Category: Land Use Initiative

Bluegrass Forever Green Summer Conference 2022

Bluegrass Forever Green Summer Conference 2022

Presented by:

Focusing on Bluegrass Tomorrow's Vision for a Sustainable Future in the Region with the preservation of our most precious land as the centerpiece.
Transylvania University Campus Center
Lexington, Kentucky
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Cost $50, includes full day conference & lunch.
Registration Deadline: June 24th.
Join leaders from local government, business, and education to learn valuable skills helpful to increase use of local foods, make informed decisions on land use, employ cleaner energy sources, and develop your own sustainability plan for your organization, business, or community.
Luncheon Keynote by Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture.
The Bluegrass Forever Green Summer Conference is intended especially for regional leaders, elected officials, planners, local and state government staff, K-13 and higher education, business, and community organizations. Sessions and activities refer to the four cornerstones of our Bluegrass Forever Green partnership with the region.
  1. Land Use/Agriculture
  2. Smart Growth/Preservation
  3. Environment, Conservation, Sustainability, Natural & Cultural Resources
  4. Recreation/Trails/Healthy Living
Schedule:
Showing Confirmed Panelists, with More to Follow
8:00 a.m.  Registration
8:30 a.m.  Overview and Introductions
                 Welcome & Comments:  Billy Van Pelt,
                 American Farmland Trust
9:00 a.m. Use More Local Foods in your organization, business, school district, university.
  • Robert Eversole, Director of Sustainability, University of Kentucky Dining/Aramark
  • Brian Hutzley, Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Centre College,
  • Marty Flynn, Child Nutrition Consultant
  • Moderator:  Ashton Potter Wright, Director The Food Connection, University of Kentucky.
10:30 a.m. Find the Facts for Land Use Planning & Smart Growth Decisions: This session explores factors that should be considered as communities and organizations implement energy innovations while meeting the overall objectives of local land use planning.
  • Stan Harvey, Principal, Lord Aeck Sargent above the moderator.
  • University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food & Environment TBA
  • Moderator:  Brittany Roethemeier, Executive Director Fayette Alliance.
 
12:00 p.m. Luncheon Keynote Address:   Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
1:30 p.m.  Use Cleaner Energy: This session explores the choices and decisions you make in your businesses and communities to increase use of cleaner energy innovations and sources for HVAC, light and electricity. 
  • David Crews, Vice President Power Supply, East Kentucky Power Cooperative
  • David Gardner, General Manager, Salyersville Water Works
  • Erich Evans, Director Strategy & Risk, Nisource / Columbia Gas of Kentucky
  • Moderator: Rachel Norton, Energy Specialist, Mountain Association
3:00 p.m. Develop a Sustainability Plan for your Community, Organization or Business: This session provides an overview of why a community, business, college or school district might consider creating a sustainability plan.  Panelists will describe the paths they have taken to adopt and implement their plans. 
  • Shane Tedder, Sustainability Officer, University of Kentucky
  • David DeVore, Sustainability Compliance Engineer, Lexmark International
  • Emily LaDouceur, formerly with City of Berea, and now with Mountain Association Business
  • Moderator: Dr. Blaine Early, Stites & Harbison PLLC
4:15 p.m.  Outside Walk & Talk to West Sixth Brewery for further conversation and networking with participants and panelists.

Regional Stakeholders Discuss Future of Regional Land Use Partnership

Seventy-seven regional stakeholders, elected officials, planning commissioners and planning directors met at the Regional Land Use Partnership Summit at the U.K. Hilary J. Boone Center on December 5 and the take-away was a myriad of strategies and action items to begin to develop a strategic plan for the partnership focusing on communication and collaboration between cities, counties, agencies and organizations.

A Vision Statement for the Plan was also thoroughly vetted at the summit and will be released early in 2020.

The Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP) which was organized and is managed by a collaboration through Bluegrass Tomorrow, the Bluegrass Area Development District, the Bluegrass Land Conservancy, Fayette Alliance, Woodford Forward and Farm Bureau, has created great momentum in a the form of a mutually agreed upon resolution, which contains land use principles of agreement, and has been passed by LFUCG, Bourbon County Fiscal Court, the Lexington/Jessamine Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City of Midway, the Scott County Planning Commission, and a myriad of others in the works.

The Strategic Plan will be discussed, vetted and drafted by the RLUP committee in the first quarter of 2020.

Mary Berry founder and CEO of the Berry Center, and daughter of Wendell Berry, was the keynote speaker, and focused on advocating for farmers, land-conserving communities, and healthy regional economies.  A series of TED talks on Advocacy, Food, Growth and Housing featured David Tomes developer of the Norton Commons, Ashton Potter Wright of Bluegrass Farm to Table and Brittany Rothemeier of the Fayette Alliance.

Local, State and National Perspectives on land use planning were provide by Billy Van Pelt of American Farmland Trust, Tom Hutchenson from Atalo Holdings on the hemp industry, and Chris Woodall of LFUCG Division of Planning.

Regional Land Use Champion Campaign

Be a Regional Land Use Champion
Support Our Regional Land Use Planning Initiative!
In Partnership with: Bluegrass Land Conservancy / Bluegrass Area Development District / Woodford Forward / Fayette Alliance

The Bluegrass Regional Land Use Committee, which was continued after a successful “Conversation with the Region on Land Use Planning” event last fall, has continued its work and has now developed draft principles of agreement and Vision Statement for the Region. The number one and two principles that have been adopted:

— There is a fundamental need for land-use planning in the Bluegrass Region.
— There is a fundamental need for better communication in the region between planning agencies, cities, counties….

Support This Unprecedented Effort by being a Bluegrass Land Use Champion! Regional Land Use Champion Levels of Investment:

Bluegrass Visionary Champion $5,000.00
Sustaining Champion $2,500.00
Bluegrass Land Use Champion $1,000.00
Bluegrass Land Use Planning Partner $750.00
Bluegrass Land Use Planning Supporter $500.00

Bluegrass Visionary Champion: $5,000

For the Regional Land Use Planning Initiative & Bluegrass Forever Green Series (BGFG) 2018-19 for one calendar year.
Logo and company name used on all promotion, e-news dissemination, and public relations for all series events as corporate partner. Also, table of 8 at BGFG events.
Also includes: Partnership Trustee in Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Society with all benefits which are accorded with that level of investment.

Partnership Trustee

Partnership Trustee status listing and logo on all Bluegrass Tomorrow printed materials, power points, e-news dissemination web site, at all meetings, speaking engagements, events and public communications during the pledge period.
Logo on all event signage and power points for major events throughout the year.
One preferred table, and recognition, at annual meetings and Vision Awards Breakfast.
Full Page ad in all printed programs and publications, including the Vision Report Magazine, throughout the pledge period.
Partnership Trustee status listing on home page of Bluegrass Tomorrow web-site.

Sustaining Champion:  $2,500

For Regional Land-Use Planning Initiative and Bluegrass Forever Green Series 2018-19 for one calendar year.
Logo and company name used on all promotion, e-news dissemination, and public relations for the series, meetings & events.
Also Includes: Vision Trustee in Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Society with all benefits which are accorded with that level of investment.


Vision Trustee

Vision Society Trustee status listing on all Bluegrass Tomorrow printed materials, power points, e-news dissemination, at all meetings, speaking engagements, events and public communications during the calendar year.
Listing on all event signage for major events throughout the year, including our Vision Awards Breakfast and major Bluegrass Higher Education Presidents Summit and Luncheon events.
One preferred table, and recognition, at BGFG Luncheon or other major event.
Half-page ad in Vision Report Magazine and other BGT programs.

Bluegrass Land Use Planning Champion:  $1,000
Company logo on e-mails, e-news, website and all other collateral materials, related to the Regional Land Use Planning Initiative & BGFG Series for one calendar year.
Quarter page ad in Vision Report Magazine which be distributed on site and to all Bluegrass Tomorrow donors and stakeholders.  Will be utilized for other key events throughout the year.

Bluegrass Land Use Planning Partner:  $750
Company logo on e-mails, e-news, website and all other collateral materials related to the Regional Land Use Planning Initiative & BGFG Series for one calendar year.
Quarter page in in Vision Report Magazine which will be distributed on site and to all Bluegrass Tomorrow donors and stakeholders.  Will be utilized for other key events throughout the year.

Bluegrass Land Use Planning Supporter:  $500strong>
Company logo on e-mails, e-news, website and collateral materials related to the Regional Land Use Planning Initiative & BGFG Series for one calendar year.
Listing in Vision Report Magazine.

The Working Group has been persistent in working on principles of agreement that will lead to continued discussion and collaboration toward a tangible partnership in regional Land Use Planning.  There has never been a better time to get involved in Land Use Planning in our Region