This program is entitled “Conservation and Development.” The panel will focus on what Alaska’s history can teach us about the relationship between economic growth and our interests in stewarding Alaska’s lands and waters for present and future generations. By looking at debates around issues from damming the Yukon River to Alaskan responses to oil and gas development, we will examine if the binary between conservation and development serves the complexities of the decisions facing Alaska’s residents and lands.

The program will feature four panelists: Jen Rose Smith, James Magdanz, Courtnay Carothers, and Bathsheba Demuth

The panel will discuss the topic at hand and take questions from both a live and on-line audience. Students will be encouraged to participate.

This is the third of a four-lecture and panel series about major public policy issues facing Alaska. The sessions, scheduled at the Anchorage Museum, are designed to combat the often willful distortion of history and create a more productive environment in which to arrive at sound public policy.

The Alaska Historical Society is Alaska’s largest statewide organization dedicated to the informed exchange of ideas through a factual appreciation of Alaska’s history. It is partnering with the Cook Inlet Historical Society and the Anchorage Museum on the series. The Atwood Foundation has provided a generous grant to cover costs. Other supporting organizations include the League of Women Voters and OLE!, an Anchorage-based nonprofit which offers educational classes.

Also, join us on Monday March 25 at 4:00 p.m. for a debrief and further discussion on the topic of Conservation and Development. This is a joint OLE! and AHS event. Here is the link for the March 25 event: www.tinyurl.com/FollowupExchange-3

Jen Rose Smith, dAXunhyuu (Eyak, Alaska Native), is an assistant professor of geography and American Indian studies at the University of Washington.

James Magdanz is an independent researcher specializing in hunting and fishing economies in Alaska.

Courtney Carothers is a professor in the Department of Fisheries, College of Fisheries  and Ocean Science, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Moderated by Bathsheba Demuth, Dean’s Associate Professor of History and Environment and Society, Brown University.

AHS & CIHS Present: Conservation and Development: Can They Co-exist?