On Thursday, May 22nd from 7:30 am to 5 pm, the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA), with the generous support of Arizona State Parks, will present the 8th annual Conference on Open Space at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Training Center, near Metro Center Mall in Phoenix, with a focus on the theme: "Quality of Life Amidst Hypergrowth. It is Possible!"
Building on the successes of previous events, this year's conference promises to be a valuable meeting on practical, hands-on open space issues. Open space continues to be an important economic, social, & environmental issue for citizens of the Southwest. Explore what can be done to protect & manage what exists and see how you can be part of future solutions.
The conference will tackle head-on the issue that remains the most serious for open space, even with the current slowdown of real-estate development. Do we need to slow down growth? Change our development model? Go vertical? Emulate Europe? Will our children be the last generation to have nearby woods (or desert)? What about the effect of growth & unbridled use of automobiles on global warming? They expect to have many outstanding speakers to discuss all this & more! Consider this conference a call to action to change the way we live on the land.
For more information or to register, call (800) 335-PARK or visit: azpra.org. Registration is $100.
This is a critical training & networking event for all parks & recreation professionals as well as land foundation staff, city managers, environmental groups, planners, developers & conservation enthusiasts. It is also important for professionals seeking support for preserving natural areas & acquiring & managing the state's open spaces.
The Bureau of Land Management's National Training Center is a state-of-the-art facility. This will allow for the transmit of the entire conference by satellite to distant learning centers in far-off parts of Arizona & to neighboring states, thus expanding the audience to include members of state associations who might otherwise not attend.