SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment
8:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Come be a part of the festivities, featuring multimedia story clips, as the winners of SEJ's fourth annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment are revealed. The very best environmental reporting of the year will be honored at this prestigious event in the elegant ballroom of the Driskill Hotel. Winners in nine categories will receive $1,000 checks and trophies, while second- and third-place honorees will get certificates. Rich Oppel, the editor of the Austin American-Statesman, will pay special tribute to the late Kevin Carmody, a founder of SEJ and one of environmental journalism's greatest voices. We'll also take a moment to present a special award to SEJ's volunteer of the year. Afterwards, we'll cap off the celebration by adjourning to the Mezzanine for more live music and mingling.
Presenters:
Vince Patton, Environmental Reporter, KGW-TV, Portland, OR
Dan Fagin, Associate Professor of Journalism, New York University
Stolberg Award Presenter:
Tim Wheeler, Reporter, The Baltimore Sun
Location: Driskill Ballroom

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Thursday, September 29: In the field, Omni Hotel

Day Tours:
Advance registration is required for all Thursday tours, although empty seats on some tours may be filled at departure time on a stand-by basis. Departure times vary and are listed below. None of the tours include strenuous walking, but for those with special needs, the Houston and San Antonio tours (described below) are the best for wheelchair accessibility. indicates either simultaneous English/Spanish translation or interpreter support. All tours include lunch and beverages. Please dress for possible inclement weather, and bring rain gear and your own extra drinking water.

Buses will stage at the Omni 7th street exit. Guests staying at the Driskill and La Quinta hotels must board at the Omni, which is within walking distance of both hotels. Please note the time of departure and plan to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier. Thursday tours will return to hotels about 5:00 p.m. except for the Houston tour, which will arrive around 6:30 p.m.

Houston Chemical Corridor or Cancer Alley?
Full day, 7:00 a.m. departure from downtown Austin to board 8:50 a.m. flight to Houston Hobby Airport, lunch included, $50 nonrefundable, SEJ members only
Take a tour of the Houston Ship Channel — home to one of the biggest ports and largest refining and petrochemical complexes in the world. We will take a 40-minute flight from Austin to Houston, where we will visit neighborhoods in the shadow of the city's many industrial plants and talk to regulators, community activists and industry about what is being done to reduce exposure to toxic pollutants. Participants will see the Channel two ways: by water, on the Port of Houston Authority's cruise boat, and by land, where a bus will take the journey down Houston's infamous refinery row. Lunch will be served at Brady's Landing...perhaps the only restaurant with a view of chemical stacks.
• Contaremos con el apoyo de intérpretes al español durante la visita. (Interpreter support in Spanish will be provided during the tour.)
• Sponsored in part by the Houston Chronicle.
Note: This tour is filled — waiting list only.
Tour Leaders:
Jim Bruggers, Reporter, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal
Dina Cappiello, Environment Writer, Houston Chronicle
Speakers:
Arturo Blanco, Director, City of Houston Air Quality Control Bureau
John Bresland, Board Member, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Walt Crow, Program Manager, Houston Regional Monitoring Network, URS Corporation
Michael Honeycutt, Manager, Toxicology Section, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Max Jones, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Texas Petrochemicals
Hilton Kelly, Community Activist, Beaumont/Port Arthur
Fred Newhouse, Spokesman, Valero Houston Refinery
Paul Newman, Air Quality Permit Program Manager, Harris County Pollution Control
Steve Paciotti, Chairperson, Ambient Air Monitoring Committee, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Juan Parras, Community Outreach Coordinator, Environmental Law and Justice Center, Thurgood Marshall Law School, Texas Southern University
Tom Stock, Associate Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Art Williams, Director, Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District
John Yoars, Senior Vice President, Operations, Texas Petrochemicals
A representative from the Port of Houston Authority TBA

Creative Ranching in Texas: From Conservation Easements to Scimitar-Horned Oryx
Full day, 7:15 a.m. departure, lunch included, $20

Ranching, Texas-style. Photo by Rebecca McEntee. Courtesy of the Austin American-Statesman.

We'll tour the 6,700-acre Shield Ranch, a working cattle operation along Barton Creek that will remain as open space forever thanks to donated and purchased conservation easements. We'll discuss the special challenges of land conservation and watershed protection in Texas, where, unlike other Western states, nearly 90 percent of the land is in private ownership. Then we'll visit the Selah Bamberger Ranch, where the onetime CEO of Church's Chicken has spent 36 years restoring springs and native grasses, breeding the largest herd of scimitar-horned oryx in the world and preaching a conservation ethic to guests.
Note: This tour is filled — waiting list only.
Tour Leaders:
Ralph Haurwitz, Staff Writer, Austin American-Statesman
Ray Ring, Editor in the Field, High Country News
Speakers:
Bob Ayres, Managing Partner, Shield Ranch
J. David Bamberger, Land Steward, Bamberger Ranch Preserve
Valarie Bristol, Director of External Affairs, The Nature Conservancy of Texas
Joe Feller, Professor, College of Law, Arizona State University
Steven Fulton, Stewardship and Education, Bamberger Ranch Preserve
Colleen Gardner, Center Coordinator, Education Programs, Bamberger Ranch Preserve
Jim Magagna, Executive Vice President, Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Nancy McLaughlin, Professor of Law, S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah
Carter Smith, Texas State Director, The Nature Conservancy of Texas
Kevin Thuesen, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Water Quality Protection Lands, City of Austin Water Utility

Texas Energy: From Coal and Oil to Solar and Hydro
Full day, 7:30 a.m. departure, lunch included, $20
Texas is the epicenter of the world's energy business. We'll visit an open-pit lignite mine operated by Alcoa and hear the company talk about its reclamation program. Then we'll hear from activists and attorneys who have been fighting the company over its strip mining operation and its ash disposal procedures. Next we'll travel to a hydroelectric plant operated by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Finally, we'll see one of the state's biggest solar installations, a 28,000-watt photovoltaic facility owned by the city of Austin. En route we'll see and talk about oil production and the booming trend in horizontal drilling.
Tour Leaders:
Mike Dunne, Senior Reporter, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate
Pete Slover, Reporter, The Dallas Morning News
Speakers:
Julie Breaux, Communications Director, Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association
Travis Brown, Media Contact, Neighbor for Neighbors, and Energy Projects Director, Public Citizen
Robert Cullick, Executive Manager of Communications, Lower Colorado River Authority
Martin Fleming, Executive Vice President, Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association
Jim Hodson, Public Relations Manager, Alcoa
Michelle McFadden, Environmental Attorney, Bastrop Neighbors
Ryan Rowney, Manager, Hydroelectric Operations, Lower Colorado River Authority
Fred Yebra, Director of Demand Side Management Programs, Austin Energy

Birds in the Hood
Full day, 8:00 a.m. departure, lunch included, $20
Tour Fort Hood, which the Army calls the "largest military post in the free world." Army representatives will detail their work with neighboring landowners to help save endangered songbirds nesting where soldiers train. You'll hear from the military on how it is dealing with encroaching urban sprawl and other environmental requirements, as well as from environmentalists on their take of the "encroachment" situation. Topics will include compliance with dozens of environmental regulations, balancing environmental and national security needs, and the military's pursuit of exemptions from environmental regulations.
Tour Leaders:
Cheryl Hogue, Senior Reporter, Chemical & Engineering News
Debbie Stevenson, Military Editor, Killeen Daily Herald
Suzanne Yohannan, Editor, Defense Environment Alert
Speakers:
Gary Amaon, Edwards Plateau Ecoregional Manager, Texas Chapter, The Nature Conservancy
Omar Bocanegra, Endangered Species Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Roderick Chisholm, Director, Fort Hood Public Works, United States Army
Tom Cloud, Field Supervisor, Arlington Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Thomas Greene, Project Director, The Nature Conservancy
Steve Helfert, U.S. Department of Defense Liaison, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Janice Larkin, Range Sustainment Program, U.S. Department of Defense
Steve Manning, Manager, Leon River Restoration Project, and Chair, Grazing Lease Committee, Central Texas Cattlemen's Association
Andrew Wetzler, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council

Every Drop for Sale: Water Rights and Water Marketing
Full day, 8:30 a.m. departure, lunch and swim in the Pedernales River included (bring a swimsuit, or at least a towel), $20
As sources of water become scarce and Texas' population explodes, wildcatters are after a new liquid gold. Near fast-growing cities, water developers are devising ways to supply urban needs. This tour looks at water rights issues and examines personalities and politics behind water marketing. Boone Pickens wants to sell groundwater from the Texas Panhandle. There are multi-billion dollar construction projects in the works. Some ranchers can make more money selling water than raising corn, cotton or cattle. We will look at urban areas trying to meet demand without having price and supply dictated to them.
Tour Leaders:
Lisa Sorg, Editor, San Antonio Current
Neil Strassman, Reporter, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Speakers:
Molly Cagle, Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP (representing Mesa Water)
Calvin Finch, Director of Conservation, San Antonio Water System
Beth Johnson, Texas Committee on Natural Resources
Ken Kramer, Director, Lone Star Chapter, Sierra Club
Janelle Okorie, Vice President of Strategic Resources and Business Planning, San Antonio Water System
Robert Potts, General Manager, Edwards Aquifer Authority
Mike Rickman, Executive Assistant, North Texas Municipal Water District
Darlene Shahan, Kinney County Groundwater District
Max Shumake, President, Sulphur River Oversight Society
Dianne Wassenich, Director, San Marcos River Foundation

Barton Springs Pool. Photo courtesy of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Species and Sprawl
Full day, 10:00 a.m. departure, lunch included, $20
Throughout the West, sprawling cities are encroaching on endangered species habitat. From the Barton Springs salamander to the golden-cheeked warbler to blind cave spiders, endangered species have been at the center of environmentalists' efforts to limit development on the fringes of Austin. We'll explore trends in these development battles through visits to Barton Springs, home to the North American vertebrate with the smallest known range, and the Onion Creek Natural Area, a gorgeous property in the Hill Country, which offers lessons in the hydrology of Central Texas as well as efforts to conserve land through acquisitions and conservation easements.
Tour Leaders:
John Krist, Senior Reporter, Ventura County Star
Steve Scheibal, Austin American-Statesman
Speakers:
Kent Butler, Director, Community and Regional Planning Program, The University of Texas at Austin
George Cofer, Executive Director, Hill Country Conservancy
Nico Hauwert, Senior Environmental Scientist, City of Austin
John Kostyack, Senior Counsel, National Wildlife Federation
Nancy McClintock, Assistant Director, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department
Robert McClure, Environmental Reporter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Paige Najvar, Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Florence Oxley, Director of Conservation and Education, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Robert Pine, Manager, Austin Field Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Paul Terrill, Lawyer for Plaintiffs, GDF Realty Investments Ltd.

San Antonio: A River Through Time
Full day, 10:30 a.m. departure, lunch included, $20
We'll visit San Antonio's famous River Walk and tour the San Antonio River valley to explore the enduring relationship between water and development, and the natural and man-made landscapes, in the West. A vital source of food and drink, and sometimes a threatening force in the shape of killer floods, the river is controlled today by dams and channels and tunnels, regulating its flow. We'll take a look at efforts by the federal government to return some of the river to its natural condition after spending the second half of the 20th Century turning much of the waterway into a drainage ditch.
• Contaremos con el apoyo de intérpretes al español durante la visita. (Interpreter support in Spanish will be provided during the tour.)
Tour Leaders:
Anton Caputo, Environment Reporter, San Antonio Express News
Chuck Quirmbach, Reporter, Wisconsin Public Radio
Speakers:
Char Miller, Professor, Urban Studies, Trinity University
George Ozuna, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Greg Schwarz, Project Engineer, San Antonio River Improvements Project
Marty Underwood, Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

East Austin: Whose Other Side?
Half day, 12:00 noon departure, lunch included, $20
Across the interstate from the Capitol and the Sixth Street clubs is East Austin, where generations of African-American and Hispanic families have maintained strong neighborhood traditions amidst some of the city's worst infrastructure and dirtiest industries. We'll visit a community struggling with issues of environmental justice and health, make a stop at an urban organic farm and view some short documentaries about East Austin made by University of Texas film students.
• Contaremos con el apoyo de intérpretes al español durante la visita. (Interpreter support in Spanish will be provided during the tour.)
Tour Leaders:
Patrica Villone Garcia, Environmental Reporter, CTV News 15, Largo, MD
Andrew Garrison, Department of Radio Television Film, College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin
Speakers:
Susana Almanza, Executive Director, People Organized in the Defense of Earth and her Resources
Larry Butler and Carol Ann Sayle, Owners, Boggy Creek Farm
Dick and Pat Richardson, Professors/Researchers, Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin
Juan Valadez, Director, Center for Cultural Exploration, and Co-Founder, East Austin Stories Course, The University of Texas at Austin

Independent Hospitality Events
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Private groups will host receptions for SEJ conference attendees at the Omni Hotel. This is a great time to relax, meet up with acquaintances from past years and sample what 2005 hosts have to offer. You'll find details about the receptions here, as well as in your registration folder (requiere el programa libre del Adobe Acrobat ® reader).
Location: Omni Hotel First Floor and Mezzanine. Follow the signs.

Dinner on Your Own
7:30 p.m. - ??
After the Independent Hospitality Events, explore Austin, sample the local cuisine and enjoy the evening! Check the Friday Beat Dinner list in your registration packet for descriptions of some of the restaurants that are in easy walking distance. There are a lot of great restaurants very close to the Omni.

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Friday, September 30: Thompson Conference Center, The University of Texas at Austin
2405 Robert Dedman Drive, Austin, Texas. Phone 512-471-3121.
All Friday events are at The University of Texas at Austin's Thompson Conference Center (TCC) unless otherwise indicated. Shuttles will begin at the Omni on 7th street at 6:45 a.m. Guests staying at the Driskill will need to walk across the street to board at the Omni. La Quinta shuttle will begin at 7:00 a.m. Shuttles will loop between the TCC and the Omni and La Quinta hotels throughout the day until the last shuttle from the TCC leaves at 6:30. Please check your shuttle schedule for details.

Some events are held at buildings near the Thompson Conference Center. Attendees will walk to these events, so plan for the possibility of rain.

Each year, SEJ welcomes a diverse group of attendees to its annual conference, including representatives of business, government and environmental groups as well as working journalists, academics and students. Because non-journalists are here, you may see or hear responses to presentations that you might not expect from mainstream journalists. Please bear in mind that these responses — like the presentations themselves — do not necessarily reflect the views of SEJ or any of its members.

Please note that SEJ members will be given preference in question-and-answer sessions.

indicates either simultaneous English/Spanish translation or interpreter support.

All day, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Welcoming Remarks
9:30 - 9:45 a.m.
Emcees: SEJ's 2005 Conference Co-Chairs, Dina Cappiello, Environment Reporter, Houston Chronicle, and Randy Loftis, Reporter, The Dallas Morning News
Speaker: Mark Yudof, Chancellor, The University of Texas System
Location: Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium in the LBJ Library (next door to the Thompson Conference Center)