|
Meeting Overview
The annual Areas of Concern (AOC) meeting will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on September 12-13, 2012, and will convene federal, state and local participants from the 30 U.S. and Binational AOCs to review accomplishments to date, as well as recent developments affecting the AOC program. Discussed at the conference will be:
- Recent achievements from around the Great Lakes basin to remove Beneficial Use Impairment (BUIs) and delist AOC’s
- Best practices to achieve BUI restoration targets
- How to build state and local capacity to implement on-the-ground and in-the-water restoration actions
- How to plan and implement AOC restoration priorities under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
- How to improve linkages and develop better integration between the AOCs, LaMPs and other Great Lakes programs
- Potential actions that could strengthen the U.S. and Canadian AOC programs.
The theme of the 2012 Annual Meeting will be in developing the groundwork for management actions that remove BUIs and result in delisting AOCs. Specifically, we will discuss how AOCs can work with EPA, states and other partners to conduct sediment remediation projects and create habitat restoration plans for the habitat BUIs—two major components needed to delist AOCs. In addition, the Meeting will focus on AOC prioritization; specifically, prioritizing AOCs that are close to removing all BUIs while at the same time continuing to support those AOCs that are in the pipeline but are not yet ready to be delisted.
 Keynote Speaker Jerry Dennis
Jerry Dennis is the award winning author of many books, including the widely acclaimed The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas and The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes. His essays on nature and science have been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian, Audubon, Orion, Wildlife Conservation, National Geographic Traveler, American Way, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and many other publications. Mr. Dennis was named the Michigan Author of the Year in 1999, the highest literary award in the state. Mr. Dennis is a frequent guest lecturer at universities, and has been a commentator on national and regional public radio.
Sponsored by Cardno JFNew
Who Should Attend
The meeting is intended for all parties involved in efforts to restore the U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern, including members of local AOC groups, federal and state agency staff and partners, LaMP participants, academic institutions, non-government organizations (NGOs), consultants, and others interested in the AOC program.
Registration
The cost to attend the AOC meeting is $100.00.
Come Early and Be Part of Great Lakes Week 2012
The Areas of Concern meeting is being held as part of the Great Lakes Week, which includes a variety of meetings and forums being held September 10-13, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Travel Funding for the AOC Program Annual Meeting
Travel funding is available for one representative from each U.S. AOC to attend the meeting. The Great Lakes Commission will administer the funding in consultation with the leader of each U.S. AOC. To avoid misunderstandings, please contact Matt Doss with the name of the designated representative from your AOC who will receive travel funding to attend this fall’s annual AOC meeting. You may contact Matt Doss by e-mail at mdoss@glc.org or by phone at 734-971-9135.
Sponsors
The meeting is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Ohio EPA and the Great Lakes Commission.
The 2012 U.S. AOC Annual Meeting would like to thank our sponsors:
|
Sponsor of Jerry Dennis, Keynote Lunch Speaker |
    |
Sponsors of boat cruise and transportation |
 |
|
 |
Green Meetings
The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA’s meetings strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Efforts will be made to use products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on the environment when compared with other products and services that serve the same purpose. A complete listing of the hotels’ green practices will be posted to the website as soon as it is made available.
CONTACTS
For technical content, please contact:
John Perrecone (G-17J)
RAP/AOC Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5
Great Lakes National Program Office
77 W Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
Telephone: (312) 353-1149
Email: perrecone.john@epa.gov
For sponsorship and technical information, please contact:
Eric A. Stern
Research Leader - Sediment Management
Battelle
Montclair State University
Mallory Hall 166
1 Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043
Telephone: (973) 655-6893
Email: sterne@battelle.org
For registration and logistical information, please contact:
Susie Warner, MPH, CMP
Director of Conferences
The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc.
656 Quince Orchard Road, Suite 210
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Telephone: (301) 670-4990
Email: swarner@scgcorp.com
|
|
