2007 Colorado Agricultural Outlook Forum to Focus on Climate Change
Recent frequent and intense snowstorms raise questions of how global warming is effecting our environment and whether Colorado can expect more winters like the current one. Learn the facts, effects and policies associated with global climate change at the 2007 Colorado Agricultural Outlook Forum.
The forum, "From Colorado to the Clouds: Agriculture and a Changing Global Climate," will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Double Tree Hotel, 3203 Quebec St. in Denver. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The annual forum is sponsored by Colorado State University, the Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Colorado Agricultural Rural Leadership graduates. Media is welcome to attend for all or part of the event and interview opportunities with speakers are available.
State and national experts will present facts about climate change and engage in question-and-answer sessions with the audience. Opportunities for agriculture to curb the emission of greenhouse gasses and farm policies related to climate change also will be discussed.
Speakers include Naomi Pena of the PEW Center for Global Climate Change; Bill Hohenstein of the USDA-Office of the Chief Economist; John Sheehan, a senior strategic analyst at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden; and Colorado State University professors Bill Cotton, Dennis Ojima and Keith Paustian.
Afternoon breakout sessions will include topics on the Farm Bill and farming without subsidies, land-use planning options for green-space and conservation easements, the conservation title of the Farm Bill, and an update and round-table report from the Agriculture Water Alliance.
A welcoming reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at the hotel. In conjunction with this reception, a retirement celebration will be held for former Commissioner of Agriculture Don Ament. RSVPs for this complimentary reception are requested by calling (303) 239-4100.
The day of the forum will be capped with the Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet with a reception at 4:15 p.m. and dinner at 5:30 p.m. Separate registration for the Hall of Fame Banquet is required and not included with the forum registration.
Registration is now $120. For more information or to register online, visit www.coloradoagoutlook.org; for registration questions, call the Office of Conference Services at (970) 491-7501; for program information, call (303) 239-4104.
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