Press Release: Largest Annual Gathering of San Francisco Bay Maritime Decision-Makers Set for May 16 in Oakland

  • by BPC Staff
  • on April 8, 2014
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For immediate release

April 8, 2014

 

Largest Annual Gathering of San Francisco Bay Maritime Decision-Makers Set for May 16 in Oakland

27th Annual Bay Planning Coalition Decision Makers Conference to tackle sea level rise and competing uses between ballparks, residents, and maritime businesses

 

April 8, 2014 – Oakland, CA – The Bay Planning Coalition has confirmed a solid line-up of speakers for the 2014 Decision Makers Conference (#2014DMC) set for 8:30 AM – 4 PM on Friday, May 16 at the Scottish Rite Center on the shores of Lake Merritt in Downtown Oakland. This event is the largest annual gathering of San Francisco Bay-dependent businesses and regulatory agencies. Acclaimed sea level rise expert John Englander will keynote, and officials such as California Sec. for Food & Agriculture Karen Ross will discuss the links between the Bay, water, agriculture, and trade-related jobs.

“This year’s Decision Makers Conference is going to tackle some of the most contentious issues the San Francisco Bay faces today – from drought impacts to trade, to negotiations between ballparks, residents, and maritime businesses, to the perils of sea level rise that will affect us all,” observed Bay Planning Coalition CEO John Coleman, adding, “We are bringing together leaders from science and government to ensure an informative conference.”

Conference Speaker Line-Up (Partial):

John Garamendi, US Congressman

Eric Swalwell, US Congressman

Barbara Lee, US Congresswoman

John Englander, best-selling author of High Tide on Main Street

Karen Ross, California Secretary of Food and Agriculture

Brigadier General C. David Turner, S. Pacific Division Commander, US Army Corps of Engineers

Jennifer Lucchesi, Executive Director, California State Lands Commission

Rick Welts, President and Chief of Operations, Golden State Warriors

 

Event Details:

The 27th Annual Decision Makers Conference

Maritime and Waterfront Industries of the San Francisco Bay:

Keys to a Thriving Economy and Healthy Environment

 Friday, May 16, 2014

8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Oakland Scottish Rite Center (on Lake Merritt)
#2014DMC

John Englander, author of High Tide on Main Street, will be addressing one of the biggest issues of our time: Sea Level Rise. Englander says, “Sea level naturally moves up and down hundreds of feet over geologic time. After the recent few thousand years of stability, we have entered a new era in which it will continue to rise decade by decade. In fact, sea level will rise regardless of efforts to be ‘green’ and sustainable. We also need to understand that the IPCC and other official government projections may be on the low side. In the face of irreversible sea level rise, adaptation can be a good investment, particularly for major infrastructure planning.”

 “We know that the 21st Century will bring many new export opportunities to Asia and our other trading partners,” said Secretary Karen Ross of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “It is critical that California positions its leading maritime gateways like the San Francisco Bay to remain effective in helping to meet that demand.” 

About Bay Planning Coalition: Founded in 1983, the Bay Planning Coalition (BPC) is a non-profit, membership-based organization representing public and private entities in the maritime industry and related shoreline businesses, ports and local governments, landowners, recreational users, labor unions, residential and commercial builders, environmental and business organizations, and professional service firms in engineering, construction, law, planning, and environmental sciences. The mission of the Bay Planning Coalition (BPC) is to work through a broad coalition, which will enhance the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Region.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

John Coleman
Executive Director
Bay Planning Coalition
(510) 768-8310
john@bayplanningcoalition.org