Sustainable Idaho

Doc and Connie Hatfield, Country Natural Beef – Ranchers and founding members of a thirty-farm cooperative that produces and markets hormone and antibiotic free beef.

Ben Packard, Starbucks – Director of Environmental Affairs for this Fortune 500 company that integrates environmental and social responsibility throughout its worldwide supply chain.

Nathan Good, BetterBricks – Architect, designer, consultant, and member of integrated design teams developing sustainable architectural solutions that incorporate energy and environmental efficiencies.

Thinking Like a Watershed: Restoring and Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems
10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Natural Resources

Restoration of large-scale ecosystems not only supports the return of healthy self-sustaining natural processes, but can also provide benefits to area communities and businesses. The South Fork Snake River Ecologically-Based System Management Project (EBSM) in Idaho provides an excellent example of many interests working together to return a river floodplain system to a self-sustaining, healthy condition. Learn about the scientific basis for this project, the expected benefits and the lessons learned. Various user groups share their perspectives on this unique project and their reasons for getting involved.

Moderated by: Chris Jansen Lute, Program Manager, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (project overview, key findings, letting the river do the work)

Matt Woodard, Trout Unlimited (recreational users, the fishery, Yellowstone cutthroat trout)

Don Hale, Hale Farms (water supply, irrigation)

Allen May, The Nature Conservancy (ecosystem management)

Frameworks for Making Sustainable Business Decisions (Workshop)
10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Business

If you want to pursue sustainability, it’s helpful to have a framework or set of principles to guide you. In this session, we’ll explain three of the most popular ones: the “triple bottom line,” environmental management system, and The Natural Step framework. You’ll also learn how to adapt your company mission or values into a framework. Since the number of different frameworks and buzzwords associated with sustainability is exploding, you will also get a listing of many more tools, organized by the type of business so you can tell which ones are most relevant and helpful to your situation.

Energy Efficiency in the Sustainability Equation: Discovering the Economic Value
10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Energy

Energy efficiency opportunities are everywhere around us. This session provides an overview of the positive fiscal and societal impacts that energy efficiency measures have made over the past 20 years and looks at where we're going for the next 20.

Tom Eckman, Northwest Power and Conservation Council (regional accomplishments and potential)

Richard Beam, Providence Health System (business and efficiency success stories)

Climate-Responsive Design: Integrating Building and the Environment (Workshop)

10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Built Environment

The demand for a new generation of high-performance architecture is straining an antiquated architectural design process. Our emerging demands for buildings to be designed to minimize their environmental impact yet improve their comfort, increase their life span yet minimize their maintenance, and respond to community concerns while simultaneously enhancing aesthetics is creating a profound challenge. This session presents a strategy to implement an integrated design process towards the attainment of climate-responsive projects that meet the needs of owners, occupants and the community.

Community Responses to Sustainability: Leveraging social and natural capital
10:45 am- 12:00 pm - Community

Communities have used sustainability to inspire new directions, improving economic opportunities and quality of life while protecting the environment. Discover how you might improve your community.

Diane Snyder, Wallowa Resources, Enterprise, Oregon (removing the “boom and bust” cycles for natural resource dependent communities; description of programs and projects)

Joyce Dearstyne, Framing Our Community, Elk City, Idaho (dealing with major job loss, assessing assets of community, forest fuel reduction, fish habitat projects, business incubator)

Janine Benyus, Biomimicry: Using Nature as an Inspiration for Sustainable Solutions
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

New Markets, New Approaches, New Solutions: Rethinking Natural Resources and Rebuilding Profitability
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Natural Resources

Successful entrepreneurs are using new approaches to achieve profitability in the natural resource industries and achieve sustainability goals. Speakers share their success stories on how they took advantage of market niches and benefited their bottom line.

Lani Malmberg, Ewe4ic Ecological Services (taking advantage of a market niche - goats for invasive weed control)

Fred Fleming, Shepherd’s Grain (defining a specialty product, direct marketing and product pricing)

Doc and Connie Hatfield, Country Natural Beef (formerly Oregon Country Beef), (product branding and positioning, coop marketing)

Tools for the Workplace: Practical Ideas for Sustainable Business
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Business

Getting the most out of sustainability requires teamwork, employee involvement and solid analytical tools. In this session, you’ll hear about some of the most useful tools for applying sustainability to your internal operations.

Ben Packard, Starbucks (setting goals and measuring performance)

Susan Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser Winery (The Natural Step framework)

The Greening of the Grid: How to Move Alternative Energy Through Your Meter
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Energy

Alternative energy production is on the rise. Come hear about the options available to people who want to support or supply renewable resources as a part of the electrical grid. Should you consider setting up a net metering contract, contributing to a green power program or purchasing green tags?

Making the Business Case for LEED (Workshop)
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Built Environment

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a powerful framework to plan and evaluate more sustainable buildings. Discover what sells, what benefits most resonate with the building owners and decision makers. Whether you are a business owner thinking of building or remodeling or someone in the building profession wanting to convince customers to design a LEED building, come discover how to make a solid financial business case for LEED.

Creating Value-Added Communities: Places that Work for Everyone (Workshop)
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Community

Creating a Value-Added Community™ is a signature product of the Northwest Area Foundation’s Connections program. With primary focuses on community wealth creation, building community capacity and poverty reduction, the program materials introduce and define community development concepts and provide worksheets and tools for applying those concepts to develop a 3 – 5 year strategic “business plan” for the community.

Habitat Enhancement on Public, Private and Corporate Lands (Workshop) 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Natural Resources

Just about anyone who owns or manages land can do something in support of wildlife habitat. Discover tools to help you get started in enhancing habitat on your land. Consider the additional benefits, including employee morale, community relations, and your bottom line.

Expanding the Toolbox: Strategies for Engaging Stakeholders
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Business

Hillary Mizia, New Belgium Brewing (working with employees, community, and customers)

Steve Pollack, Hewlett Packard (supply chain conformance and product take back initiatives)

Better Energy Efficiency Answers: Not all Solutions that Save Energy are Sustainable (Workshop)
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Energy

Saving energy sounds good but where should you start? Experts in a variety of fields will provide tangible solutions, resources and tips on how to make choices that are both energy efficient and sustainable.

Sustainable Building Materials: How to Use Them and Where to Find Them
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Built Environment

In this session, learn how to choose more sustainable materials and where to get them. Find out how to incorporate them into your design.

Connecting Urban and Rural: Bridging the “Divide”
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Community

The long-standing debate over the “urban-rural divide” is giving way to a new “rural and urban” paradigm where people, businesses and communities make economic decisions based on shared values, and harness the competitive advantage of doing business together. They are pursuing a sustainable, “triple bottom line” profit: family and community stability, economic viability, and environmental stewardship. By overcoming divisive conflict and seeking cooperative paths, they are giving new meaning and energy to core Northwest values. This session provides an opportunity for rural producers and their urban business partners to cooperatively present their stories and discuss the connections they have made across the Northwest's so-called “urban-rural divide.”

Fred Fleming, Shepherd’s Grain and Sam Currie Bon Appetit (creating and fulfilling a supply chain for local, sustainably-produced flour and other dryland crops)

James Honey, Sustainable Northwest (Yainix Ranch, stewardship investments on working lands, matching urban capital with private restoration efforts)

Nils Christoffersen, Wallowa Resources (Upper Joseph Watershed Restoration project, managing diverse stakeholders)

March 3, 2005
Thomas Gladwin, Sustainability and Systems Thinking: Understanding The Big Picture
8:30 am - 9:30 am

Opening, Katie Sewell, Deputy Director, Idaho Small Business Development Center, Conference Co-Chair

Common Ground: Preserving the Land and Achieving Profitability for the Working Landscape
9:45 am - 11:00 am - Natural Resources

The open landscapes we value in the West often support a variety of natural resource based enterprises, including ranching, forestry and recreation. Individuals and businesses that depend on the land for their livelihood share their stories and lessons learned in preserving the landscape and achieving economic success.

Dennis Murphy, Potlatch Corporation (Sustainable forestry – the business of managing natural capital)

Michael Stevens, Lava Lake Land and Livestock, LLC (testing new methods to achieve conservation goals and profitability)

The Sustainability Edge: Delivering what the market demands
9:45 am - 11:00 am - Business

In today's market, more and more people want to know the environmental and labor implications of their purchases and investments. How can you communicate your sustainable practices and products to these stakeholders? How can you tap into this expanding market?

Developing Renewables: Small Scale Options for Our Region
9:45 am - 11:00 am - Energy

Wind, geothermal, solar..... What renewable resources have potential in the inland northwest? Here's a chance to look at some current and proposed examples and discuss what government is doing to help.

George Eskridge, Idaho Legislative Energy Committee Co-chair (government support)

Lessons from the Field: High Performance Buildings in the Region 9:45 am – 11:00 am – Built Environment

The region already has a number of exciting high-performance buildings. Come to this session to hear real-world stories about what works and what doesn’t. Get ideas for features you might include in your own projects.

David Gibney, HDR Architects (underfloor air distribution, geothermal heat, advanced illumination controls, and a comprehensive stormwater recycling system)

Jim Hanna, Xanterra Parks & Resorts (practical components of Mantana’s first LEED project)

Exploding Myths: Expanding your Economic Possibilities
9:45 am - 11:00 am - Community

People hold a number of assumptions about the challenges of rural communities but some of them are false. The Sonoran Institute will present a socio-economic profile of the inland Northwest so you can better understand your threats and opportunities. Hear how some rural communities have gone beyond their traditional economic base to overcome population decline, unemployment, poverty and other rural challenges. Also hear about the Inland Northwest Economic Adjustment Strategy.

Certification Programs: What can they do for you?
11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Natural Resources

Certification programs are being used to achieve market advantage, improve community and shareholder relations, sustain resources and avoid mandatory controls. Companies representing diverse natural resource industries share lessons learned from their certification experience and the impacts on such issues like product perception, community relations and the bottom line.

Moderated By: Dr. Jay O’Laughlin, Director of Policy Analysis Group, University of Idaho

Steve Smith, Potlatch Corporation (Environmental Management System – ISO 14001 Certification, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Certification, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification)

Matthew Buck, Food Alliance (Food Alliance Certification – a certifier’s perspective)

Rather than just reducing their negative impacts, some businesses are branding their new ventures as sustainable, making sustainability integral to what they do. Come listen to stories about these brave pioneers. How is it working? Is the market responding? How do they see the business landscape changing?

Dave Williams, Shorebank Pacific (first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development)

Melanie Curtis, Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships – Second Chance Building Materials (deconstruction and labor force)

Moderator: Brian Back, Sustainable Industries Journal (sustainable business trends)

Putting it All Together: Combining Efficiency and Renewables for Maximum Benefit
11:15 am – 12:30 pm - Energy

To address our energy challenges, we will need to address both the supply and demand side of the equation. There are elegant ways to combine energy conservation and renewables to maximize the benefits.

Hillary Mizia, New Belgium Brewing (one of the most energy efficient breweries in the world using wind power to make beer)

Dave Ryan, National Center on Appropriate Technology (economics of combining efficiency and renewables)

CJ Hardy, Oregon Department of Corrections, Snake Rive Correctional Institution (solar thermal hot water for boilers)

Beyond LEED: Unconventional Building Practices
11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Built Environment

LEED represents a significant improvement over code but it is still not completely sustainable. What would a building be like that was made from local materials, kept all the water on site and generated more energy than it uses? Come to this session for a glimpse into the future by our pioneering building professionals.

Bruce Millard, Eco Building Guild – straw bale, SIPS, Green Roofs, residential rain water collection

Holly Martin – SHIP housing project in Spokane

Kurt Rathmann, University of Idaho - strawbale and rasta block, rain water collection

Economic Clusters: Recognizing and Growing Their Potential
11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Community

Several communities have recognized clusters of businesses beginning to develop and foster their creation and interaction. This session will highlight several of these examples.

Cylvia Hayes, Business Alliance for Sustainable Energy (renewable energy cluster in Bend, Oregon)

Chris Figgins, Leonetti Cellars (winery cluster in Walla Walla, Washington)

Dawn Wells, The Idaho Film and Television Institute, Inc. (film cluster in Driggs, Idaho)

Larry Selzer, Building Bridges in Conservation: The partnership between communities, the economy and the environment
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Larry Selzer is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in metropolitan Washington, D.C. The Conservation Fund protects the nation’s legacy of land and water resources in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, public agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. Through land acquisition, community initiatives, and leadership development, The Fund and its partners demonstrate sustainable conservation solutions emphasizing the integration of economic and environmental goals.

High-Performance Building/Energy Tour:
2:15 pm – 5:00 pm – Site visit

Stan Cole of Cole + Poe Architects will give a tour of the building on Front Street as well as the Ada County Courthouse and Administration building.

Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg will lead this site visit to the Lighting Design Lab in downtown Boise

MK Nature Center Tour: A Close Encounter With Idaho Landscapes
2:15 pm – 5:00 pm – Site visit

In changing economic times, understanding your competitive advantage is critical to economic success. In this session you will learn about what constitutes competitive advantage for rural communities, firms, and individuals.

Doing Your Part: Moving Your Organization Toward Sustainability (Workshop)
2:15 pm - 5:00 pm

All organizations have an opportunity to become more sustainable. We tend to discount the actions we do take as inconsequential, but the cumulative impact can be huge. This workshop will help you identify targeted, often money-saving strategies and practices for moving your organization toward sustainability. You will leave with a checklist of tested actions as well as a list of helpful resources.

This learning-through-participation workshop will acquaint attendees with the key concepts, tools and techniques of systems thinking in relation to sustainable business and community actions. Dr. Gladwin will use a mix of briefings, discussions, practical exercises, case studies and videos to engage and challenge the current thinking of participants. The program also offers an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of sustainability and its related issues.

Through this workshop, participants will examine different models of rural community revitalization from the Northwest and learn the best approaches to promoting collaborative, local-knowledge-based planning efforts that foster leadership, maximize available capital, and create competitive advantage to encourage social vitality, environmental health, and economic resilience.

Communities in economically distressed rural areas of the Inland Northwest will have an opportunity to apply for funding to move their community toward sustainability over the coming year. This is a how-to session for qualified rural communities and organizations on applying for post-conference competitive seed funding. Check the “Related Activities” section of this web site for more information.

			Conference The Grove Hotel - Boise, Idaho March 2 - 3, 2005
home
		session descriptions
	March 2, 2005 Profiles in Sustainability: A Success Story Showcase 8:30 am - 10:15 am Opening: Helen Rigg, Director, Idaho GEMStars and Conference Co-Chair Welcome: Toni Hardesty, Director, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality If you know what to look for, sustainability is showing up everywhere. Businesses, both large and small, are using it to improve their bottom line, governmental agencies are using it to improve their services, communities are using it to improve quality of life, and habitats are being restored. They’ve discovered that they don’t have to choose between a healthy economy, community and environment. We can have it all! This plenary session will provide an overview of sustainability. Hear inspiring stories from organizations with roots in the inland Northwest who have benefited from sustainable practices. Doc and Connie Hatfield, Country Natural Beef – Ranchers and founding members of a thirty-farm cooperative that produces and markets hormone and antibiotic free beef. Ben Packard, Starbucks – Director of Environmental Affairs for this Fortune 500 company that integrates environmental and social responsibility throughout its worldwide supply chain. Nathan Good, BetterBricks – Architect, designer, consultant, and member of integrated design teams developing sustainable architectural solutions that incorporate energy and environmental efficiencies. Thinking Like a Watershed: Restoring and Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems 10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Natural Resources Restoration of large-scale ecosystems not only supports the return of healthy self-sustaining natural processes, but can also provide benefits to area communities and businesses. The South Fork Snake River Ecologically-Based System Management Project (EBSM) in Idaho provides an excellent example of many interests working together to return a river floodplain system to a self-sustaining, healthy condition. Learn about the scientific basis for this project, the expected benefits and the lessons learned. Various user groups share their perspectives on this unique project and their reasons for getting involved. Moderated by: Chris Jansen Lute, Program Manager, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (project overview, key findings, letting the river do the work) Matt Woodard, Trout Unlimited (recreational users, the fishery, Yellowstone cutthroat trout) Don Hale, Hale Farms (water supply, irrigation) Allen May, The Nature Conservancy (ecosystem management) Frameworks for Making Sustainable Business Decisions (Workshop) 10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Business If you want to pursue sustainability, it’s helpful to have a framework or set of principles to guide you. In this session, we’ll explain three of the most popular ones: the “triple bottom line,” environmental management system, and The Natural Step framework. You’ll also learn how to adapt your company mission or values into a framework. Since the number of different frameworks and buzzwords associated with sustainability is exploding, you will also get a listing of many more tools, organized by the type of business so you can tell which ones are most relevant and helpful to your situation. Darcy Hitchcock, AXIS Performance Advisors Energy Efficiency in the Sustainability Equation: Discovering the Economic Value 10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Energy Energy efficiency opportunities are everywhere around us. This session provides an overview of the positive fiscal and societal impacts that energy efficiency measures have made over the past 20 years and looks at where we're going for the next 20. Tom Eckman, Northwest Power and Conservation Council (regional accomplishments and potential) Richard Beam, Providence Health System (business and efficiency success stories) Dave Hewitt Moderator: Darlene Nemnich, Idaho Power Company Climate-Responsive Design: Integrating Building and the Environment (Workshop) 10:45 am - 12:00 pm - Built Environment The demand for a new generation of high-performance architecture is straining an antiquated architectural design process. Our emerging demands for buildings to be designed to minimize their environmental impact yet improve their comfort, increase their life span yet minimize their maintenance, and respond to community concerns while simultaneously enhancing aesthetics is creating a profound challenge. This session presents a strategy to implement an integrated design process towards the attainment of climate-responsive projects that meet the needs of owners, occupants and the community. Nathan Good, BetterBricks Community Responses to Sustainability: Leveraging social and natural capital 10:45 am- 12:00 pm - Community Communities have used sustainability to inspire new directions, improving economic opportunities and quality of life while protecting the environment. Discover how you might improve your community. Diane Snyder, Wallowa Resources, Enterprise, Oregon (removing the “boom and bust” cycles for natural resource dependent communities; description of programs and projects) Joyce Dearstyne, Framing Our Community, Elk City, Idaho (dealing with major job loss, assessing assets of community, forest fuel reduction, fish habitat projects, business incubator) Jim Birdsall, Council, Idaho (principles for success) Moderator: Bob Ford, Office of Senator Mike Crapo Janine Benyus, Biomimicry: Using Nature as an Inspiration for Sustainable Solutions 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Janine Benyus, author of the popular book, Biomimicry, has uncovered a new source of innovation. People in many different fields, from agriculture to manufacturing to computing, are using nature as a source of inspiration to find innovative new ways to achieve our aims with fewer negative impacts. For example, spiders make a filament stronger than Kevlar and mussels make a biodegradable glue that adheres under water. Biomimics take advantage of Nature’s elegant methods. Benyus’ exquisite slide show will inspire you to become a biomimic too. New Markets, New Approaches, New Solutions: Rethinking Natural Resources and Rebuilding Profitability 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Natural Resources Successful entrepreneurs are using new approaches to achieve profitability in the natural resource industries and achieve sustainability goals. Speakers share their success stories on how they took advantage of market niches and benefited their bottom line. Moderated By: Dr. Chuck Harris, University of Idaho Lani Malmberg, Ewe4ic Ecological Services (taking advantage of a market niche - goats for invasive weed control) Fred Fleming, Shepherd’s Grain (defining a specialty product, direct marketing and product pricing) Doc and Connie Hatfield, Country Natural Beef (formerly Oregon Country Beef), (product branding and positioning, coop marketing) Nils Christoffersen, Wallowa Resources (defining and developing markets for small diameter timber) Tools for the Workplace: Practical Ideas for Sustainable Business 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Business Getting the most out of sustainability requires teamwork, employee involvement and solid analytical tools. In this session, you’ll hear about some of the most useful tools for applying sustainability to your internal operations. John Bernardo, Albertson’s (bottom line decision-making) Ben Packard, Starbucks (setting goals and measuring performance) Susan Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser Winery (The Natural Step framework) Moderator: Katie Sewell, Idaho Small Business Development Center The Greening of the Grid: How to Move Alternative Energy Through Your Meter 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Energy Alternative energy production is on the rise. Come hear about the options available to people who want to support or supply renewable resources as a part of the electrical grid. Should you consider setting up a net metering contract, contributing to a green power program or purchasing green tags? Leroy Jarolimek, Wind Advantage (rural wind development) Nancy Hirsh, Northwest Energy Coalition Mark Bowen, CH2MHill (business case for alternative energy) Moderator: Bill Chisholm Making the Business Case for LEED (Workshop) 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Built Environment LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a powerful framework to plan and evaluate more sustainable buildings. Discover what sells, what benefits most resonate with the building owners and decision makers. Whether you are a business owner thinking of building or remodeling or someone in the building profession wanting to convince customers to design a LEED building, come discover how to make a solid financial business case for LEED. Mark Frankel, Paladino & Associates Creating Value-Added Communities: Places that Work for Everyone (Workshop) 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm - Community Creating a Value-Added Community™ is a signature product of the Northwest Area Foundation’s Connections program. With primary focuses on community wealth creation, building community capacity and poverty reduction, the program materials introduce and define community development concepts and provide worksheets and tools for applying those concepts to develop a 3 – 5 year strategic “business plan” for the community. Karla Miller, Northwest Area Foundation Cameron Wold, Idaho Small Business Development Center Habitat Enhancement on Public, Private and Corporate Lands (Workshop) 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Natural Resources Just about anyone who owns or manages land can do something in support of wildlife habitat. Discover tools to help you get started in enhancing habitat on your land. Consider the additional benefits, including employee morale, community relations, and your bottom line. Workshop presented by Bob Johnson and Lesley Kordella Wildlife Habitat Council Expanding the Toolbox: Strategies for Engaging Stakeholders 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Business To be sustainable, you have to get outside the box of your own organization, take a whole-systems view, and engage other stakeholders. In this session, you’ll learn several tools for collaborating and communicating with suppliers and shareholders while working toward protecting the natural environment. Jim Hanna, Xanterra Parks & Resorts (Environmental Management Systems) Hillary Mizia, New Belgium Brewing (working with employees, community, and customers) Steve Pollack, Hewlett Packard (supply chain conformance and product take back initiatives) Moderator: Janice Brown, Yellowstone Business Partnership Better Energy Efficiency Answers: Not all Solutions that Save Energy are Sustainable (Workshop) 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Energy Saving energy sounds good but where should you start? Experts in a variety of fields will provide tangible solutions, resources and tips on how to make choices that are both energy efficient and sustainable. Ken Eklund, Idaho Energy Division (large commercial efficiency) Mike Littrel, Avista Corporation (small business efficiency) Quentin Nesbitt, Idaho Power Company (irrigation efficiency) Sustainable Building Materials: How to Use Them and Where to Find Them 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Built Environment In this session, learn how to choose more sustainable materials and where to get them. Find out how to incorporate them into your design. Bruce Poe, Cole Architects – Building Shell Michaella Wittman, HDR - Interiors Moderator: Sherry McKibben, Idaho Urban Research and Design Center Connecting Urban and Rural: Bridging the “Divide” 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Community The long-standing debate over the “urban-rural divide” is giving way to a new “rural *and* urban” paradigm where people, businesses and communities make economic decisions based on shared values, and harness the competitive advantage of doing business together. They are pursuing a sustainable, “triple bottom line” profit: family and community stability, economic viability, and environmental stewardship. By overcoming divisive conflict and seeking cooperative paths, they are giving new meaning and energy to core Northwest values. This session provides an opportunity for rural producers and their urban business partners to cooperatively present their stories and discuss the connections they have made across the Northwest's so-called “urban-rural divide.” Fred Fleming, Shepherd’s Grain and Sam Currie Bon Appetit (creating and fulfilling a supply chain for local, sustainably-produced flour and other dryland crops) James Honey, Sustainable Northwest (Yainix Ranch, stewardship investments on working lands, matching urban capital with private restoration efforts) Nils Christoffersen, Wallowa Resources (Upper Joseph Watershed Restoration project, managing diverse stakeholders) March 3, 2005 Thomas Gladwin, Sustainability and Systems Thinking: Understanding The Big Picture 8:30 am - 9:30 am Opening, Katie Sewell, Deputy Director, Idaho Small Business Development Center, Conference Co-Chair Introduction: Lisa Leff, Trillium Asset Management Thomas Gladwin is Professor of Sustainable Enterprise and Director of Corporate Environmental Management Program at the University of Michigan. He is the Director of the Erb Environmental Management Institute, which promotes innovative and cross-disciplinary research on ecologically and socially sustainable business. Gladwin also acts as Faculty Director of the Corporate Environmental Management Program, in which students jointly achieve an MBA and a Masters in environmental science. Common Ground: Preserving the Land and Achieving Profitability for the Working Landscape 9:45 am - 11:00 am - Natural Resources The open landscapes we value in the West often support a variety of natural resource based enterprises, including ranching, forestry and recreation. Individuals and businesses that depend on the land for their livelihood share their stories and lessons learned in preserving the landscape and achieving economic success. Moderated By: Martin Goebel, President, Sustainable Northwest Chris Black, Bruneau Rancher (ranching in balance with nature) Dennis Murphy, Potlatch Corporation (Sustainable forestry – the business of managing natural capital) Michael Stevens, Lava Lake Land and Livestock, LLC (testing new methods to achieve conservation goals and profitability) The Sustainability Edge: Delivering what the market demands 9:45 am - 11:00 am - Business In today's market, more and more people want to know the environmental and labor implications of their purchases and investments. How can you communicate your sustainable practices and products to these stakeholders? How can you tap into this expanding market? Janie Burns, Meadowlark Farms (organic and natural foods market) Keziah Sullivan, Ten Thousand Villages (fair trade) Shelley Zimmer, Nike (new product development) Moderator: Lisa Leff, Trillium Asset Management Developing Renewables: Small Scale Options for Our Region 9:45 am - 11:00 am - Energy Wind, geothermal, solar..... What renewable resources have potential in the inland northwest? Here's a chance to look at some current and proposed examples and discuss what government is doing to help. Moderator – Bob Hoppie, Idaho Energy Division Brian Jackson, Renaissance Engineering (wind) Leo Ray (geothermal) Scott Gates, Idaho Power (solar) George Eskridge, Idaho Legislative Energy Committee Co-chair (government support) Lessons from the Field: High Performance Buildings in the Region 9:45 am – 11:00 am – Built Environment The region already has a number of exciting high-performance buildings. Come to this session to hear real-world stories about what works and what doesn’t. Get ideas for features you might include in your own projects. David Gibney, HDR Architects (underfloor air distribution, geothermal heat, advanced illumination controls, and a comprehensive stormwater recycling system) Jeff Downhour, Mosaic Architects – (daylighting and lighting) Jim Hanna, Xanterra Parks & Resorts (practical components of Mantana’s first LEED project) Moderator: Ken Baker, K-Energy Exploding Myths: Expanding your Economic Possibilities 9:45 am - 11:00 am - Community People hold a number of assumptions about the challenges of rural communities but some of them are false. The Sonoran Institute will present a socio-economic profile of the inland Northwest so you can better understand your threats and opportunities. Hear how some rural communities have gone beyond their traditional economic base to overcome population decline, unemployment, poverty and other rural challenges. Also hear about the Inland Northwest Economic Adjustment Strategy. Ben Alexander, The Sonoran Institute Dick Gardner, Inland Northwest Economic Adjustment Strategy Certification Programs: What can they do for you? 11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Natural Resources Certification programs are being used to achieve market advantage, improve community and shareholder relations, sustain resources and avoid mandatory controls. Companies representing diverse natural resource industries share lessons learned from their certification experience and the impacts on such issues like product perception, community relations and the bottom line. Moderated By: Dr. Jay O’Laughlin, Director of Policy Analysis Group, University of Idaho Fred Brossy, Ernie’s Organics (Certified Organic) Steve Smith, Potlatch Corporation (Environmental Management System – ISO 14001 Certification, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Certification, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification) Matthew Buck, Food Alliance (Food Alliance Certification – a certifier’s perspective) Sustainable New Ventures: The Next Frontier 11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Business Rather than just reducing their negative impacts, some businesses are branding their new ventures as sustainable, making sustainability integral to what they do. Come listen to stories about these brave pioneers. How is it working? Is the market responding? How do they see the business landscape changing? Dave Williams, Shorebank Pacific (first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development) Melanie Curtis, Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships – Second Chance Building Materials (deconstruction and labor force) Moderator: Brian Back, Sustainable Industries Journal (sustainable business trends) Putting it All Together: Combining Efficiency and Renewables for Maximum Benefit 11:15 am – 12:30 pm - Energy To address our energy challenges, we will need to address both the supply and demand side of the equation. There are elegant ways to combine energy conservation and renewables to maximize the benefits. Hillary Mizia, New Belgium Brewing (one of the most energy efficient breweries in the world using wind power to make beer) Dave Ryan, National Center on Appropriate Technology (economics of combining efficiency and renewables) CJ Hardy, Oregon Department of Corrections, Snake Rive Correctional Institution (solar thermal hot water for boilers) Beyond LEED: Unconventional Building Practices 11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Built Environment LEED represents a significant improvement over code but it is still not completely sustainable. What would a building be like that was made from local materials, kept all the water on site and generated more energy than it uses? Come to this session for a glimpse into the future by our pioneering building professionals. Bruce Millard, Eco Building Guild – straw bale, SIPS, Green Roofs, residential rain water collection Holly Martin – SHIP housing project in Spokane Kurt Rathmann, University of Idaho - strawbale and rasta block, rain water collection Economic Clusters: Recognizing and Growing Their Potential 11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Community Several communities have recognized clusters of businesses beginning to develop and foster their creation and interaction. This session will highlight several of these examples. Cylvia Hayes, Business Alliance for Sustainable Energy (renewable energy cluster in Bend, Oregon) Chris Figgins, Leonetti Cellars (winery cluster in Walla Walla, Washington) Dawn Wells, The Idaho Film and Television Institute, Inc. (film cluster in Driggs, Idaho) Moderated by: Nancy Napier, Boise State University Larry Selzer, Building Bridges in Conservation: The partnership between communities, the economy and the environment 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Remarks: Marty Peterson, Assistant to the President, University of Idaho Introduction: Jerry Brady, Publisher, Post Register Larry Selzer is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in metropolitan Washington, D.C. The Conservation Fund protects the nation’s legacy of land and water resources in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, public agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. Through land acquisition, community initiatives, and leadership development, The Fund and its partners demonstrate sustainable conservation solutions emphasizing the integration of economic and environmental goals. High-Performance Building/Energy Tour: 2:15 pm – 5:00 pm – Site visit Stan Cole of Cole + Poe Architects will give a tour of the building on Front Street as well as the Ada County Courthouse and Administration building. Lighting Design Lab: 2:15 pm – 5:00 pm – Site visit Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg will lead this site visit to the Lighting Design Lab in downtown Boise MK Nature Center Tour: A Close Encounter With Idaho Landscapes 2:15 pm – 5:00 pm – Site visit The Idaho Fish and Game Department will lead this tour of the MK Nature Center Identifying Your Competitive Advantage (Workshop) 2:15 pm - 5:00 pm In changing economic times, understanding your competitive advantage is critical to economic success. In this session you will learn about what constitutes competitive advantage for rural communities, firms, and individuals. Ben Alexander, The Sonoran Institute Doing Your Part: Moving Your Organization Toward Sustainability (Workshop) 2:15 pm - 5:00 pm All organizations have an opportunity to become more sustainable. We tend to discount the actions we do take as inconsequential, but the cumulative impact can be huge. This workshop will help you identify targeted, often money-saving strategies and practices for moving your organization toward sustainability. You will leave with a checklist of tested actions as well as a list of helpful resources. Marsha Willard, AXIS Performance Advisors Systems Thinking for Sustainable Enterprise (Workshop) 2:15 pm - 5:00 pm This learning-through-participation workshop will acquaint attendees with the key concepts, tools and techniques of systems thinking in relation to sustainable business and community actions. Dr. Gladwin will use a mix of briefings, discussions, practical exercises, case studies and videos to engage and challenge the current thinking of participants. The program also offers an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of sustainability and its related issues. Thomas Gladwin, University of Michigan Moving Your Community Toward Sustainability (Workshop) 2:15 pm - 5:00 pm Through this workshop, participants will examine different models of rural community revitalization from the Northwest and learn the best approaches to promoting collaborative, local-knowledge-based planning efforts that foster leadership, maximize available capital, and create competitive advantage to encourage social vitality, environmental health, and economic resilience. Communities in economically distressed rural areas of the Inland Northwest will have an opportunity to apply for funding to move their community toward sustainability over the coming year. This is a how-to session for qualified rural communities and organizations on applying for post-conference competitive seed funding. Check the “Related Activities” section of this web site for more information. Facilitator: Karen Steer, Sustainable Northwest
Click here to download the Agenda in pdf format.

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