Reporting on Michigan's Sprawl

[Poulsondav@aol.com]

 I'd appreciate it if list members could forward this announcement to 
Michigan journalists who could benefit. Thanks.  Dave Poulson

          THE SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS PRESENTS:
                                Reporting on Michigan's  S   P   R   A   W   L
  
     You've seen Al Gore's sustainability schtick in Detroit this week.  Now 
report the Michigan angle.  This conference for Michigan journalists explains 
the hottest news story in the state - how Michigan uses its land.
      Reporters will gain leads and facts for local stories, columnists will 
gain opinion-forming insights, editors will learn how best to cover an issue 
that pervades their readers' lives.  And they'll all get a chance to ask a 
bipartisan panel of lawmakers why the state lacks a coherent land use policy.
     See list of speakers below.

When: 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday, May 24

Why: Well hey, this stuff is important to your readers. And it's tricky to 
report.

Who: If you're reporting, you're writing about land use. There isn't a beat 
in the newsroom that isn't tied to it.

Where: Michigan Library and Historical Center, Lansing

How: Send $20 to the Society of Environmental Journalists, P.O. Box 27280, 
Philadelphia, PA. 19118 and tell them you are registering for the Michigan 
regional conference.

Questions: Contact conference coordinator David Poulson, Booth Newspapers, 
517 487 8888, poulsondav@aol.com or SEJ at 215 836 9970.
Sponsors: SEJ, Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental 
Journalism, the Kellogg Foundation, the Michigan Press Association.

Speakers:
David Rusk is a national urban expert who has done extensive research on 
Michigan cities. His just published book, "Inside Game Outside Game, Winning 
Strategies for Saving Urban America" explains the failure of urban programs 
nationwide, and sets a vision for linking the fate of cities to managing 
growth in the suburbs and countryside. He is a former mayor of Albuquerque, a 
former state lawmaker in New Mexico and a former U.S. Labor Department 
official.  Rusk lives in Washington D.C., and has written two other books, 
"Cities Without Suburbs" and "Baltimore Unbound."

Bill Rustem, senior vice president of Public Sector Consultants.  Rustem is 
the former environmental adviser to Gov. William Milliken.  Milliken, perhaps 
Michigan's most prescient governor on environmental issues, once called land 
use his greatest public policy failure.

Keith Schneider, executive director of the Michigan Land Use Institute, is a 
former New York Times environmental reporter.

Jim Detjen, director of Michigan State University's Knight Center for 
Environmental Journalism, is a former Philadephia Inquirer environmental 
reporter.

Jim Fuerstenau is director of Michigan Farm Bureau's new program for farmland 
preservation efforts.

Dr. Kurt Norgaard, Michigan State University agricultural economist and 
expert on the economics of Michigan land use.

Keith Charters, chairman of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission and 
director of New Designs for Growth. His take is that efficient land use is a 
Republican, conservative and business-driven issue.

Lee Schwartz, assistant vice president of legislation and policy for the 
Michigan Association of Homebuilders, a powerful statewide lobbying group for 
development interests.

Kevin Korpi, director of environmental and regulatory affairs for the 
Michigan Chamber of Commerce, a statewide business organization that made 
land use a legislative priority this year.