Working Waterfront Symposium

There's an exciting symposium (yep, those words can go together) coming up in Tacoma next month that is extremely topical to NMTA members.

See below:

NEWS RELEASE
     
CONTACTS:
Dan Williams – 206-616-6353 or dw7@uw.edu
Nicole Faghin  – 206-685-8286 or faghin@uw.edu

Waterfronts Provide Valuable Jobs

In the U.S. alone, our waterfronts account for over 6.75 million jobs, $284 billion in wages, and $645 billion in value-added or GDP.  Yet across the United States, shorelines are getting squeezed.
Expanding populations, industries and potential uses for coastal areas add up to increasing conflicts over access to waterfronts. Communities both large and small are seeking creative solutions to address evolving waterfront challenges.

This March 25-28 in Tacoma, , a diverse range of coastal interests are coming together to share common dilemmas and solutions at the third National Working Waterfronts and Waterways Symposium.

Washington Sea Grant, in coordination with Oregon Sea Grant, is sponsoring the symposium, which will provide an opportunity for planning professionals, elected officials, interested citizens and others to learn first-hand about:

• Keeping waterfront industries commercially viable.

• Economic and social impacts of and on working waterfronts

• Successful local, regional, state and federal strategies to address working waterfront issues

• The future of working waterfronts, including potential impacts of changing uses and climates

Plenary sessions for the symposium will address critical issues for our working waterfronts:

• Are We Ready?   Hazard Resiliency Planning for our Working Waterfronts, moderated by Former Deputy Director of HUD and Chair of Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council, Ron Simms

• Challenges Facing the Working Waterfronts, moderated by Dick Vortmann, former President National Steel and Shipbuilding Company and National Sea Grant Advisory Board

The symposium begins March 25 with a full day of field trips around the Tacoma waterfront and the region. For more information and to RSVP, visit the symposium website — www.workingwaterfronts2013.org — or contact Nicole Faghin at wwaters2013@uw.edu or 206-685-8286.