The Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition's Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for participants to connect, engage, inspire, and develop solutions with partners working on community-based conservation and rural economic development across the West.
Recap: 18th Annual Meeting, May & June 2022
Virtual gathering
RVCC hosted a series of three virtual sessions as part of our 18th Annual Meeting in late May and early June 2022.
On May 24, RVCC kicked off its virtual Annual Meeting series with Climate-Focused Strategies and Opportunities for All-lands Practitioners. This session was focused on recent efforts by federal agencies to promote and expand the use of climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices. The discussion explored how agencies like the Forest Service and NRCS are operationalizing the Biden Administration’s climate priorities through new and existing programs, initiatives and funding sources; and featured land management practitioners and their strategies to incorporate climate considerations into their all-lands work at the local scale. Meeting Recording
On May 26, RVCC held its second session, Accelerating the Use of Prescribed Fire Through Policy and Partnerships. In light of historic federal funding for wildfire risk reduction and new strategic frameworks like the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Strategy, this session explored opportunities for community-based prescribed fire practitioners and advocates to engage in and inform the strategic expansion of prescribed fire work. The discussion included an exploration of the complex terrain of federal policymaking entities and venues that currently influence federal wildfire and fuels reduction strategies; a review of RVCC’s and partners’ collective prescribed fire and cooperative burning advocacy interests and recommendations; and a community discussion about the opportunities for engagement, coalition-building, and advocacy using existing or new venues and strategies. Meeting Recording
On June 1, RVCC hosted its final Annual Meeting session, Economic Development Strategies for Rural Communities.
Rural communities throughout the United States are vibrant places with great people, rich cultures, and deep social ties. But many rural communities have been left behind by shifting economic trends. As a result, many communities are at a crossroads, wondering which direction will lead to prosperity for all. This virtual panel showcased the work of place-based practitioners, researchers, and philanthropists that are developing inclusive, durable strategies to rural community development that can help overcome the challenges faced by rural communities and lead to lasting rural community prosperity. Meeting Recording
Recap: 17th Annual Meeting, January 14th & 28th, 2021
Virtual gathering
Due to COVID-19, RVCC adapted its approach to the 2021 Annual Meeting by hosting two free virtual panel discussions.
On January 14th we hosted “Learning From a Year of Crises: A Fireside Chat,” a panel of community-based partners reflected on challenges and lessons learned from a year of crisis management in the West, touching on pandemic response, the impacts of a catastrophic wildfire season, and operational adaptations and resilience. Meeting Recording
On January 28th, a second panel discussed the recent changes in Washington, D.C. with a new administation and shifts to Congress in “Policy and Governance in the Year Ahead.” Meeting Recording
Recap:16th Annual Meeting, January 14-16th, 2020
Silverton, Oregon
Friends old and new gathered in Silverton, Oregon, for RVCC’s 16th Annual Meeting. We were inspired by plenary speakers who championed the need to invest in rural America to support healthy landscapes and vibrant communities; affirmed the value of locally led civic dialogue with uncommon allies, especially in these divisive times; reminded us of that “rural is its own inequity” and how that shapes access and opportunity; and challenged assumptions about rural attitudes toward conservation. These themes carried through smaller group conversations addressing the need for community and collaborative involvement in shared stewardship; the role of recreation in small rural communities; the importance of workforce development; and the power of women, among others.
Recap: 15th Annual Meeting, January 28-30th, 2019
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recap: 14th Annual Meeting - December 5-7, 2017
Troutdale, Oregon
Recap: 13th Annual Meeting - January 10-12, 2017
After a national election in which rural America was thrust into the spotlight, our meeting focused on four key themes: community, capacity, catalyzing change and collaboration. Participants heard sage political advice from Mark Rey and Jim Lyons, both of whom served as Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment in USDA; garnered new communications ideas from Paul Larmer, executive director of High Country News; and were inspired by keynote speaker Vicki Christiansen, Deputy Director for State and Private Forestry in the U.S. Forest Service. We asked provocative questions with an aim to identify success stories, policy barriers, and new solutions for working landscapes.. We gathered to approach federal policy from the middle. And, we gathered to galvanize RVCC and our community's work in the year to come.
Recap: 12th Annual Meeting - Dec 6-8, 2015
At our 2015 Annual Meeting, RVCC participants engaged in rich discussion, exchanging experiences, expertise, and ideas for how best to leverage our mutual interests in today’s political climate. The meeting focused on the following efforts:
Confirming the importance of the RVCC voice and approach to policy change;
Refining our focus areas for 2016, including identifying immediate opportunities for collective action;
Expanding RVCC’s mission beyond policy work to include communication of the “why” behind our work, and facilitation of a more coordinated exchange of success stories and lessons learned;
Establishing issue area and cross-cutting working groups, each with a core group of dedicated leaders;
Exploring strategies for engagement with decision makers, both within and outside Washington D.C.
(From left) Greg Aplet, Karen Hardigg, Tom Fry, Meryl Harrell, Cecilia Clavet, and Mike Anderson
The Annual Meeting prioritized three topics: Forest Service in the 21st Century, Fire Adapted Communities and Resilient Landscapes, and All Lands: Leveraging Resources and Relationships. Throughout the two day meeting, participants reflected on what has changed in the past four years in rural communities and all lands management; identified possible policy barriers and solutions; and developed priorities, principles, desired outcomes, and strategies for each topic. Through these conversations emerged a set of cross-cutting themes, as well as a clear work plan for RVCC in 2016. Participants walked away re-energized and ready to collectively act on the most pressing issues facing our communities.