Land Use Conference focuses on impacts/solutions during economic turbulence

Share | Fruit and vegetable safety: Good Agricultural Practices training set for Jan. 24 in central Ohio Updated Purdue Extension corn, soybean guide now available Ohio Maple Days set for Jan. 24-26 Specialists: In 2013, resolve to improve farming practices Risk management at forefront as farmers face uncertainty in 2013

Addressing topics from the mortgage crisis to energy, Ohio State University Extension will host its annual Ohio Land Use Conference on Nov. 17.

The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, located at 2201 Fred Taylor Dr., in Columbus. Registration is $55 and includes all meals and materials. The registration deadline is Nov. 10.

The theme of this year’s program is “Land Use Policy in Turbulent Times.”

“Our goal is to provide resources that will help communities deal with rapidly evolving new issues and find new solutions to traditional land use issues,” said Peggy Hall, director of OSU Extension's agricultural and resource law program and chair of the land use conference planning committee.

The conference is targeted to county and township officials, planning and zoning officials, government agency personnel, OSU Extension educators, community organizations, and resource professionals.

One highlight of the conference will be a session on regional approaches to resource protection, by Sean Logan, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Another session will address on the prosperity agenda, by Marvin Hayes, Governor Ted Strickland’s director of urban development and infrastructure. Other topics to be covered during the conference include multi-jurisdictional agreements for land use; protecting community water supplies through land use; mortgage crisis impacts for rural land use; small town successful brown field redevelopment projects; and two sessions on rural zoning issues such as farming, livestock, wind turbines and oil and gas development. A diverse faculty of attorneys, planners, state and local officials and academics will present the sessions.

The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on energy and land use in Ohio looking at prospects, promises and problems.

“So many of the issues we’re facing today—from the mortgage crisis to energy—are directly related to land use,” Hall said. “It’s important to understand the impacts and potential solutions for these issues.”

For more information or to register, visit http://comdev.osu.edu/landuse_conf08.html . For questions about registration, call (614) 292-6232.