Western Region Joint Summer Meeting scheduled July 6-10

Submitted by Debbie Carter
Phone: 474-5406
06/30/08

Deans, directors and program leaders from Cooperative Extension, agricultural experiment stations and colleges of natural resources will gather July 6-10 in Fairbanks for the 2008 Western Region Joint Summer Meeting. The conference theme is "Energizing the West."

The annual conference will bring together about 150 representatives associated with land-grant mission leadership in 13 Western states and the island territories of the American Pacific.

The conference will focus on energy issues and will provide an overview of work by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and their partners. Topics will include research, education and outreach in renewable energy, energy conservation and power generation and the important roles the agricultural and forest resources of Alaska play in energizing the West.

Conference hosts are the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences and Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and UAF Cooperative Extension Service.

Participants will visit the Fairbanks Experiment Farm, the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. The tour will culminate with a barbeque and tour of Chena Hot Springs Resort highlighting geothermal power and production greenhouses. Conference participants are from Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Marshall Islands, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Marianas, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

CONTACT: Carol E. Lewis, dean and director, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, at 907-474-7083 or Pete Pinney, interim director of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service, at 907-474-7246