Report on the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition annual Policy meeting, Dec. 7 – 9:  Keynote speakers: Jay Jensen – Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (inc. Forest Service),Victor Vasquez – Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development; both U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Political realities roundtable:Objectives:  To assess the political opportunities to advance issues of concern for the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition and to incorporate these into the 2010 platform and strategies. Panelists:  Jeremiah Baumann, Office of Senator Merkley, OR; Christy Goldfuss, House Natural Resources Committee; Lenise Lago, Deputy Forester, Region 6; Darren Springer, Office of Senator Sanders, VT; Stephenne Harding, Office of Senator Tester, MT.    2010 Platform/Policy Creation Format:There are 6 Working Groups of the RVCC, defined by issue focus.  Afternoon of the first day was spent in one of “four groups comprised of diverse perspectives to discuss topical issues.  Issue discussion leaders will do short presentations to kick off dialogue.  Discussion items will generate ideas and identify priority and common ground issues to develop the 2010 RVCC Platform.”  Upshot was that conferees participated in issue identification within 4 of the 6 Working Groups.The second day was split into two longer Working Group segments to develop Goals/Objectives pertinent to the issues/problems identified on the previous day, narrowing the focus of participants to their two primary interests.  Then in the late afternoon the whole group caucused to approve the overall program.  The following goals were developed during this Annual Policy Meeting for the two Working Groups that I attended:Biomass working group topics: promoting appropriate-scaled biomass utilization that supports forest restoration and stewardship, thermal energy and development of distributed heat and small-scale CHP projects, integrated biomass utilization facilities, and green jobs as they relate to biomass utilization, including in-woods employment. 

  Draft Biomass PlankGoal 1: Capture local renewable energy development opportunities in public, forestland reliant communities.Goal 2: Stimulate markets and fund existing programs for utilization of byproducts of forest restoration.  Rural Conservation-based Economic Development working group topics: Contracting reform, linkages between rural development programs and land management, ARRA, green business and job development, manufacturing infrastructure, and the development of alternative markets for things like ecosystem services. Draft Rural Conservation-based Economic Development PlankGoal 1: Increase the effectiveness of contracting and stewardship contracting to foster high-quality restoration, high-quality local jobs, and local economic benefit.Goal 2: Increase accessibility of USDA Rural Development programs to forest and range communities.Goal 3: Create green jobs and businesses in forest and range communities.The other 4 Working Groups included Climate Change, Ranching and Rangelands, Private Working Lands, and Public Land Stewardship and the Land Management Agencies.  The topics and Platform Planks can be viewed at  http://sustainablenorthwest.org/rvcc/2009-annual-policy-meeting/2009-post-apm/2009-apm-follow-up  The last half-day was devoted to two one-hour Working Group sessions to discuss Strategies/Tactics in pursuit of the Goals.  Sorry to report that this was barely useful due to the short timeframe.  The Working Groups are supposed to meet via teleconference and e-mail to refine these elements.  I 'held' a place on the Biomass and the Rural Economic Development Working Groups in order for the BOCC to participate, if so chosen.