Nov. 14, 2016
Media Advisory
What: Midwest Bioeconomy Regional Stakeholder Forum
Where: Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster
When: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 15
Contact: Dennis Hall, hall.16@osu.edu, 614-292-4188
Background: For much of two decades, the federal government has examined the use of plants as feedstock to help drive our nation’s economy. With Congressional authorization and the support of the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, over 1 billion tons of biomass have been identified that can be sustainably utilized to create energy, fuels and biobased products. The increasing use of renewable, biobased materials creates jobs, improves air quality and reduces reliance on foreign sources.
In February, the Biomass Research and Development Board, comprised of seven federal agencies and the Executive Office of the President, issued a Federal Activities Report on the Bioeconomy, biomassboard.gov/pdfs/farb_2_18_16.pdf, and subsequently asked the Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership, or ATIP Foundation, to arrange and co-host five bioeconomy forums throughout the United States to garner input from stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities related to the bioeconomy.
Thus far, forums were convened in Atlanta, Georgia; Mineral Wells, Texas; Seattle-Tacoma, Washington; and Orono, Maine. The fifth and final forum will be Nov. 15 at the Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, Ohio, co-hosted by The Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. This session is especially important, as it is the only forum scheduled to take place after the recent general election, said organizer Dennis Hall, director of Ohio State’s OBIC Bioproducts Innovation Center.
Over 60 individuals representing industry, agricultural and environmental organizations; state and local government; academia, economic and workforce development; and finance have registered to attend. Information collected at this forum will help inform Congress and the Trump administration on implementation strategies that grow the economy, especially in rural America.
The morning sessions (9:30 a.m.-noon) will be livestreamed at: facebook.com/OhioBioProducts/
The agenda is below.
Members of the media interested in more information or in attending the event may contact:
Dennis Hall
hall.16@osu.edu
614-292-4188
Agenda:
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:30 a.m. Welcome, Wes Jurey, chairman, ATIP Foundation, and Todd Campbell, policy advisor for Energy and the Bioeconomy, USDA-Rural Development
10 a.m. Stakeholder Introductions
11 a.m. Overview of the Federal Activities Report on the Bioeconomy and the Billion Ton Bioeconomy Initiative: Challenges and Opportunities Report
Noon-3:45 p.m. Stakeholder Comments and Discussion (working lunch)
4-5 p.m. Next Steps and Closing Remarks
Writer(s):
For more information, contact:
Dennis Hall
hall.16@osu.edu
614-292-4188