News

Portland State University (PSU) was chosen as one of six sites in the nation to host a national public forum on natural resource policy issues.

The forums are held by the U.S. Department of Agriculture every five years as required by the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act.  The goal is to gather public input that will help the federal government improve delivery of conservation services to landowners and communities, and also to expand participation in conservation programs.

Portland State was chosen as the only West Coast site for this year's forum series largely through the involvement of PSU economics professor David Ervin, who has worked for several decades on natural resource and environmental management issues.

"The fact that PSU was chosen for the West Coast event says that PSU's environmental and natural resource management research and education programs are recognized nationally for their relevance to the federal and state policy processes," Ervin said.

"The establishment of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, which is hosting the forum, also has increased PSU's appeal for holding such nationally-relevant events," he added.

The forums will focus on issues concerning 70 percent of the private land in the United States.  They will cover a wide variety of issues, for example improving water quality that supports endangered species, such as some Pacific Northwest salmon species.  Other key issues include erosion control and sediment reduction on agricultural lands.

The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, at PSU's Smith Memorial Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is requested.  To register, go to www.farmfoundation.org and follow the link from the item on the home page.