Energy Primer: Publication Will Inform Valley Leaders of Energy-Related Issues

Press Release
MODESTO, CA (May 2009) - Anaerobic digesters. GreenPoint ratings. Solar photovoltaic cells. Senate and Assembly bills. The energy world is vast, complex, and often very technical. One barely knows where to start when trying to understand the issues associated with renewable and clean energy sources, energy conservations, or current legislation surrounding greenhouse gas emissions and regional development standards.

The Energy Primer—produced by the Great Valley Center Energy Program—is a new resource for Central Valley residents and policy makers alike. Organized in an accessible and easily-referenced format, the Primer defines and breaks down the topic of the built environment, renewable energy, transportation, climate action, and energy legislation.

"Our elected officials are being asked to respond to a very quickly changing economic and legislative environment," said Time Fisher, program manager of the Center's Energy Program. "Our hope is that this Primer will be a tool for them as they make choices in how they respond."

→ Read more: full press release
→ Download the publication: Energy Primer

June 9, 2009: Celebrate the Closings of Two Agricultural Easements in the Valley

On June 9, 2009 the Central Valley Farmland Trust will be celebrating the placement of agricultural easements on Jorgensen Ranch and Silveira Farm. These easements ensure that the land will support agriculture and the communities where they are located for future generations.

The celebration will take place at:

Jorgensen Ranch
Tuesday, June 9, 2009,
10:00 a.m.
30416 W. Jorgensen Road,
Gustine, California

What does GVC have to say about agricultural easements:

“We are seeing more and more farmers in the Central Valley choosing to make agricultural easements a part of their business, financial and estate plans,” said Theresa Kiehn, Agricultural Programs Associate with the Great Valley Center. “They’re a proven way to guarantee that farmland remains in private hands, agricultural business continues and the land’s natural resources are forever protected.”

Materials & Resources

→ Read the California Department of Conservation's full press release: Two Central Valley Farms Protected from Development

→ Download the final report on the Great Valley Center’s Agricultural Transactions Program (ATP): Solid Ground: Land Conservation Models From California's Agricultural Heartland

GVC Report: Greatest Road Block to Connecting Kids with Outdoors is Transportation

Press Release
Modesto, CA (May 12, 2009) - The detriments of a generation of young people disconnected from nature include a rise in obesity, attention deficit, and depression as noted by author Richard Louv in Last Child in the Woods. A sedentary lifestyle, characterized by staying indoors, is the norm for many youth in an increasingly high-tech society. There is also connection between a lack of interest in environmental stewardship and a lack of contact with the outdoors. Schools and youth-serving organizations long to provide young people with meaningful outdoor experiences that would foster a more active lifestyle and concern for the natural world that surrounds them, but are frequently stymied by one important factor: transportation.

Transportation Challenges & Opportunities: Connecting young people to the great outdoors, a new report available now at www.greatvalley.org, commissioned by the Great Valley Center, the Stewardship Council, and PG&E—reveals these findings. This practical report assesses the most common problems of cost, availability, and administrative procedures, such as insurance and finding appropriate drivers, that schools and youth-serving organizations face when arranging transportation—for even a day trip—and that often become limiting factors in the successful implementation of an outdoor venture.

Materials & Resources

→ Read the Press Release

→ Download the report: Transportation Challenges & Opportunities: Connecting young people to the great outdoors

May 2009

Press Release
STEWART RESNICK TO RECEIVE RECOGNITION FROM THE REGION

Central Valley Philanthropic Champion to Receive Giant of the Valley Award

Modesto, CA (May 4, 2009) The 2009 Sequoia - Giant of the Valley Award will go to prominent businessman and dedicated philanthropist Stewart Resnick. Chairman of Roll International Corporation, the holding company for businesses such as Paramount Farms and POM Wonderful, Resnick will be honored Thursday, May 7 in Sacramento at the Great Valley Center’s annual conference, 20/20 Foresight: A View of the Valley in a Decade.

→Read the full article

May 2009 Media Advisory

Our monthly media advisories are chock-full of information about what's coming up for GVC this month as well as other interesting happenings and trends in the region.

Highlights in our May advisory include briefs on:

• SB 375 Regional Targets Advisory Committee Meeting: May 5
• Great Valley Center’s 12th Annual Conference: May 6 and 7
• First Lady Michelle Obama at UC Merced: May 16
• New Publication: Energy Primer
• New Publication: Transportation Challenges and Opportunities for Connecting Young People to the Great Outdoors

Materials & Resources

→Read the full Great Valley Center May 2009 Media Advisory