2024 North Dakota Reclamation Conference set for Feb. 27-28

The 2024 North Dakota Reclamation Conference, “Energy Development, Ecosystems and People,” will focus on the nexus of ideas, best practices, and collaborative discussions that converge to address the evolving challenges of land reclamation. The conference will be held Feb. 27-28 at the Astoria Event Center in Dickinson, North Dakota.

This event will bring together those working on reclamation in the region to discuss effective reclamation strategies. The conference will include a general session focused on the social and environmental challenges of energy development, as well as breakout sessions on vegetation establishment and assessment methods related to remediation and reclamation. The conference will also feature a tradeshow and social.

The conference begins with registration at noon on Feb. 27. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the keynote address at 7 p.m.

Steve Grodsky, assistant unit leader with U.S. Geological Survey and assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environment at Cornell University, is the keynote speaker. Grodsky is an applied ecologist who specializes in the emerging field of renewable energy ecology. His address, “Energy Development, Ecosystems and People,” is the focus of the conference and will cover the sustainability and environmental issues of energy transitions.

“The renewable energy transition may offer opportunities to re-envision ecological reclamation for climate change mitigation and biological conservation, while enabling efficient use of land resources and bolstering collaboration among energy sectors,” Grodsky says. “Renewable energy ecology conceptually melds energy development, ecosystems and people to facilitate sustainable land-use change.”

The Feb. 28 program starts at 8 a.m. with concurrent breakout sessions on vegetation establishment and assessment methods related to reclamation and remediation. Sessions include seeding recommendation, weed management, and case studies on challenging reclamation and risk-based corrective actions.

“The remarkable growth of this conference underscores the shared enthusiasm for learning, collaboration and enhancing current reclamation practices,” says Thomas DeSutter, North Dakota State University professor and research leader for the School of Natural Resource Sciences.

NDSU Extension, Dickinson State University, the Society for Range Management, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and BKS Environmental are hosting the event.

Conference presenters include representatives from NDSU, USDA-ARS, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Forest Service and private industry.

The registration fee for the conference is $125 if paid by Feb. 16 and $145 after that date. Student registration is free.