Syracuse, New York, June 10, 2008 — A U.S. Department of Agriculture official
served as a panelist at the Global Katoomba Conference, an international
conference on market-based conservation, held at the Smithsonian Institution’s
National Museum of Natural History, June 9-10.
Its international website describes the Global Katoomba Conference as an annual
meeting held by the Katoomba Group, an international working group composed of
leading experts from forest and energy industries, research institutions, the
financial world, and environmental Non-Government Organizations dedicated to
advancing markets for some of the ecosystem services provided by forests – such
as watershed protection, biodiversity habitat, and carbon storage.
Richard Coombe, Regional Assistant Chief for Natural Resources Conservation
Service’s East Region, shared his expertise as a member of the team that worked
to revitalize the New York City Watershed several years ago. As the Founding
Chair and CEO of the Watershed Agricultural Council, Inc., from 1993 – 2003,
Coombe was instrumental in implementing a comprehensive planning approach to
watershed protection in the 1.2 million acre New York City Watershed, a vital
water source for over 9 million residents.
The New York City Watershed served as the perfect example, as a prototype for
effective water quality trading, because it demonstrates effectively how local
voluntary efforts can solve environmental problems.
Much of the conference focused on the potential for market-based conservation in
the 64,000-square mile Chesapeake Bay Watershed, which covers parts of Delaware,
Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of
Columbia.
This year’s Global Katoomba Conference focused on the current scope and
potential of ecosystem markets – carbon, water and bio-diversity – to address
environmental concerns. Conference participants’ goals were to develop
strategies to solve the urgent environmental issues faced by the world today.
More than 600 individuals and groups from around the world participated in this
important event.
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