MNRG Annual Meeting 2008
Letter of Invitation
Dear MNRG Colleagues,
You and your professional guests are invited to our 2008 Fall Roundtable Meeting to be held December 11-12, 2008 at the Construction and Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) of the US Army Corps of Engineers in Champaign, Illinois. Link to CERL visitor information and web site is http://www.cecer.army.mil/td/tips/product/details.cfm?ID=435. Proper ID such as driver’s license or government ID is required to enter the facilities.
A block of rooms has been reserved for the nights of December 10 and December 11 under the name ‘Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division’ at the Country Inn & Suites, 602 W. Marketview Dr, Champaign, IL 61822. Reservations can be made starting upon receipt of this email at 217-355-6666. Federal government per diem rate is $70.00. Link to the hotel web site and additional accommodation information is at http://www.countryinns.com/champaignil . Please make reservations by 14 November to secure the government rate. We will utilize hotel and CERL transportation as much as possible including private and rented vehicles meeting attendees will have. The hotel van is confirmed available the first morning at 0745 to get folks to the meeting in addition to some private and rental cars and hotel van may be available the next morning, Dec 12 as well.
Attached is our meeting agenda with a focus of natural resource sustainability in the Upper Midwest and Mississippi River. This development of this agenda generated much interest by MNRG leadership as well as established committees. Ecosystem restoration sustainability is something, in some form or fashion, that all MNRG agencies have in common, whether it is environmental management systems or natural resource systems approaches. We are very excited to explore this topic with MNRG agencies and are confident we can find individual and programmatic actions that will carry the MNRG vision for many years to come. Features for this fall roundtable include agency reports on sustainability efforts, working examples of natural resource sustainability, a more focused sessions on sustainability tools and focused programs providing a common understanding of sustainability, and a panel of experts and interactive discussion on Friday AM to help MNRG set the stage for future natural resource sustainability actions and success in the Upper Midwest and Mississippi River areas.
Please note, there is a registration fee of $40.00 cash to be paid Thursday morning at registration, 0800-0830. This fee will be used for drinks and snacks at breaks, lunch on the 11th, and in support of other meeting functions. Breaks will have the usual fair of coffee, hot water for tea, bottled water, fruit, cookies, granola bars and maybe some other goodies.
We have planned a special private dinner at a restaurant called ‘jimgould.’ Link to restaurant is http://www.jimgoulddining.com/ and we have a private dinning room, wine and cheese social half hour to start, and selections from the main menu to fit all tastes. There will be a donation jar for the social to address gifts according to Federal regulations.
Lunch on December 11 will be brought in from Blues Catering, menu attached. Please let Catherine Breeden at CERL, copied on this email, know what your lunch selection is by COB 9 December. Order for the group must be placed 24 hours in advance. PLEASE NOTE – there is a separate breakout working lunch for the MNRG senior leaders only. This does not include MNRG planning or communications committee members nor does it include representatives for senior leaders – this is senior leaders only please.
We will be having some very special outside guests attend. One is from The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center headquartered at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey IL. They have a brand new field station at Alton IL near the Mel Price Lock and Dam and the National Great Rivers Museum. A focus of NGRREC is sustainable river systems in harmony with human and wildlife communities. We will find a place on the agenda (probably around the CERL tour on day one) for a brief overview of NGRREC and they will be participating on the panel the morning of day two. Another special guest invited is Dr. Dick Warner, Director of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. INRS investigations and research in support of natural resource management and natural heritage are nationally recognized. INRS is also invited to be on the panel Friday morning. Lastly, is Ms. Deborah Swackhammer, co-Director, Water Resources Center of the University of Minnesota. She has extensive experience related to the Minnesota Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan, of which sustainable natural resources is a core concept. All of these groups and people bring focus and experience that will prove valuable for MNRG.
Bring any presentations on flash drives – we will have laptop and projector support and load up during breaks and registration. If you are bringing handouts, please bring plenty with you.
Lastly, we will have a very special surprise for MNRG senior leaders, committee members and invited speakers – you’ll just have to attend to see what it is.
We look forward to seeing all of you at CERL in Champaign, IL. If you have any questions, please contact David Vigh, Chair of the MNRG Planning Committee by phone at 601-634-5854 or by email at david.a.vigh@usace.army.mil.
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BG Michael Walsh