Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan Friday announced a conference to highlight the accomplishments of conservation, recreation and economic development at the landscape level and to advance best practices to other areas of the state will be held in Harrisburg in October.

The "Conservation Landscape Summit: Naturally Connecting People and Places" is scheduled for October 29-30 at the Best Western Premier, 800 East Park Drive.

"Extraordinary work is being done at a regional level to build sustainable communities; conserve land and water; make trail connections; enhance visitor experiences; and improve outdoor recreation opportunities," Allan said. "Conservation landscape work is helping to build a better Pennsylvania and improve the quality of life for people living in these regions.

"This summit will provide opportunities for networking and sharing information; shine a spotlight on the successes; and develop a set of practices and policies so that these efforts can be duplicated in other regions," Allan said.

A conservation landscape is a place where vibrant communities draw strength from their natural assets to sustain their quality of life; where citizens care about protecting the special qualities of a region; where people and partners band together to envision a better economic future, tackle shared challenges and care for the natural, scenic, heritage and recreational resources that define the place they call home.

The conference aims to:

-- Bring together a diverse group of partners - state and local government officials; business, conservation, economic development and tourism leaders; and recreation and trail groups – to advance regional landscape partnerships across the state;

-- Build a further understanding of and enthusiasm for packaging conservation, recreation and economic development interests in large landscapes that have significant natural resources and state investment, i.e. parks, forests, trails and land protection; and

-- Develop and share a set of best practices and policies that will support further development of a regional approach to conservation, recreation and economic development across the state.

Plenary as well as breakout sessions will offer attendees the opportunity to hear about broad policies, strategies and successes. Diverse state and national speakers will exemplify how landscape work is changing the approach to conservation and tourism.

The conference, expected to draw about 200-250 people, will be divided into several tracks that categorize topics based on an attendee's interest: conservation, tourism, visitor experiences and communications.

A conference white paper will summarize next steps, best practices and key resources.

The summit is sponsored by DCNR, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and the William Penn and Richard King Mellon foundations.

For more information and to register, visit the Conservation Landscapes Summit website.

7/16/2012