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A short description of the four program areas are found below. Click on the link to read the symposium topics, concurrent session titles, and poster presentation titles of each.
Symposia and Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent and symposia sessions will take place on Monday and Tuesday, morning and afternoon. A total of six sessions are scheduled for 2004, as compared to the three sessions at the 2003 annual conference. To view abstracts for all presentations click here.
Soil and Environmental Quality
This theme will focus on how to move soil conservation beyond the traditional emphasis on measuring and controlling soil erosion to sustain agricultural productivity. AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Environmental performance is an increasingly important determinant of the commercial viability of agriculture. Designing policies, programs, and practices to manage agriculture's impact on the environment in rural , suburban, and urban settings is one of the most important and difficult challenges facing policymakers, scientists, educators, providers of technical assistance, and producers.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs
Since the passage of the 1985 Farm Bill, conservation and environmental policy has gradually increased in scope and scale at all levels of government. Both rural and urban America are embracing the need to manage natural resources in a sustainable manner while protecting the environment. As funding levels for conservation and environmental programs continues to grow, a question emerges from policymakers, agencies, interest groups, and the public: How do we measure success?
Geo-spatial Technology for Conservation—Soil, Water, and Land
Geo-spatial technology offers great promise of increasing the efficiency of inputs and effectiveness of conservation programs and practices. Optimizing conservation resource inputs to accurately manage land reduces the cost and increases the effectiveness of conservation programs. Geo-spatial technology has enabled land managers and producers to increase their ability to adjust management of their production systems while enhancing environmental quality. It has increased the ability of conservationists to adapt conservation systems in real-time to diverse landscapes and production systems.
WORKSHOPS [click here for descriptions]
OTHER SYMPOSIA SESSION TOPICS
Technical service provider implementation
These two sessions will cover current issues and components for implementing Technical Service Provider Assistance. This includes certification, training, acquisition of technical services, delivery of technical services, payment rates, e-government, technical references, liability, progress reporting, quality assurance, funding and other related issues.
Exceptional leadership: The power of negotiation
Earth Care Connection presented a three-hour workshop at the 2003 SWCS conference on Intentional Leadership Based on Trust, Power and Wisdom. The primary focus of the session was on Trust; this year we would like to focus on Power, and specifically the Power of Negotiation.
Negotiation is a very powerful leadership tool, however, it is often times misunderstood and underestimated. Women in particular have a difficult time developing and using this skill, primarily because of the way they were socialized. This interactive session will allow you to learn some negotiation techniques, present a safe environment in which to practice those skills, and understand that negotiation is a key element in leadership, can be a win-win for all involved.
Other Poster Presentation –
Online publication of soil conservation photos from the Verle Kaiser collection
Plenary Sessions
There are two plenary sessions during the 2004 annual conference. The first will take place on Monday, July 26, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. This first plenary session will include the H. Wayne Pritchard Lecture.
The second plenary will take place on Tuesday, July 27, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. The featured presentation will be by Max Schnepf, former SWCS employee and mentor. Max’s presentation is entitled “Soil Conservation and SWCS: A Forty-Year Retrospective.”
On-the-ground conduct of soil and water conservation activities has changed dramatically over the past 40 years. Likewise, the many institutions created in support of soil and water conservation efforts have changed. Founders envisioned SWCS as an organization integral to success in soil and water conservation. How has SWCS measured up over the past four decades? What has been the relationship of SWCS to key partners in the movement? And what does the SWCS experience portend for the future of the organization and the soil and water conservation movement alike?
Click on the specific categories to the left for more information.
PLAN ON GOING TO NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE!
2005 SWCS Annual Conference
July 29-August 4, 2005
Hyatt Hotel and Rochester Convention Center
Rochester, New York
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