You are invited to interact in an interdisciplinary setting to experience state-of-the art science and engineering planning and policy in a partnership environment and to formulate goals and approaches to ecosystem restoration. The conference will provide many opportunities to learn about ecosystem restoration efforts throughout the country and to learn absout ecosystem restoration programs including Missouri River Basin, Parks, Canada, Agency efforts, Louisiana Coastal Area, Columbia River, Everglades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Puget Sound, and the Mississippi River Basin just to mention a few. Throughout the conference, participants will investigate challenging restoration-related questions, such as:

• How do we effectively partner to integrate planning, policy and science such that each contributes to the other in an effective, relevant and timely manner?

• What are the state-of-the-art approaches, technologies, tools and data available for ecosystem restoration. Who is leading the way?

• Are there local, regional and national policies guiding restoration? For restoration projects involving multiple governmental agencies, non-government organizations, tribal governments and other partners, how do we ensure continuity and completion of large-scale, multiyear restoration projects?

• How do we ensure that restoration policy facilitates integration of new science, new and improved technology, and new and improved modeling into restoration planning and implementation?

• How can the scientific information be used to achieve environmental sustainability in restoration programs? How do we set restoration objectives and define success?

• Are there opportunities for innovative win-win solutions that sustainably integrates humanity and nature in the restored ecosystem?

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The purpose of 2^nd NCER is to provide a forum for physical, biological, and social scientists, engineers, resource managers, planners and policy-makers to share their knowledge and research results concerning ecosystem restoration throughout the United States. The public forum will exchange information and "lessons learned" on opportunities for and challenges of achieving ecosystem restoration through partnership. Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about multi-scale ecosystem restoration programs (e.g., Missouri River, Great Lakes , Everglades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay Columbia River, Louisiana Coastal Area, Puget Sound, Mississippi River) and what has contributed to success, as well as lessons learned from these programs. The roles of policy, planning and science in establishing goals and performance expectations for achieving successful and sustainable ecosystem restoration will be explored. Successful partnerships and means to leverage resources will be an important component of these meetings.

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The conference is designed to bring together scientists and engineers, policy makers, planners and partners who are actively involved in and/or affected by all aspects of ecosystem restoration regardless of project or program size. Participants will interact in an interdisciplinary setting to summarize and review state-of-the-art science, planning, means to create partnerships and leverage resources, management activities, and to formulate goals and approaches to ecosystem restoration. This includes federal, state, and local agency personnel, tribal governments, non-government organizations, private interests, water resource engineers, water resource managers, environmental consultants, environmental policy managers, ecological scientists and researchers, hydrological modelers, students, and environmental interest groups.

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1. Science of Restoration

• Modeling

• Geomorphology/Geology

• Ecology and Hydrology

• Water Quality and Contaminants

• Fish and Wildlife Population Responses

• Restoring Processes Below and Through Barriers

• Integrating Restoration and Water/Land Management Needs

• Restoration and Invasive Species

• Geographic Information Systems

• Preserving Genetic Diversity

• Flow Regimes

2. System Responses and Trends

• Effect of Global Change

• Detecting and Understanding Change

• Interim Objectives for Long-Term Trends

• Performance Measures/Standards /Indicators

• Trend Analysis

• Dealing With Natural Variability

• Linkages and Integration

• Predicting Outcomes

• Effective Population Growth

• Balance Between Created vs. Natural Systems

3. Planning for Restoration

• Defining "Success" and Setting Objectives

• Conceptual and Quantitative Models

• Landscape Scaling

• Budget Development

• Leveraging Resources Through Partnerships

• Cost-Benefit Analysis

• Scoping (including interest of stakeholders)

• Opportunities and Limitations

• Considering Human Factors

4. Adaptive Management

• Theory to Application

• Risk and Uncertainty

• Master Manuals

• Framework for Learning

• Effective Collaboration

• Engineering for Project Robustness

• Monitoring Program Design

• Coupling Models and Observations

5. Partnering and Communication

• Integrating Science Throughout Institutional Structure

• More Effective Communication and Information Sharing Tools

• Strategic Input of Science in Management Decisions

• Getting Past Data

• Role and Obligation of Science to Communicate to the Broader Restoration Community

• Examples of Effective Partnering/Success

• Governments and Agencies at Work

• Public Education

6. Priorities for Ecosystem Restoration

• National Policies and Programs to Facilitate Restoration

• Establish National Priorities

• Lessons Learned from Large Scale Case Studies: Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, CALFED, Great Lakes, Glen Canyon, Louisiana Coastal Area, Missouri River, Columbia River, Puget Sound, Upper Mississippi River

• Synthesis of Lessons Learned

• Future Direction and Needs

• Science based planning

• Challenges

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SPECIAL CONFERENCE FEATURES
Restoration Coffee Houses A major goal of NCER is to provide participants with a unique opportunity to collectively identify vitally important issues faced by ecosystem restoration programs around the country. It is important we understand what practices and processes are used for dealing with issues, determine what has worked and what hasn’t, and most importantly, why. Approaches taken by four of the major restoration programs in the country, Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, Missouri River, and California Delta, in dealing with challenging issues faced by all ecosystem-scaled restoration programs will be tracked through three special Restoration Coffee House (RCH) sessions. Open discussions between session panels and the audience are intended to explore and evaluate different approaches, and to create syntheses of useful information for wide applications. These sessions will explore three such vital issues including: (1) approaches for defining and agreeing upon successful restoration endpoints, (2) setting priorities for implementation of program components in the context of constraints and trade-offs, and (3) integration of system-wide assessments of ecosystem responses. Following NCER, conclusions of these RCH sessions will be converted into a “restoration strategies” white paper.   Click on the links below for detailed descriptions of each session. Restoration Coffee House Session One: Defining Success           Tuesday, April 24, 4:00pm-5:30pm Restoration Coffee House Session Two: Setting Priorities           Thursday, April 26, 4:00pm-5:30pm Restoration Coffee House Session Three: Measuring Outcomes           Friday, April 27, 8:30am-10:00am Return to Index	Restoration Integration Issues in the Mississippi River Basin Several sessions of the conference, including the Tuesday morning plenary session, an open discussion session, and focused concurrent sessions throughout the week, will address ecosystem restoration within the Mississippi River basin, especially ideas related to cumulative project benefits. These sessions will be organized to foster the flow of planning and policy information from relevant agencies and organizations to field practitioners, and the experiences and recommendations of field staff to high level decision makers. The Tuesday plenary session will explore ways by which the next Farm Bill might facilitate greater attention to multi-scale spatial restoration approaches that support both site and downstream objectives. The Tuesday open discussion will provide an opportunity for practitioners to explore common questions and to present collaborative suggestions to a selected set of management and policy representatives from relevant restoration organizations. Common questions, prepared in advance by polling the restoration community, could include: • What is intended in the concept of river restoration integration or “scaling-up”? • Why is “scaling-up” important, and to who? • What are the major existing constraints to “scaling-up”? • Which agencies or organizations are, or should be, responsible? What new or modified management/institutional structures might be necessary? • What resources, tools, and programs (ie. Farm Bill) are available? • Who is currently interested/committed to moving forward with restoration integration within the Mississippi River Basin? Concurrent sessions focusing on programs at the sub-basin scale (i. e. the Upper Mississippi, Lower Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers will be promoted.
USACE Staff Gathering SPECIAL SESSION: Informal USACE Staff Gathering to Share Ecosystem Restoration Information Including Lessons Learned Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:00pm – 5:30pm There will be an informal gathering of USACE staff involved with or interested in large-scale ecosystem restoration programs and projects from around the country. The purpose of the meeting is to allow conference attendees from Corps Districts, commands and research facilities to meet their counterparts and share lessons learned and exchange information through a series of interactive questions to a panel which will include opportunities for audience involvement. This informal meeting was organized by Jim Boone of the Jacksonville District, South Atlantic Division. It will be moderated with introductory comments by Ed Theriot from Corps Headquarters and the new National Environmental Community of Practice Leader with help by Sandra Brewer of Rock Island District, Mississippi Valley Division and David Vigh, NCER07 Conference Chair, Mississippi Valley Division. At the panel table will be Ken Barr, Rock Island District, Mississippi Valley Division, Mike George, Omaha District, Northwest Division, Troy Constance, New Orleans District, Mississippi Valley Division, and Cheryl Ulrich, Jacksonville District, South Atlantic Division. Return to Index
Adaptive Management Workshop offered by CAMNet Monday, April 23, 2007 9:00am – 12:00pm CAMNet is offering an introductory course on adaptive management (AM) free of charge to conference attendees. The objective of the course is to introduce AM principles to natural resource practitioners as an alternative to traditional management approaches. The workshop will be taught using a combination of lecture and practical group exercise designed to provide participants with “hands-on” experience in developing a mock AM program. Topics to be addressed include: experimental design, monitoring and evaluation, collaboration, and consensus building with stakeholders and environmental organizations. This workshop is intended to help participants: Gain an understanding of what AM is and is not and when it is appropriate to use AM; understand some of the real world challenges involved in the implementation of an AM program designed to enhance restoration success; identify strategies to overcome institutional barriers in order to improve the effectiveness of AM efforts; and foster relationships with other colleagues dealing with AM. ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Because of the interactive nature of this workshop, attendance is limited to the first 50-registrants, and advance registration is required. Please indicate your interest in participating on the conference registration form. As seating space is limited, should you need to cancel your registration, please notify us no later than 14-days prior to the workshop so that another registrant may fill your seat. The Adaptive Management Workshop is full. Click here for additional information on the AM Workshop. (PDF format) Return to Index
OPTIONAL FIELD TRIPS (Advance registration by March 1st required - Registration for Field Trips is CLOSED) NCER 2007 will feature two field trips highlighting ecosystem restoration in the Kansas City area. Indicate your desire to participate when you register online. Both field trips include lunch, refreshments, transportation and private guides. As outdoor travel is involved, dress comfortably and be prepared for the weather. Advance registration by March 1st is required. Field Trip #1: Rocky Point Glades & Jerry Smith Park (Limited to first 60 registrants.) Friday, April 27, 2007 1:00pm – 5:30pm Join Kansas City WildLands, Kansas City (MO) Parks and Recreation Department, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an exciting guided half-day tour. Biologists and wildlife ecologists familiar with ongoing restoration efforts will guide you on a tour of two efforts to restore and manage the remnants of Kansas City's original landscape, including native prairie. Rocky Point Glades (Swope Park) Located in Swope Park (Kansas City’s largest park), Rocky Point Glades contains a mosaic of small limestone glades set within a fire-maintained oak woodland. An aggressive restoration of this site was initiated in 1999 and has been accomplished with volunteer labor. Restoration including woody removal, exotic species control, native plant reintroduction and prescribed burning is still in progress. Here chinkapin and post oaks preside over a part forest, part prairie herbaceous flora atop a dramatic layer of Bethany Falls limestone outcrops. Nearly 200 species of native plants have been identified at this site which showcases the forest/prairie ecotone of this region. Jerry Smith Park & Saeger Woods Conservation Area These two contiguous tracts contain remnant native prairie. An approximately 40-acre area on the west side of Smith Park has been the subject of intense restoration efforts since 1998 involving tree removal, prescribed burning and control of sericea lespedeza. The site contains the largest population in Missouri of the state-listed eared false foxglove. Smith Park contains the largest remaining tract of remnant prairie on the Missouri side of the metro area and the only one in the city limits of Kansas City. Prairie forbs grown at Powell Gardens from locally collected seed have been planted here at KC WildLands public workdays in recent years. The smaller east prairie of Jerry Smith Park was cleared of woody invasive encroachment in the 2004, and the newly opened prairie underwent its first prescribed burn in the fall of 2004. This area has a diverse spring flora which includes a number of conservative prairie forbs.   Field Trip #2: Missouri River - Kansas City Reach (Limited to first 100 registrants.) Friday, April 27, 2007 1:00pm – 5:30pm This guided boat trip on the Missouri River through the Kansas City area will include several informal presentations on the Missouri River Recovery Program along with many developed and natural sights to see. The conference field trip fee covers the cost of a bus ride to and from the boat along with a box lunch. If you do not wish to ride the bus or eat lunch you are welcome to drive up on your own. The Corps’ tour of Missouri River Recovery sites is free to the public. We will be on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspection barge pushed by a Corps boat. The barge has both outside and inside covered spaces, plenty of seating, and restroom facilities. Participants will be bussed from the conference hotel, board the barge in Parkville at the English Landing boat ramp (Rivermile 377), and travel downstream on the Missouri River for about three hours (25 river miles) to the La Benite Park boat ramp. Remember to bring your binoculars and a light coat if windy or overcast. Field Trip Fee: This fee includes lunch, transportation to the barge, and refreshments. The barge tour itself is a free service provided by the Corps. Please refer to the web site for detailed field trip information.

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For Attendees with Professional Certifications

If you maintain a professional license issued by a society, an association, an occupational licensing board or a department of professional regulation within your state, you may be eligible to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for your participation in NCER. You will need to contact the appropriate authority who manages your professional certification to verify your organization or individual state's licensing requirements, and to confirm what documentation is required. While we are not approved as an official CEU provider, your state may recognize this event as a qualified program, and you may be eligible to earn CEUs for your participation. A Record of Attendance Log will be maintained at the conference where you can sign in and sign out each day and create a record verifying your daily attendance. Within 30 days upon conclusion of the conference, we will mail you a formal "Certificate of Attendance" indicating the actual number of contact hours you accrued based on your participation hours recorded in the attendance log. It is your responsibility to compile all necessary paperwork and provide it to the appropriate licensing board or professional organization with whom you are certified, and to confirm this program content is acceptable based on their individual standards.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In general, one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is defined as 10 hours of instruction. One hour is calculated as 50 minutes of face-to-face instruction. If you have any questions regarding CEU requirements as they pertain to your professional certification or license, please directly contact the appropriate licensing board within your state. The University of Florida, Office of Conferences & Institutes and its employees are not authorized to act on your behalf or to provide consult regarding CEUs.

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REGISTRATION FEE SCHEDULE

What Does the Registration Fee Include?
 

Meeting & Student Attendee: The NCER 2007 registration fee provides full participation in the conference including registration materials, an abstract book, a nominal environmental restoration donation, a customized conference portfolio and canvas tote along with almost all meals throughout the workshop including morning, mid-day and afternoon refreshments every day; a Welcome Reception on the Plaza Monday evening, a Poster Session & Networking Reception on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and a boxed lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
 

Field Trip Fee: This fee includes lunch, refreshments, transportation and access to tour sites by private guides. Please refer to the web site for detailed field trip information.
 

Guest Fee: The NCER 2007 guest fee allows guests 10 years of age and older to attend the Monday Welcome Reception, and the Tuesday & Thursday Poster Session & Networking Receptions.
 

Click here for a printable version of the Registration Fee Schedule

Before clicking on the Register Now! link below, we recommend that you have payment information on-hand, such as credit card, check number or purchase order number, if we are to invoice your institution.
 

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The Midwest Natural Resources Group and US Geological Survey are proud to sponsor an Internet Café at NCER 2007. This service will feature comfortable computer stations and allow conference attendees to stay “connected” to their offices, check e-mail, and search the Internet.

The Internet Café will be conveniently located in the foyer of the Exhibit Hall - please feel free to stop by and take advantage of this service, which will be available from 1pm on Monday, April 23 through conclusion of the conference at 12noon on Friday, April 27.

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On behalf of the organizing committee of NCER 2007, it is our pleasure to announce the conference will feature nearly 50 exhibits on hand to showcase the latest in restoration services at this premiere national event. Attendees will be able to meet exhibit representatives individually and personally, and network with colleagues from around the country. Ample time is available to explore the exhibits and learn about cutting-edge products, publications, tools, and services available to restoration practitioners.

Exhibits will be on display during early morning refreshments and mid-day and afternoon refreshment breaks each day. There will also be two evening poster session receptions and two boxed lunches served in the exhibit hall on Tuesday and Thursday.

If you are an EXHIBITOR, Click the button below to view detailed Exhibitor Information and Instructions.

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Hyatt Regency Crown Center
2345 McGee Street,
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Tel: 816 421 1234; FAX: 816 435 4190
Web Site: crowncenter.hyatt.com

The conference will be held at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Crown Center. The Hyatt is the ultimate central location in Kansas City, and is connected by an enclosed walkway to the fascinating Crown Center, an office and shopping complex featuring numerous restaurants and specialty shops where attendees are sure to find the fare of their choosing - all at affordable prices.

Room Rate Information:
The Hyatt Regency is offering the prevailing Government Rate for the conference, which is currently $96 per night with one or two people in a room (single or double occupancy) and $121 a night with three or four people per room, plus sales and occupancy tax (currently 15.225 percent) plus $1.50 per night (plus tax) city development fee.

You may upgrade to the Hyatt's Regency Club Level for an additional $30 per night. Please note these room rates are non-commissionable, and may change depending on federal per diem established for Kansas City at the time of the conference.

TO MAKE A RESERVATION:
To make a room reservation, contact the Hyatt's Hotel Reservation Department by calling (816) 421-1234, or 1-800-233-1234. Be sure to specify you are attending the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER). All hotel reservations must be made by Friday, March 9, 2007. After this date, reservations will be accepted based on availability at the hotel's prevailing rates. (To receive tax exempt status, payment must be made in the form of a government issued check, credit card or purchase order, and, be accompanied by a Missouri sales tax exemption certificate presented at check-in.)

Special Instructions: A first night's room deposit must be made with a credit card, check or cash within 10 days of placing your reservation. For any reservations that "no show" or, are canceled within 72 hours of arrival, the deposit will not be refunded. Check-in time is after 4pm and check-out time is 11am. Should you arrive early or depart after these times, baggage storage areas are available for early arrivals and late departures.

SPECIAL NOTES:
- Adults are 18 years old and over. Children under 18 are free.
- Rollaway beds are available for $20 per day plus current taxes.
- Self parking is $13/day.

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