[Please Circulate Far & Wide]

*The Future of the **Northeast Everglades**
*"How Do We Conserve and Restore One of the Areas Greatest Natural Assets"

December 9th at the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp, located within the
J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area (Directions from I-95: take Northlake
Blvd west to Seminole-Pratt Whitney north, follow dirt road into Corbett, on
the left, follow signs to Youth Camp)

**A one-day conference to explore and discuss the current threats and the
future possibilities facing the Northeast Everglades Natural Area (NENA),
which
extends from Martin County down to central Palm Beach County and includes a
vast network of publicly and privately owned wild areas, as well as rural
communities and farm land.**

Schedule

*8:30am-9:00am** Light breakfast* (fruit, bagels, juice, etc)

*Morning Session (**9am-12:00pm**)* will consist of presentations on the
environmental threats and existing possibilities for conservation and
restoration from various organizations and agencies in Palm Beach and Martin
County. Various groups and agencies will also have tables with information.

*Presentations:*

9am-9:20am: Everglades Restoration & Community Outreach
Erica A. Robbins, Outreach Team, Army Corps of Engineers

9:20am-9:40am: Strategic Plan for the Future of the Everglades Agricultural
Area (EAA) John Marshall, Director, Arthur R. Marshall Foundation

9:40am-10:00am: Restoration on Loxahatchee River's North West Fork
Pat Walker, South Florida Water Management District

10:00am*-*10:20am: Growth & the Sector Plan
(presenter TBA)

10:20am-10:40am: Wildlife Conservation in the Corbett
Jim Schuette, Biologist, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission

10:40am-10:50am: Fire Ecology & The Future of Land Management
David Black, Land Stewardship Program, South Florida Water Management
District

10:50am-11:00am: Supporting the Environment in Local Elections

Echo Steiner, Palm Beach County Greens

11:00am-11:20am: Challenging the West County Energy Center

Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition

11:20am-11:40am: Grassroots Activism & Public Participation
Andrea Fullman, Jensen Beach Group

11:40am-12:00pm: Growing a Direct Action Movement in the Northeast
Everglades
South Florida Earth First!

*Lunch (**12:00-1:00pm**)*

*Afternoon Session (1:00pm-3:00pm) *This will consist of break-out groups
that divide into four categories, each with a pair of facilitators, to
further discuss information presented in the morning session: (1) Conserving
Land, (2) Managing Development, (3) Moving Restoration Forward, (4)
Increasing Effective Education

*Wrap-Up* *(**3:00pm-4:00pm**)* Groups will spend the last hour reporting
ideas and proposals from their break-out groups. and an ad-hoc committee
will be formed to Content of the event will be synthesized into a public
statement to be presented to participating organizations, agencies and the
media.

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*After-Conference Camp-out!* Stick around through the night for a post-event
campout in the Corbett (Camp M); fireside strategy sessions, environmental
talent show, song-swapping… Bring camping gear, food & snacks to share,
musical instruments, family and friends. The entire weekend will be
child-friendly. Please get in touch if you have childcare needs, so that we
can accommodate as best as possible.

A $3-5 donation is requested to cover costs of the conference, Another $3-6
will be required for all cars who stay after for camp out.

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For more info contact the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition

(561) 588-9666 PBCEnviroCoalition@gmail.com