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5/20/2013
IMPORTANT UPDATE: After lengthy consideration, the American Alpine Club and Denali National Park have decided to postpone the Sustainable Summits Conference for one year. The decision was made based on several factors, most notably the direct and indirect impacts of federal sequestration and diminished federal travel budgets. The goals of the Sustainable Summits Conference planners remain firmly intact, i.e. to gather the national and international land managers, climbers, planners, and scientists together to shape and share environmentally sustainable practices for the world’s mountainous areas. Over the past several months, enthusiasm for the event and the topic was rapidly gaining momentum, with participation pledged by state and federal land managers, non-profit agencies, and recreation industry business leaders.
The event, which was originally scheduled to take place the second weekend in September 2013 in Talkeetna, Alaska, has been re-scheduled to July 21 - 24, 2014. Although the original timing and conference location of Talkeetna, Alaska, home to Denali National Park and Preserve’s mountaineering operations, was selected to coincide with the 100th Anniversary of the first ascent of Mt. McKinley, the re-scheduled conference will be held in the more geographically central Golden, Colorado. By re-locating to the American Mountaineering Center, headquarters of the American Alpine Club in Golden and proximate to the National Park Service InterMountain Regional Office, conference planners feel they can maximize participation while reducing travel and other conference costs. Furthermore, conference planners will work in the next year to incorporate live videoconferencing capability to the event, both to further enhance national and international participation, but also to set an example for ‘sustainable practices’, which is in and of itself a primary conference goal.
Both the American Alpine Club and Denali National Park and Preserve regret any logistical complications that may arise from these changes, however, the planning team is confident that both a more cost effective and a superior conference will result.
Conference Hosts:
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Sustainable Summits: The International Mountain Conference on Environmental Practices
The American Alpine Club and Denali National Park will host a summit of land managers, climbers, planners and scientists representing the world’s mountainous areas. The focus of this conference will incorporate environmentally sustainable solutions in mountain areas along with developing global partnerships. The conference will be presented by an alliance of mountain recreation and conservation organizations and will be open to all interested individuals from around the world. To foster connection and collaboration, the conference will have a capacity of 150 attendees.
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- Peter Metcalf, CEO/President of Black Diamond Equipment
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Photo courtesy Menno Boermans.
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"The world's mountains deserve our ultimate respect and care.
Sustainable Summits is our way of ensuring tomorrow's climbers learn new
techniques, utilize the latest systems and we'll leave these mountain
places preserved and protected for future generations. "
— Garry Oye, Chief of Wilderness Stewardship, US National Park Service.
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The agenda will focus on three key tracks:
• Sustainable Practices and Solutions: Education and field-tested practice for land managers and users. (Day 1)
• Planning and Access: Can you get it right from the get-go? (Day 2)
• Reducing User Impact: The Challenge of managing all types of waste. (Day 3)
Time will be allowed for problem solving on all of the above among the experts and audience. In addition, exhibits will display sustainable products that are efficient, lighter, and lower-resource use. Managers and vendors will display products and papers from the presentations.
Registration is open. We are soliciting sponsors, vendors, speakers and papers. If you wish to be involved, make a contribution or be placed on a conference news list, please contact chairpersons, Roger Robinson, or Ellen Lapham by emailing sustainable.summits@gmail.com.
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Conference Sponsors:
Mt. Foraker
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Mt. Hunter
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Conference Supporters:
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