  • Andrew Heath, Renew Growing Greener, status of efforts to renew the Growing Greener program.
  • Mike Piaskowski, DCNR Bureau of Conservation & Recreation, current funding opportunities (moderator).
  • Mike Kane, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and Lift Johnstown, “just do it” approach with community donations of time, materials and cash – no government grants.
  • Lauren Imgrund, DCNR, moderator.
• 2C, 3:00-4:00 p.m: Capacity and Tools – Bayer Center for Non-Profit Management and Conservation toolbox of PA Land Trust Association.
  • Scott Leff, Robert Morris University, Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management, building capacity in small non-profits.
  • Andy Loza, Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, practical guides and models to help trail groups, conservation organizations and local governments acquire land and easements, finance projects, improve land use regulations and communicate.
  • Donna Holdorf, National Road State Heritage Corridor, moderator.

Tract 3: Conservation Coalition

• 3A, 10:45-11:45 a.m: Marcellus Shale – Conservation Strategies.
  • Nels Johnson, the Nature Conservancy, a science-based assessment of what gas- and wind-power development will look like on the ground.
  • Carla Ruddick, Mountain Watershed Association, update on the Laurel Highlands watershed monitoring efforts.
  • Dave Sewak, Trout Unlimited, update on TU’s statewide effort to train volunteers to do ongoing visual assessments and water-quality monitoriing of cold-water fisheries.
  • Bev Braverman, Mountain Watershed Association, moderator.
• 2B, 1:45-2:45 p.m: Farmland preservation and local farming.
  • Mike Kuzemchak, Western PA Conservancy, farmland preservation efforts in the Laurel Highlands (panelist and moderator).
  • Mikal Merlina, the Rhizosphere, contractor to the Progress Fund, buy local efforts.
  • Leah Smith, PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), sustainable ag.
  • Mike Krajovic, FayPenn Economic Development Council, local agriculture as an economic-development tool and efforts to pass national legislation (the proposed Farm Entrepreneur Job Act).
• 3C, 3:00-4:00 p.m: Landscape-level biodiversity – what’s at stake?
  • Andy Mack, Powdermill Nature Reserve, conservation biologist, broad landscape issues in biodiversity.
  • Kristin Sewak, Natural Biodiversity – on the ground work combating invasive species and planting natives.
  • Mike Kuzemchak, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, moderator.

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