Sixth Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference

Collaboration and Compromise in the Rural American West
Date
Fri March 23rd 2018, 9:00am - 7:00pm
Location
Yakima, Washington

In a departure from previous gatherings, the 2018 Eccles Family Rural West Conference took the form of an academic workshop focused on collaborative governance. Panels explored how collaboration in rural communities can foster greater environmental sustainability and better health outcomes.

Read the full event recap

Agenda

Friday, March 23, 2018

Mar 23
9 - 9:30 am

Welcome and Conference Introduction

Bruce E. Cain, PhD
Spence and Cleone Eccles Family Director, The Bill Lane Center for the American West

David M. Kennedy, PhD
Founding Co-Director, Bill Lane Center for the American West
Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History Emeritus, Stanford University
 

Mar 23
9:30 - 11 am

Panel 1: Challenges and Possibilities in Wildfire Management

Location: Panel 1: Challenges and Possibilities in Wildlife Management

As devastating wildfires have become a new reality in the American West, this panel will discuss the challenges and new possibilities of managing both their impact and our response.

Patrick Shea, JD
University of Utah

Rebecca Miller
PhD Student, Stanford University

Alissa Cordner
Associate Professor of Sociology and Paul Garrett Fellow, Whitman College

John Giller
US Forest Service

David Brady, PhD
Stanford University
Facilitator

Mar 23
11:15 am - 12:45 pm

Panel 2: Towards a Healthier Rural West

Building upon the 2017 Rural West conference, this panel will brainstorm the next steps in improving health care and access in the rural West.

Kevin Harris, MPA, MBA
The William D. Ruckelshaus Center

Bidisha Mandal, PhD
Washington State University

Tom Scandalis, DO
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences

Mike Maples, MD
Community Health of Central Washington

John F. McCarthy, MD
University of Washington School of Medicine

Gabriel Garcia, MD
Stanford University School of Medicine

Phillip Polakoff, MD
Stanford School of Medicine
Bill Lane Center for the American West
Facilitator

Mar 23
1:45 - 3:15 pm

Panel 3: Perspectives on the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan

The Yakima Basin Integrated Plan has been praised for making the Yakima Basin a great place for families, fish, and farms. This panel will discuss the background, implementation, and opposition to the YBIP.

Peter Dykstra, JD
Plauche & Carr LLP

Tom Ring
Yakama Nation

Urban Eberhart
Kittitas Reclamation District

Bob Tuck
Natural resources consultant

Craig Thomas, PhD
University of Washington
Facilitator

Mar 23
3:30 - 5 pm

Panel 4: Models for University-Based Collaborative Governance

This panel will highlight best practices in university-based collaborative governance for addressing environmental, economic and health issues in the rural West.

Michael Kern, MPA
The William D. Ruckelshaus Center

Craig Thomas, PhD
University of Washington

Nicola Ulibarri, PhD
University of California, Irvine

Gabriela Muñoz-Melendez, PhD
El Colegio de la Frontera Norte

Bruce E. Cain, PhD
Facilitator

Mar 23
5:45 - 7 pm

Dinner and Keynote

Hilary Franz
Washington Commissioner of Public Lands
Keynote