EDITORS: A complete schedule of events is posted on the NRLC home page at .
"Water and Growth in the West" is the topic of a three-day conference to be held at the University of Colorado at Boulder June 7-9.
The event, sponsored by CU-Boulder聮s Natural Resources Law Center, will address a number of issues involving water and growth in the West, including demographics and water-use trends, improved planning and efficient use, groundwater management, tribal water resources, environmental protection and other related issues.
"The conference is based on the recognition that the world of Western water resources is becoming more and more complicated," said Gary Bryner, director of the Natural Resources Law Center. "Water supply, water quality, conservation, land use and protection of ecosystems are increasingly intertwined. Our goal is to examine the limits of current efforts and explore opportunities for improving the management of water in the West."
Early registration will begin Tuesday, June 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and will include a reception, readings and book signings by colleagues of the Natural Resources Law Center. Registration for the entire conference is $565 ($290 for those from government, non-profit and academic institutions).
June 7 and June 8 sessions will cover the following topics: Water, Land-Use and Regional Economic Development; Impacts and Issues; Tools for Doing Better: Theory and Practice; and A Larger Perspective.
Some speakers include Bruce Driver of the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies; Robert Wayland, director of the Office of Wetlands; Edward Harvey, managing director of BBC Research and Consulting; and several college professors and other experts. Various NRLC staff members will moderate the sessions on all days.
Friday, June 9, will focus entirely on Colorado water issues with topics including Growth and Water in Colorado: A Window on the West; Life After Two Forks: A New Confluence of Issues and Options; and Searching for New Water . . . But Not Without Controversy.
Speakers include Eric Kuhn, general manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District and Don Ament, Colorado commissioner of agriculture, among others.
Friday sessions are available for separate registration beginning at 8 a.m. The fee is $85.
There will be an evening barbecue on Flagstaff Mountain June 7 and a reception by Hydrosphere Resource Consultants Ltd. on June 8.
For more information contact the center at (303) 492-1272 or visit the NRLC home page at .