A Better Vision
Ohio VALLELY Environmental Advocates and FreshWater Accountability Project sponsored the second BETTER VISION FOR THE VALLEY CONFERENCE hosted by BLUE STREAM FARMS in WEIRTON, WV on OCTOBER 21, 2023. The day-long conference builds upon the first conference held in Wheeling, WV in 2019 to continue the important work to create a better economy to preserve the natural resources of the region and fulfill residents’ desires for good jobs that provide a living wage. The Better Vision efforts continue with our fellow advocacy organizations to promote our ongoing work and share opportunities with community members, local elected officials, and civic organizations to bring a cleaner and more robust economy to the Ohio Valley. Although the region has a history dominated by heavily polluting and extractive industries that take advantage of rich natural resources that lessen long-term prosperity and worsen public health, there are opportunities for a much better future in the emerging cleaner, more sustainable industries of the future such as regenerative agriculture, hemp, renewable energy and aquaponics/hydroponics. Better Vision efforts will continue, boosted by individual efforts and group collaboration supported by government initiatives to address historical cumulative air and water pollution and environmental injustices.
Ohio River Valley Institute: A “Bigger Bang” Approach to Economic Development: Leveraging Higher Multipliers to Diversify Energy Economies in Appalachia
Appalachia has long suffered from what economists call “the natural resource curse”. While rich in fossil fuel resources, an over-reliance on extraction industries—where much of the final production value flows out of the region— can lead to volatile cycles of booms and busts as global conditions change. New research shows that some energy communities have successfully begun to reverse their economic struggles by diversifying their economy with comparatively low cost investments in quality of life improvements, piloting clean technology, and energy efficiency programs. These policies promote shared prosperity by using local labor, growing small businesses, and keeping a larger share of income circulating locally to multiply their impact.
ReImagine Beaver County: Mobilizing Change – From Visions to Action
Endurance and determination are the heart of the Reimagine Beaver County project. Hear the story that began with residents reimagining the future for their region, and then what their strategy has been to move visions into action. This on-going “case study” will describe the work of mobilizing industrial development in new directions that are economically viable and good for people and planet.
Reimagine Appalachia: Resources for Rebuilding Our Future
This presentation will showcase of the work of ReImagine Appalachia, sharing federal opportunity resources with grant tracking along with capacity building resources for local governments, highlighting grant programs that are of special interest to the region.
About the presenter: Molly Updegrove is the Deputy Program Director and Director of Outreach for ReImagine Appalachia and also a public policy consultant. Molly has a Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organization and Social Action and years of experience organizing and implementing public policy plans. Much of her passion surrounding environmental activism stems from her love for the outdoors – Molly enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, stargazing, and especially birding.
Fair Shake Enviromental Legal Services: Community Benefit Agreements 101
“Community benefit agreement” (“CBA”) is a term used to describe a range of community-driven agreements and plans that specify the tangible, measurable benefits that a developer promises will be delivered to the community should it support a proposed development. This presentation will cover the different types of CBAs, the types of terms commonly found in CBAs, the process typically involved in CBA negotiation, negotiation tips, when to use CBAs and who is typically involved, best practices, and general benefits of using CBAs.