Environmental Markets Student Group Symposium 2012

Please join us for Environmental Market Student Group's annual symposium event.

The event will focus on transferable lessons from the success of water quality trading programs -- relative to other ecosystem service markets -- in the absence of federal regulatory drivers. Distinguished participants and graduate students from across the Triangle community will share insight and make connections in an active and informal workshop setting.
The event will include three primary sessions:

Rapid-fire presentations from experts on select active water quality trading programs in the US – what’s working, what’s not, and how they’re able to work with limited federal regulatory power
Break-out lunch discussions with presenters, faculty, local professionals, and students on the ecosystem science, policy, and economics aspects of these markets - what generally works, what doesn’t, and how best to move forward
Casual, small group career focus sessions between students and local professionals on what jobs are available, how to prepare from them, and what it’s like to work on the ground with these markets

Who: You! We will host experts from water quality trading programs across the US as well as local environmental market professionals from land trusts, mitigation banks, government agencies, and NGOs
When: Friday, April 27th from 11am to 3pm (reception to follow – see schedule tab for more details)
Where: Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment
Levine Science Research Center (LSRC) Room A158
How: Sign up here to reserve your spot now

For more information, contact Andrea Martin at andrea.laura.martin@duke.edu.

About the Environmental Markets Student Group:

The Environmental Markets Student Group at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment is a dynamic organization that brings together graduate students from several disciplines that are interested in learning to harness the power of markets for the benefit of the environment. Each year we hold a DC networking trip, semester-long speaker series, and annual symposium event to forward students’ understanding of environmental markets and encourage professional career development within this burgeoning field.

Premise for Event:

It has been echoed by many involved in environmental markets today that the absence of strong federal regulatory drivers for many of these markets is hindering their success. The political climate in Washington leads few to expect this barrier to diminish in the near future. Water quality markets seem to have found a way to work around this federal regulation vacuum. Despite the inability of EPA to enforce nonpoint source pollution beyond requiring issuance of TMDLs for impaired water bodies, nonpoint water quality trading markets are popping up all over the country. This event will bring together experts from these water quality markets to 1) present the markets they work in, what’s working and what’s not, and how they were able to work with limited federal regulatory power; 2) brainstorm with students, faculty, and local professionals on how we can use what we’ve learned in these markets to make others work elsewhere; and 3) talk one-on-one with students about how they can best position themselves to work within this field and possibly within their organizations.

Environmental Markets Student Group Symposium Schedule 2012
*note that this is subject to change

11:00 – 11:15

Welcome Remarks and Introduction.

11:15 – 12:30

Featured presentations.

Presentation topic: Making Environmental Markets Work in the Absence of Federal Regulatory Drivers: Lessons from Water Quality Trading in the US

Four 15-minute presentations from professionals working in:
         - Chesapeake Nutrient Trading Program – John Campagna
         - Ohio River Valley Nutrient Trading Program – Jimmy Daukas
         - Oregon Water Quality Trading Programs – Alex Johnson
         - Tar-Pamlico Nutrient Trading and Upper Neuse New Development Offsets Program - Bill Holman

12:30 – 1:45

Breakout discussion lunch. Group discussions led by attending professionals in addition to the featured presenters. Each breakout group will include at least one faculty or Institute staff member. Registered attendees and presenters indicate their interests (from a menu of options) prior to the event. We will provide those attendees with their discussion leader’s email address before the event. This creates an opportunity to develop a personal connection and enhance the quality of discussion participation.

Focus areas will be based on MEM student concentrations:
         - Ecosystem Science: Ecological monitoring and accounting; ecosystem service models and tools;             dealing with uncertainty; optimizing ecological benefits
         - Policy: Institutional capacities; scaling up; political cooperation; innovation
         - Economics: Efficiency; tradeoffs; pricing; transaction costs; opportunity costs

1:45 – 2:15

Moderated panel. The whole group will reconvene for a moderated panel that draws on the panelists’ diverse practical backgrounds. Panelists would give comment on the topic of the featured presentation; a time for potential sharing of breakout discussion outcomes and Q&A.

2:15 – 3:00

Career Focus small group sessions. Groups of <5 attendees will meet with professional participants for a two-way exchange about the professional’s organization, attendee’s environmental markets career interest, and potential work/recruiting opportunities.

3:00 – 3:30

Informal reception

We are privileged to have four experts from US water quality trading programs across the US joining us for this discussion:

john

John Campagna, Owner, Restore Capital

John Campagna is the managing partner at Restore Capital, whose mission is to bring private capital strategies and investments to bear on restoring working lands, the environment and economies of our rural communities. He has spoken at many conferences on Investing & Ecosystem Markets, and has had articles published on his activities and strategies. His expertise in innovative investment strategies is based on his deep understanding of financial methods that provide market rate financial returns and enhanced environmental benefits. John is currently a member of EcoTrust's panel on Community Fishery Assets and the State of Maryland's Ecosystem Markets Taskforce.

Prior to helping Benchmark Asset Managers launch Restore Capital in 2010, John founded a financial advisory practice within Legg Mason that provided clients with environmentally responsible investments and advice. He has worked in the tax and consulting practice at Arthur Young & Company, and in investment banking at TransCapital. John has also worked in the tech industry in Silicon Valley, including positions with Unisys and SBC as well as start-up firms. He has managed a small organic farm in Sonoma County, operated a non-profit retreat facility, and is an avid equestrian.

John holds a Computer Sciences degree with a secondary emphasis in History from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY.

john

Jimmy Daukas, Managing Director of Agriculture and Environment, American Farmland Trust

Jimmy Daukas has been with American Farmland Trust since 1997, managing national policy campaigns as well as senior project management, communications and development responsibilities. Daukas currently directs AFT’s Agriculture & Environment program, helping farmers and ranchers improve water quality and combat climate change while maintaining an economically viable agriculture sector. Through the program, American Farmland Trust is engaging agriculture in developing new policy solutions, creating ecosystem service markets and conducting on-farm demonstrations to maximize the participation of farmers and ranchers in reducing greenhouse gases and expanding the adoption of conservation practices that improve water quality.

Prior to this effort, Daukas oversaw American Farmland Trust’s campaign to transform U.S. agriculture policy in the 2008 Farm Bill to provide a better safety net, enhance conservation, improve rural development and expand access to healthy foods. He coordinated efforts throughout the organization including policy research and design, alliance building, legislative advocacy and communications.

Daukas previously served as the director of marketing and later acting vice president of marketing and communications for Earth Force, a children’s environmental action organization. In those roles, he had responsibility for strategic planning, direct response communications, database management, revenue-generating projects and budgeting.

Jimmy has a B.A. in economics from Middlebury College and holds M.B.A. and M.P.M. (Masters of Public Management) degrees from the University of Maryland.

johnson

Alex Johnson, Ecosystem Services Manager, The Freshwater Trust

As Ecosystem Services Manager for The Freshwater Trust, Alex is deeply involved in the analysis, development and implementation of the first water quality trading programs in the Pacific Northwest. His economics and logistics background helps to manage both credit-generating project supply chains and market expansion and enhancement efforts. Prior to his work with the Trust, he spent over a year of planning and building a 16-mile 'conservation tourism' trail on the west coast of Ecuador which involved many of the same themes of landowner recruitment and natural design inherent in restoration work. Before this he worked for Morgan Stanley in Denver on a refined petroleum trading floor. Alex earned a B.S. in Economics and a Certificate of Markets & Management from Duke University.

holman

Bill Holman, Director of State Policy, Nicholas Institute for Policy Solutions at Duke University
Bill Holman is Director of State Policy at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He has extensive experience in legislative and administrative policy making at the state level.

He served as Governor Jim Hunt's Secretary of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources from 1999 – 2000 and as an Assistant Secretary from 1998 – 1999. He worked as Executive Director of the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund – a $100 million per year clean water financing program – from 2001 – 2006.

Holman lobbied the NC General Assembly on behalf of the Conservation Council of NC, NC Chapter of the Sierra Club, NC Chapter of the American Planning Association, NC Public Transportation Association, NC Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and others from 1979 – 1997. Holman chairs the NC State Water Infrastructure Commission (SWIC). The NC Senate appointed Holman to the SWIC.

His current projects at the Nicholas Institute include state water allocation policy, innovative strategies to improve protection of drinking water supplies including Falls Lake and other supplies in the Upper Neuse watershed, and assisting state and local governments in planning for and adapting to climate change and sea level rise.

Holman and Amy Pickle teach a State Environmental Policy Making class for Nicholas School and Sanford School students during the spring semester.

Holman lives in Raleigh with his wife Stephanie Bass and dog Sylva. He graduated magna cum laude with a BS in biology from NC State University in 1978. He completed hiking the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia in 1975.

The Levine Science Research Center (LSRC) is located at 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708. Room A158 is located in the A-wing, right across from the Blue Express cafeteria.

Parking:

We have limited parking passes available for visitors in the Circuit Lot and Bryan Center parking garage. If you will need parking, please contact Sam Cunningham at sam.cunningham@duke.edu.
You can also use the Visitor Parking Deck ($2/hr) at the Bryan Center:

From Erwin Road, turn onto Towerview Road.
Go straight at stop sign and at first traffic light, turn left onto Science Drive.
Take second right, into the Duke Chapel/Bryan Center parking lot and garage.

Directions to Levine Science Research Center:

From points Northeast via I-85:

Take I-85 South to Exit 174B (US 15/501 South, Chapel Hill).
Go 2.2 miles and then take Exit 107 (NC 751, Duke University West Campus).
Turn left at the light at the end of the exit ramp.
Go under bridge, through one traffic light and at next traffic light make a left onto Erwin Rd.
Continue on Erwin Road to the third traffic light. Take a right at the light on to Research Drive and the LSRC Building is on the right. Room A158 is in the A-wing of the building, right across from the Blue Express cafeteria.

lsrc2

From Greensboro and points South and West:

Take I-40 or I-85 to Greensboro, NC.
Continue on I-85 North when I-40 splits to the east.
Take I-85 to Exit 170 (NC 751, Duke University) [this puts you on US 70 E].
Stay on US 70 for 1.4 miles, then turn right on NC 751.
Follow NC 751 to a traffic circle. At the traffic circle, stay on NC 751, which will mean going half way around the circle.
Go through two traffic lights.
At the third traffic light make a left onto Erwin Rd. Continue on Erwin Road to the third traffic light. Take a right at the light on to Research Drive and the LSRC Building is on the right. Room A158 is in the A-wing of the building, right across from the Blue Express cafeteria.

From RDU and points east of Durham:

Take I-40 west to Exit 279 B (Durham Downtown, and merge onto NC Rt 147 (Durham Freeway).
Follow the Durham Freeway for 13 miles to Exit 16B (US 15/501 Bypass South, Chapel Hill, Duke University West Campus). Move to the center lanes of 15/501.
After 1 mile take Exit 107 Turn left at the light at the end of the exit ramp.
Go under bridge, through one traffic light and at next traffic light make a left onto Erwin Rd.
Continue on Erwin Road to the third traffic light. Take a right at the light on to Research Drive and the LSRC Building is on the right. Room A158 is in the A-wing of the building, right across from the Blue Express cafeteria.

lsrc3

From RDU Airport, Raleigh and Points East via I-40 West:

Exit onto the Durham Freeway (NC 147).
Take Durham Freeway to US 15-501 S. Exit (toward Chapel Hill).
Continue on US 15-501 to the second exit (Exit 107), marked Duke Univ. West Campus, a right-lane exit for NC 751.
Turn LEFT onto NC 751 S., go under the freeway.
At second traffic light, go left onto Erwin Rd.
Continue on Erwin Road to the third traffic light.
Take a right at the light on to Research Drive and the LSRC Building is on the right. Room A158 is in the A-wing of the building, right across from the Blue Express cafeteria.

lsrc4

From Chapel Hill via US. 15-501 North:

Take 15-501 North, marked Duke Univ./Med Ctr.
Do not take 15-501 Business.
Take exit for N.C. 751 (Exit 107) marked Duke University West Campus.
Turn right onto NC 751 S.(Cameron Blvd.).
At first traffic light, go left onto Erwin Rd.
Continue on Erwin Road to the third traffic light. Take a right at the light on to Research Drive and the LSRC Building is on the right. Room A158 is in the A-wing of the building, right across from the Blue Express cafeteria.