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Pertinent
Previous
Conferences: Montana
Climate
Challenge
and
Tribal Lands Climate Conference
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Website Host:
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South Dakota Climate Challenge "Strategies for the Future" |
Speakers, Moderators, Hosts (listed alphabetically) |
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Matt Astleford (Staff to Senator Tim Johnson) |
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Michael Bowman
Michael Bowman is a fifth-generation Colorado native, born and raised on the family farm in eastern Colorado. He serves on the National Steering Committee for “25x’25”, served as Chair of Colorado’s New Energy Future in 2006, and was co-chair of Governor-elect Bill Ritter’s transition team for energy policy. He was a member of the 2005 Trans-Atlantic Dialogue on Climate Change and was active in Colorado’s “Amendment 37” campaign, the nation’s first citizen-initiated renewable portfolio standard. He is a steering committee member of the Colorado Apollo Alliance and Colorado’s Climate Action Plan where his efforts are focused on creating public policy encouraging low carbon biofuels and sustainable methods of production. Michael also chairs the Colorado Farm-to-Cafeteria Coalition. Throughout his adult life he has been active in the rural development initiatives both domestically and internationally, serving on the National Council of Advisors for the Heartland Center for Leadership Development in Lincoln, NE and Holistic Management International in Albuquerque where he has participated in a grasslands sustainability project near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Michael is a graduate of the Colorado Agriculture and Rural Leadership program and a Next Generation Fellow in Columbia University’s American Assembly. • • • • •
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Elizabeth Burleson has an LLM in International Law from the London School of Economics. Professor Burleson began participating in treaty negotiations at the United Nations in 1991 during proceedings for the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development. She has written reports as a United Nations consultant and delivered presentations at United Nations conferences. Professor Burleson has been an advisor to UNICEF’s Senior Advisor for the Environment and the New York Director of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). She has also written reports for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). A particular focus was placed on design, development and implementation of human rights / environmental programs involving children. Other issues included access to water, women, indigenous title, and implementation of international law. Professor Burleson has also conducted legal research for Amnesty International’s London based International Secretariat and New York Based research division. She is a member of the Environmental Energy & Natural Resource section of the DC Bar, as well as the International Law section. She is also a member of the Connecticut Bar and South Dakota Bar. Elizabeth Burleson is a University of South Dakota School of Law Professor and teaches International Environmental Law, Property Law, International Law, Water Law, and Environmental Law. background reading "Multilateral
Climate Change Mitigation" Latest climate change article: |
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John Davidson is Professor Emeritus at the School of Law, University of South Dakota. He is the author of numerous books and articles encompassing the worlds of environmental, agricultural and water law and policy. He has for many years been active as a volunteer advocate for protection of the region's valuable environment and natural resources. In 1995 he was appointed by President Clinton to the Western Water Policy Commission, a west-wide entity created by Congress to report on emerging water issues. In recent years, Davidson has focused on his role as volunteer President of Northern Prairies Land Trust, which emphasizes the role of private landowners in protecting land and water. Davidson has his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and his L.L .M. from George Washington University. |
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Shelly Deisch is a wildlife biologist with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks; Division of Wildlife. She serves as the Department’s liaison to the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and its federal land holdings within South Dakota. Shelly has become quite the NEPA Nerd and submits Department comments regarding management of wildlife and fisheries habitats on Forest Service land. In another lifetime ago, she earned her Master’s of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries at South Dakota State University. Her journeys have taken her to Upstate New York, Montana and Catalina Island in California. She has researched critters from bears to black flies. A native of the Black Hills, she enjoys being back home and challenges herself to live out loud. |
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Tom France
Tom France has served
as counsel and director of the National Wildlife Federation’s
programs in the Northern Rockies Natural Resource Center office
in Missoula, MT, since
1981. During his years with NWF, Tom has been involved with many
of the most important natural
resource
issues
facing
the northern Rockies, including gray wolf and grizzly bear recovery,
national forest planning, oil and gas development, hard rock
mining, livestock overgrazing, and wildlands protection. Tom
earned his B.A. and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University
of Montana. |
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Matthew Hansen is a Co-Director of the Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence, a collaboration between South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the USGS National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) near Sioux Falls. The Center's work targets improving terrestrial monitoring capabilities using earth observation satellite data sets. Outputs from these studies feed other science investigations including carbon, climate and hydrological modeling efforts. Current investigations led by Dr. Hansen include an assessment of global forest cover change, operationally mapping U.S. corn and soybean production area, and improving forest cover characterizations of the Congo Basin in Central Africa. He is a native of
Carmel, Indiana with a BEE in Electrical Engineering from Auburn
U., a MA in Geography from UNC-Charlotte, a MSE in Civil Engineering
from UNC-Charlotte, and a PhD in Geography from the
U. of Maryland. He served two years in the Peace
Corps in Zaire on developing aquaculture production systems.
Before coming to SDSU, he worked
for 10 years at the University of Maryland on
global land cover mapping projects. He is currently in his
third year of service at SDSU. |
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Gary Hanson was elected to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in November 2002. He represents South Dakota on the Organization of MISO states and National Wind Coordinating Committee. Gary Hanson is the fourth generation of his family to live and work in South Dakota. He is uniquely qualified to assure that issues before the PUC will be thoughtfully considered and thoroughly examined in a fair-minded and non-partisan manner. Gary was twice elected as Utilities Commissioner of Sioux Falls where he was responsible for the development and day-to-day activities of three municipal utilities. Gary was twice elected Mayor of Sioux Falls, served three terms
as a State Senator, where he was Chairman of the Government Audit
and
Operations Committee, and Vice Chairman of the Senate Taxation
Committee. He is a founder and past Chairman of the Lewis and
Clark Rural Water System and active in South Dakota Water Development.
Gary is a real estate broker and served as President of the
Sioux Falls Board of Realtors. |
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Chris Hesla |
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Dr. W. Carter Johnson, Distinguished Professor of Ecology at South Dakota State University in Brookings, has studied global warming for more than 30 years. A major thrust of his research has been the effect of climate change on natural ecosystems, particularly on wetlands. He and his research team have published extensively on this theme in science journals, culminating with the article "Vulnerability of glaciated prairie wetlands to climate change in 2005" in the journal BioScience that gained national attention from the New York Times, CNN, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, among many others. The team recently received nearly a million dollar grant from the EPA STAR grant program to continue their studies of the climate change and wetland issue. Dr. Johnson has degrees from Augustana College (Sioux Falls) and North Dakota State University (Fargo), and has held positions previously at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Tennessee) and Virginia Tech (Blacksburg). |
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Curt
Robertson is the Hunter Education Coordinator for South Dakota
Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Wildlife Division. Besides
hunter education duties, Curt is responsible for boater safety,
range
development and the National Archery in the Schools Program in
South Dakota.
Curt received his degree in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1987 and went on to become a high school teacher. Curt later co-founded Historic Educational Concepts, an educational consulting firm which presented programs and workshops for students, as well as educators. Curt has worked for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks since 2006. |
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Timothy Rose has been a communications, public policy, development, and management consultant in the non-profit community nationally and locally for more than 15 years. Timothy is currently the Media Relations Director of Fresh Energy in Saint Paul, Minnesota (www.fresh-energy.org). Fresh Energy is a regional nonprofit working to enhance our economies, protect human health and communities, restore our environment and establish energy independence. Fresh Energy's Media Center provides resources to reporters, editors, and producers to get the story right on renewable energy, clean and efficient energy use for the 21st Century and efforts to stop global warming in the Upper Midwest and Southern Canada. In the past, Timothy was employed as Director of Communications for Earthjustice (formerly the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) and with the League of Conservation Voters. He was Communications Director for Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton and has worked extensively on civil rights issues, as well as electoral campaigns. He was a segment producer and on air commentator, as well as political analyst for the stations of Minnesota Public Television. He is the recipient of three Telly Video Awards and is a 2001 Freddie Video Award Finalist (Time Inc.). Timothy can be reached at 651.726.7574 or rose@fresh-energy.org. "Improving
Public Policy on Climate Change One of the first steps for a successful outcome is to articulate global warming solutions with meaningful and creative communication. The tools necessary to do so include framing the issue of global warming with powerful impact from a commonly held values perspective. Participants will learn some of the basic framing and messaging currently being used with media and policy makers as we roll up our sleeves to highlight not only the challenges, but also the solutions that global warming and climate change present. • • • • •
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Larry Schweiger became President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in March 2004 with a commitment to confront global warming to protect wildlife for our children’s future, connect people to nature, and restore America’s wildlife heritage. National Wildlife Federation is America’s conservation organization, with 48 affiliates and more than four million supporters. Larry also currently serves as Co-Chair of the Governing Council of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Previously, Larry served for eight years as President and CEO of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, where he pioneered and promoted a number of programs, including expanded ecological research and community outreach in high priority conservation areas. In an earlier tour at National Wildlife Federation from 1981 to 1995, Larry served as publisher of National Wildlife Federation’s award-winning magazines, Senior Vice President for Constituent Development and Conservation Programs, and Vice President of Affiliate and Regional Programs. Larry is an active community leader, having served on more than 40 governing boards, commissions and committees. He has received many awards for his efforts in conservation, including the Distinguished Service Award for Special Conservation Achievement from National Wildlife Federation in June 1995, and the Conservation Service Award from the Christian Environmental Association in September 1995. He was selected as Pennsylvania’s Environmental Professional of the Year in 2002. • • • • •
Powerpoint Presentation South Dakota Climate Challenge Conference: |
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Marcell Shoop is Director of Environmental Policy and Partnerships for Rio Tinto in the United States. In this role, Ms. Shoop manages Rio Tinto's climate change strategy for the US business units at the federal level. In addit ion, she manages Rio Tinto's US partnership program focusing on expanding Rio Tinto's partnering efforts with North America-based environmental, educational, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Ms. Shoop was previously Director of Sustainable Development for Rio Tinto subsidiary Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, a copper mining, smelting and refining operation near Salt Lake City, Utah. In that role she was responsible for leading efforts to integrate sustainable development practices into Kennecott's business model. Ms. Shoop also served as legal counsel for the company, primarily focused on environmental and natural resource matters. • • • • •
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Patrick Spears is a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and is co-founder and President of the Intertribal Council On Utility Policy (COUP), representing twelve tribes in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Intertribal COUP represents Tribal interests in policy, regulatory, and economic perspectives working with tribal governments, tribal colleges, and indigenous environmental organizations on energy planning, energy efficiency, climate change, and renewable energy development, with emphasis on wind energy development. He is a former Tribal Chairman and has worked in tribal government and Indian programs in various capacities over the past 30 years in planning and public administration through employment in tribal, federal, and state governments and the private sector. His education includes a B.A. in Sociology and Indian Studies from USD and graduate study at USC in Public Administration. As a member of the tribal wind development team, he assisted in the first commercial, utility scale wind turbine project (750 kw) at the Rosebud Casino, and the feasibility and development of the 30 MW project for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. He serves as an advisor to the NREL outreach program to tribes in support wind energy development as a team member of the “Wind Powering America” program. He also provides consulting services with Tribes on specific wind projects for community and commercial wind energy. He is presently managing the wind energy feasibility study for the COUP tribes and the development of an 80 MW Intertribal Wind Project in the Northern Plains. Spears served as co-chair with Bob Gough for the Native Peoples, Native Homelands Climate Change Workshop, part of the USGCRP National Assessment on climate change. He also co-directs the NativeWind.org, supporting partnerships between ICLEI-Cities for Climate Protection and COUP tribes to build sustainable reservation economies based upon renewable energy. He is a co-producer of “Wind Powering Native America” (2003) and “Native Wind” PSA (2005) and one of the architects of the Rosebud/COUP Intertribal Wind Energy Plan nominated for the inaugural World Clean Energy Award. • • • • •
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Lynn Tjeerdsma (Staff to Senator John Thune) Lynn is currently
Agriculture Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator John Thune, a position
he's held since February 2005. Prior to his
position with Senator Thune, Lynn was detailed
to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) in
January of 2005 as the Partnership's Policy Initiatives Manager.
While promoting all of the TRCP initiatives, his work primarily
focused on the Open Fields hunting and fishing access legislation
in the 109th Congress and the conservation programs
in the upcoming 2007 Farm Bill. Lynn is well versed
in the particularities of the Farm Bill, having served, since
1996, as Chief of Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Emergency Preparedness
and Programs Branch before
joining the TRCP. In that role, Lynn's responsibilities
included developing, managing, and drafting regulations for
the Production Flexibility Contract authorized under the 1996
Farm Bill; the Direct and Counter-cyclical
Program, authorized under the 2002 Farm Bill; and
numerous disaster and emergency programs. Additionally, he
has worked
in many other positions at the FSA and has also
worked at the USDA and in the U.S. Senate as a
legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Larry Pressler
for agriculture and trade. Lynn grew up on a diversified crop
and livestock family farm located in South Central South Dakota
and still
owns two farms in South Dakota. |
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Norm Tofflemire is Coop & Membership Director, SD Farmers Union, Huron, SD A native of Wessington Springs, SD, Tofflemire graduated from South Dakota State University, in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Education. He taught Vocational Agriculture in both Minnesota and South Dakota, and worked for a local cooperative in Selby, SD before joining the staff of the South Dakota Farmers Union in 1978. In addition to other duties, Tofflemire currently serves as coordinator for the Farmers Union Carbon Credit Program. Carbon Credit Program Description: Global warming has been linked in part to release of gases into the atmosphere causing a 'greenhouse effect'. There are six different greenhouse gases identified and targeted for reduction, one of which is carbon dioxide (CO2). Certain farming practices help take this CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Farmers, using these approved management practices, can earn credits for storing carbon. These credits can then be sold through the Chicago Climate Exchange. |
| Virginia "Ginny" Tribe
Virginia Tribe, owner Professional Facilitator, Inc., in Missoula, MT, is an experienced facilitator, mediator, educator, and trainer, having spent nearly 30 years in public education, county and federal service, and private consulting. She combines a background in education with 15 years of professional management experience working in local and federal agencies in strategic planning, organizational development, conflict management, citizen participation, and community building. In 1987, Virginia Tribe established herself as a private contractor, working as a professional facilitator in organizational problem solving. Ms. Tribe designs and conducts processes and seminars to meet the specific needs and situations of individual clients in today's challenging operating environment. Her work is framed by principles of self-respect, interest-based problem solving, and personal accountability for one's own role in any situation. Ms. Tribe's style creates a confidential, investigative environment that encourages participants in candid discussion toward durable solutions and sound working relationships. Virginia Tribe serves a diverse set of clients with individual needs, interests, and situations. Virginia Tribe received her education from the University of Montana in Missoula. She continues her studies in mediation and negotiation, interpersonal communications, and "people dynamics". |
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Dr. Updegraff earned a PhD in Natural Resources Policy from the University of Minnesota in 2003. Her professional background includes field and laboratory research related to carbon and nutrient cycling in northern ecosystems, as well as policy and economic research on issues related to forest management, non-market benefit evaluation and climate change mitigation. She has worked with the C-Lock project (now C-Lock Technologies) since 2004 and is knowledgeable about the technical, practical and policy aspects of agricultural carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation projects. The patented C-Lock methodology has been widely acknowledged by scientists and policy experts across the country as a superior approach to quantifying greenhouse offsets derived from agricultural sequestration projects. C-Lock is currently recruiting farmers in South Dakota to participate in pilot-scale sales of sequestration credits. • • • • •
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Dr. Evert Van der Sluis is a Professor in the Economics Department. He received a B.S.-equivalent in Animal Science and Social Economics from the Hogere Landbouwschool in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands; a M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University; and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining SDSU in 1997, he was a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He conducts research on the economics of value-added agriculture, rural economics issues, and the economics of biotechnology. He teaches courses in International Economics, and Farming and Food Systems Economics. • • • • •
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