CERTs partner The Minnesota Project welcomes you to join us for a 90-Minute Introduction to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. The webinar is free and will be held on June 25th, 2009 from 1:30-3:00pm CDT. Continue reading to learn more and register to participate on the web or in person.
Agenda
1:30-1:35 – Introduction & Overview: Ryan Stockwell, Clean Energy Program Manager, The Minnesota Project
1:35-1:50 – Implications for Biomass Crop Growers & Users: Joel Tallaksen, Gasification Project Coordinator, University of Minnesota Morris
1:50-2:15 – A State’s Perspective on BCAP: Gary Radloff, Director of Policy and Strategic Communications, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
2:15-2:30 – Federal Policy & Implementation Issues: Kelly S. Novak, Planning and Analysis, USDA Farm Service Agency
2:30-3:00 – Question & Response Time
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About the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), created as a key provision in the 2008 Farm Bill, looks to promote the cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops that show exceptional promise for producing highly energy-efficient bioenergy crops that preserve natural resources and that are not primarily grown for food or animal feed.
BCAP will provide financial assistance to any biomass conversion facility or group of producers that contribute to the production of renewable biomass to use as an energy source. BCAP aims to relieve the dependency on commodity crops as an energy source and shift to less strained biomass materials.
The program is currently in the process of environmental assessment and rulemaking, and is projected to begin no earlier than spring 2010. However, the main structure of the statute remains intact and many want to see the program begin sooner—including President Obama—even if just in pilot form. This May, Obama formed an Interagency Biofuels Working Group and issued a directive to USDA Secretary Vilsack to accelerate investment in biofuels.
Register Now!
Space is limited to 200 participants, so register as soon as possible. Click here to register now. Once your registration has been accepted, all of the information you need to participate will be sent to you in a confirmation email.
About the Speakers
Ryan Stockwell, Ph.D.
Ryan is the Clean Energy Program Manager at The Minnesota Project. He joined the Minnesota Project in October of 2008 as the Clean Energy Program Manager and is in the process of developing new initiatives to help meet the organization’s goals of expanding renewable energy production, maximizing the benefits to local communities derived from renewable energy projects, and improving the overall sustainability of Minnesota communities. Prior to joining the Minnesota Project Ryan worked as a regional organizer for the Western Organization of Resource Councils in Billings, Montana where he worked with organizations in western states on coal and climate change issues and developed collaborations with organizations across the United States on energy and environmental issues. While earning his Ph.D. in History from the University of Missouri, Ryan taught at the university and also worked as a policy analyst on energy, agricultural, and environmental issues in the Missouri House of Representatives. Ryan has an M.A. in History from Miami University and a B.A. in Social Change and Development from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Ryan grew up on a dairy and beef cattle farm in central Wisconsin.
Joel Tallaksen
Joel Tallaksen is the Gasification Project Coordinator at University of Minnesota, West Central Research and Outreach Center located in Morris, MN. Joel’s research focus is identifying agricultural and other biomass that can be sustainably harvested for energy production.
Gary Radloff
Gary Radloff is the Director of Policy and Strategic Communications at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). In this role for DATCP, Radloff oversees all department-wide policy initiatives, communication strategies and homeland security staff. Radloff also serves as staff liaison to the North Central Bioeconomy Consortium (NCBEC), a 12-state partnership of Agriculture departments, University Extension offices and Agriculture Research Stations. Radloff serves on the Steering Committee for the Midwest Agriculture Energy Network (MAEN). Currently, he is also staff to the Agriculture and Forestry Work Group of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming. He also assisted with policy planning and development for the Midwest Governor’s Association Energy Summit held in November 2007.
Kelly Novak
For the past year, Kelly has served as a Program Analyst for the USDA Farm Service Agency. She provides program analysis for several programs, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, Conservation Reserve Program, Emergency Conservation Program, and start ups of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and Voluntary Public Access Program. Analysis includes cost benefit analysis and performance measure reporting. Novak also conducted rule writing for program development from the 2008 Farm Bill. Before joining FSA, Kelly was a research manager at Virginia Tech and the National Association of Development Organizations.
Find a Location to View the Webinar
Would you like to join others in your area to view the webinar and discuss the Biomass Crop Assistance Program? Click on locations on the map below and contact the host to let them know you’ll be attending.
Important note: If you attend a local webinar viewing, you SHOULD NOT register for the webinar using the online registration form. Please let us know if you have already registered online and will now be joining a local viewing.
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Host a Local Event!
We encourage attendees to listen in groups as the toll-free phone line is limited to 200 callers. All you need to host a viewing is a good speakerphone to listen to the call, plenty of space, and a projector for viewing slides. If you would like to host a viewing, please let us know at webmaster@cleanenergyresourceteams.org, with “Webinar Hosting” in the subject line. We need to know your name, organization, the address where the viewing will take place, and the email and phone of the main contact. We will be in touch with hosts nearer the date with discussion questions and other recommendations for a good gathering.
Technical Requirements
The minimum technical requirements to participate in the webinar include a computer with a relatively fast internet connection and a telephone—both of which must be used at the same time. This excludes potential participants that cannot connect to the internet and use the telephone simultaneously. Once you have registered for the webinar, you will be asked to test your web browser for compatibility—please do this right away so that you will be ready to go when you log in and call in on June 25th. To learn more about computer system requirements, please visit this site.
Contact
Questions? Contact Luke Ekelund, Clean Energy Program Assistant at The Minnesota Project: lekelund@mnproject.org or 651-789-3321.
