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Common Agenda 2012

It was a meeting of the minds - conservation minds - held on October 7, 2011. Over 60 individuals representing 25 conservation organizations (including Upstate Forever!) gathered at the University of South Carolina’s Green Quad for the Conservation Common Agenda annual meeting, hosted by Conservation Voters of South Carolina Education Fund. The Common Agenda is the annual consensus-building process through which South Carolina's conservation community works together to create a shared list of legislative priorities.

“This is an opportunity for conservationists to come together, discuss and decide which issues should be top priority, and speak together in one voice to protect a clean, healthy environment," said Debbie Parker, Conservation Voters of South Carolina Program Director.

Five team proposals in the areas of waste, water, energy, transportation and land were presented to attendees to update the group on pertinent conservation issues. Ultimately, participants settled on these major 2012 Common Agenda priorities: Extension of the Conservation Bank Sunset Provision and protection of Bank funding, defense of the Pollution Control Act to protect wetlands, comprehensive clean energy legislation and solar incentives, support of natural resource agency funding and alcoholic beverage container recycling.

Conservation organization staff members, volunteers and activists will meet again for a retreat November 6-7 at the Conservation Leaders' Summit on Seabrook Island to discuss messaging of the priorities. For more information about the South Carolina Conservation Common Agenda, contact Debbie Parker at debbie@cvsc.org.