The Young Professionals Forum will be held on Tuesday from 3:45 to 5:15 pm. The Forum will address the issue of "Civic Environmentalism." The environmental field is beginning to see that while the debate over key environmental issues is stalling at the national level, local and regional environmental projects are showing an ability to achieve real results. Problem solving, on the ground, and at the community level, is occurring across the nation, and is blending national standards with local flexibility and collaboration and as a result is able to show real-time successes to important issues ranging from recycling to water management. According to Mark K. Landy, Megan M. Sussman, and Debra S. Knopman of the Progressive Policy Institute, "The power of place provides civic environmentalism with a vitality and clarity of focus that the more centralized version of environmental policy usually lacks. The strong common attachment to places inspires the bonds upon which civic action is based."

This forum is an opportunity for research assistant, graduate students, doctoral students, or in general those people attending who are not usually able to be a direct part of a conference session. It is an opportunity to meet and talk to people from around the world, make contacts and find out what is happening in some of the most interesting and important issues facing the environmental community today. The forum will look at everything from sprawl and recycling to water management and political issues. It will also examine the role of civic action in a systemic approach to environmental issues. It will be an open discussion with a facilitator. The hope is to foster discussion on the variety of issues, find out what is occurring in the area around the country and around the world and to put it into the context of the Congress’ theme. We hope to draft a paper on the results of the discussion for the forum organizers upon the conclusion of the Congress.

If you are interested in participating, or if you are interested in the topic, please contact either Derek Young, the Forum Chair, at 202-628-8200 ext. 23, or contact Nancy Barker at UC Davis, (530) 754-8507.