Plenary Session

8:15 am - 9:45 am

A New Natural Resource Legacy for a Carbon
Conscience World
Secretary Michael DiBerardinis
PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
The Secretary will frame land conservation as a critical national and global issue in terms of sustainability, social impact and climate change.

Eminent Domain Threat to Conservation Update on the “National Interest” Electric Transmission Corridor
Chris Miller, President
Piedmont Environmental Council
Communities across the Mid-Atlantic have been targeted for new interstate transmission lines and expanded rail corridors. 52 counties in Pennsylvania have been included in the U.S. Department of Energy’s first National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor. This designation grants electric utilities access to federal eminent domain for interstate transmission lines. Hear from Piedmont Environmental Council President Christopher G. Miller on the threat of eminent domain from new transportation and energy infrastructure. Learn about low impact alternatives to condemning open space, community resources, and historic and scenic lands which have been protected under conservation easement.