This year’s biennial Regional Research and Extension Water Quality Conference was held in early November 2007 at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA. The conference explored ways of merging water science and policy to promote interactive collaboration on complex water-policy decisions—an important goal for all environmental and water resources professionals in the Pacific Northwest. Our two-day conference included a unique mix of presentations, featured speakers, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and a poster session packed with information relating to a broad array of interesting regional topics presented by water organizations, policy makers, scientists, and researchers with Pacific Northwest experience. Because of the interesting and timely agenda; there were over 240 registrants in attendance. Based on feedback provided on the evaluation forms, the conference was an enormous success! Attendees at conference banquet. This event incorporated and highlighted regional solutions to complex environmental and water resources problems faced by federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, as well as practitioners, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders. Moreover, the conference provided a forum for people to form professional networks and begin to understand the multidisciplinary nature of many regional challenges. While focusing on regional issues, the conference began each morning with a thought-provoking keynote presentation. Nationally recognized Dr. P. Patrick Leahy spoke on the first day and his perspective helped set the tone for the conference including comments regarding educational needs in the field, which struck an important chord with our audience. Representative Jackie Dingfelder (Oregon) opened the conference on the second day with a unique perspective as a state representative and environmental consultant. The points made regarding communication, trust, and scientific integrity gave us all pause for reflection. Each speaker shed new light on the challenges and opportunities for Moving Science into Policy and Action. Metal thermos received by conference attendees.

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/index.html University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Michael Cochrane: 360-392-4299 mcochrane@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	The Project Land Grant Universities, Water Research Institutes and EPA Region 10 have formed a partnership to provide research and education to communities about protecting or restoring the quality of water resources. This partnership is being supported in part by the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension System (CSREES). Our Goal and Approach The goal of this Project is to provide leadership for water resources research, education and outreach to help people, industry and governments to prevent and solve current and emerging water quality and quantity problems. The approach to achieving this goal is for the Partners to develop a coordinated regional water quality effort based on, and strengthening, individual state programs. Our Strengths The Project promotes regional collaboration by acknowledging existing programs and successful efforts; assessing program gaps; identifying potential issues for cross-agency and private sector collaboration, and developing a clearinghouse of expertise and programs. In addition, the Project establishes or enhances partnerships with federal, state and local environmental and water resource management agencies, such as by placing a University Liaison within the offices of EPA Region 10.
	The keynote speakers were followed by an impressive list of speakers selected to address the specific conference themes which were: Science and Policy of Flow Allocation, Scientific Uncertainties and Disagreements, Groundwater/Surface Water, Data and Analysis Uncertainty, Modeling Collaboration, Climate Change, What Makes People Act, Allocation Alternatives, Linking Land and Water: Analysis and Characterization for Resource Protection, Transboundary Issues, Policy Strategies, and People and Policy. Other conference-related activities included a poster session/reception where attendees were given the chance to talk one-on-one to the twenty-seven poster presenters and network with colleagues having similar interests. Immediately preceding the conference we held two half-day workshops aimed at educating participants with regard to the complex issues surrounding hydropower and anadromous fish management from both the CRITRC and the policy perspectives and on designing collaborative strategies to integrate science and policy. Paul VanDevelder hosted a screening of his Waterbuster movie; an intriguing documentary of the impacts of dam construction and displacement in the 1940s on Native Americans and how it has contributed to their struggle to find a sense of place and identity. The regional flavor of this conference was consistently praised as an excellent facet of the conference, because local communities can see how others in the area addressed problems similar to what they are facing. Moreover, this conference has improved and encouraged the interaction, collaboration, and communication between scientists and policy makers. It also engaged scientists on the needs, constraints, and opportunities policy makers face, and engaged policy makers on the contributions and the limitations of science in the policy making process. Finally, the need to develop communication lines and trust, similar to successful Extension programs, was firmly established.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension System. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management Water Policy and Economics
	CSREES is the Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service, a sub-agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, and is the federal partner in this water quality program.

Download the informational PDF flyer here

HOME | About | Calendar | Contacts | Links | PNW Water Updates | Sitemap CSREES National Water Quality Program The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Partners in this Regional Program are also equal opportunity providers and employers. all external sites will open in a new browser window page last modified on January 21, 2008