Family farm alliance annual conference 013009

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.

The Challenges and Opportunities of our Times:
Our Legacy for the Next Generation
2009 Family Farm Alliance Annual Conference
March 5-6, 2009
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

At a time when historic political change is rolling through Washington, DC, the Family Farm Alliance is poised to engage our new leaders in Washington and collectively face the challenges and create opportunities that will define the future of the American West.

Recognizing the value of irrigated agriculture is vital.

Aggressive action to repair aging infrastructure and create new water supply enhancement projects is imperative.

Properly managing federal watersheds and encouraging federal agencies to work with the agricultural community to solve local water challenges are equally crucial.

Through thoughtful planning, the new Administration and our leaders in Congress can play a truly important role in helping to solve water issues that today seem so insurmountable.

Join us in Las Vegas and learn firsthand what key environmental policy officials and Western water managers are preparing to do as a new
Administration begins to work with Congress on issues of vital importance to Western rural communities.

Check out our conference line-up:

Keynote Speaker John Echohawk, NARF executive director and a member of President-elect Obama's transtion team;
Aging Water Infrastructure Panel, with former Interior Dep't Assistant Secretary Mark Limbaugh, NWRA Executive Director Tom Donnelly, Larry Mires (St. Mary Facilities Working Group, MT), and Shannon McDaniel (South Columbia Basin Irrigation District, Pasco, WA);
"Public Perceptions, Preferences and Values for Water in the West", Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University;
A panel of California water experts moderated by former Interior Dep't Deputy Assistant Secretary Jason Peltier that will provide the inside information on the potential water crisis facing Golden State water users this summer;
"That Dog Won't Hunt: Using IQA to Rein in Agency Deference" - Brenda Davis, Davis Law Firm, Sacramento, CA;
Ag-to-Urban Water transfer panel, including representatives from Environmental Defense, the Western Urban Water Coalition, Central Arizona Project, and rural agricultural interests....
"The 30 Year Challenge: Agriculture's Strategic Role in Feeding and Fueling a Growing World" - Sheldon Jones, Vice-President, Farm Foundation.
And much, much more!

Conference information and registration forms can be downloaded at www.familyfarmalliance.org (home page, top RIGHT hand corner).

For more information, please contact us at 707-998-9487 or ffameeting@aol.com.