http://www.newwest.net/topic/main/C35/L35/ New West Network: The Voice of the Rocky Mountains en info@newwest.net Copyright 2009 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:35 MST Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:35 MST This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/-YCqa4I-KLU/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/leed_for_weeds_new_program_will_certifiy_green_landscapes/C35/L35/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:39:53 MST A coalition formed by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden has created the nations first rating system for environmentally sensitive landscapes. As LEED has done for buildings and Energy Star has done for appliances, the Sustainable Sites Initiatives will do for outside spaces. The groups describe the program like this: “Voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices.” Nancy Somerville, Executive Vice President and CEO of ASLA said in a press release on the project, “While carbon-neutral performance remains the holy grail for green buildings, sustainable landscapes move beyond a do-no-harm approach. Landscapes sequester carbon, clean the air and water, increase energy efficiency, restore habitats and ultimately give back through significant economic, social and environmental benefits never fully measured until now.” According to a USA Today story, “The rating will measure several criteria. They may include planting trees in a parking lot or paving with permeable materials to minimize heat and storm-water runoff. Or landscaping with native plants to reduce maintenance, irrigation and use of pesticides.” Click here for that story and here for more information from the program itself. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/leed_for_weeds_new_program_will_certifiy_green_landscapes/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/d6RqXUdsUp8/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/as_millions_of_acres_come_out_of_conservation_reserve_program_whats_next/C35/L35/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:04:28 MST More than 3 million acres of farmland in the country is ready to be broken again this season, freed up from contracts from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a little-known farm program that has large implications for land-use in the West and Midwest. Roxana Hegeman of the Associated Press details the changes afoot with the program in a story today. The basics are these: CRP was created in 1985 in the thick of the farm crisis. The program pays landowners to take their land out of production and let it “rest” in native grasses for a specified period of time. Contracts range from 10-20 years. In September of this year, 33.47 million acres were enrolled in the program. But, the 2008 Farm Bill, passed last fall, capped the total acreage at 32 million, so as contracts expire, more and more land is coming out of CRP. According to Hegeman’s story, more than 3.4 million acres were taken out of the program in September—most of them in Texas, Colorado and Kansas, but “hundreds of thousands” of acres are also going back into production in Montana and the Dakotas. In September of 2008, more than 2 million acres were taken out of CRP nationwide compared to September the previous year. The USDA has boasted CRP as the largest private-public conservation effort in the country and indeed, studies from the agency show great benefits to water, erosion and habitat since its introduction. But, in the last five years it has come under fire for a number of things, the largest being the criticism that it takes farmers off of the land and thus contributes to the depopulation of rural America. It’s also been panned for being a “retirement plan” for farmers, driving up land prices by making cropland attractive to amenity ranch buyers who are looking for places to hunt and fish while getting income from the land.  http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/as_millions_of_acres_come_out_of_conservation_reserve_program_whats_next/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/bZS1ym1aECE/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/real_estate_bust_hits_aspen/C35/L35/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:31:37 MST It’s no secret that the luxury second-home market in the Mountain West has taken a huge hit since the national housing market went south, and the Wall Street Journal today does a nice job of detailing the carnage at the highest of the high-end hot-spots. A 10,000 square foot house in the prestigious Starwood area of Aspen (6 acres, barn and guest house) is now listed at $9.95 millioin, down from $15.9 million - and it hasn’t sold yet. Sun Valley, Jackson Hole and Park City are all seeing dramatic declines in sale prices and transaction volume. While there are some signals that the high-end resort market isn’t totally dead - Sam Byrne, the new owner of the Yellowstone Club in Montana, reported surprisingly strong sales activity when he spoke at NewWest.Net’s recent conference - the frenzied building of the 1990s and 2000s has left plenty of inventory of multi-million-dollar mountain homes that will undoubtedly take a while to absorb - even in Aspen. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/real_estate_bust_hits_aspen/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/DKUaKdwyRWM/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/real_estate_in_the_west_where_its_going_and_how/C35/L35/ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:01:52 MST Less can be more. The end is not nigh. The real estate market—including second-home and resort markets—will recover … eventually. Predictions and advice about opportunity, realism, smart growth, environmentalism—and a slow-paced recovery—were the hallmarks of NewWest.net’s fourth annual Real Estate Development in the Northern Rockies conference in Missoula. The two-day event, which ended yesterday at the Hilton Garden Inn, included more than 30 speakers who discussed wide-ranging topics about development, planning, land use and the future of the West. The boom-and-bling era of speculation and eye-popping returns on real estate have obviously vanished, said the planners, architects, developers, policy makers, real estate agents, green builders and others who took the stage. But the current economic downturn could fuel a shift that benefits people and the planet, speakers said. When smart growth replaces sprawl, when developers are good neighbors, when downtowns are revitalized and landscapes are preserved, the region will be protected from ugly booms and busts. - http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/real_estate_in_the_west_where_its_going_and_how/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/5m3-1hIE9D4/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/economic_downturn_shows_the_wisdom_of_smart_growth_expert_says/C35/L35/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:19:58 MST In the wake of the economic meltdown, the world seems to have changed. And that’s for the good, said Luther Propst, the keynote speaker on the second day of the NewWest.net Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference. Speakers at the fourth annual conference, which brought together more than 250 developers, architects, city officials, real estate agents, planners, and others, said the shift in the economy has refocused the West on some formulas that would make a Boy Scout proud: simplicity, thrift, conservation, patience, and quality of life. “This might be an economic reset,” said Propst, a leading smart-growth expert. “We can either be victims of change or we can plan for it, shape it and emerge stronger from it.” http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/economic_downturn_shows_the_wisdom_of_smart_growth_expert_says/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/u1f7g002eI4/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/economy_will_improve_by_about_2012_top_economist_says/C35/L35/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:01:12 MST The economic recovery has definitely begun, but it has a long way to go. Housing prices might have a lot farther to fall. And new waves of foreclosures could keep the economy on shaky footing—for years. Those were a few of the views offered today by leading economist Christopher Thornberg of Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics, who took the stage in Missoula to kick off NewWest.Net’s fourth annual Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference—and to also predict the future. It’s something Thornberg has done with uncanny precision in past years, when he was one of the few economists to warn about a coming housing bust and its dire consequences. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/economy_will_improve_by_about_2012_top_economist_says/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/1jdBw-v_RCg/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/film_shines_light_on_wests_energy_battles/C35/L35/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:43:50 MST For residents of the West’s gas patch, the story is a familiar one. Gas companies roll in, wanting to drill. Homeowners find out they may own the land, but they don’t own the gas reserves underneath. The drill rigs appear. For some, a battle ensues. Some complain of environmental problems. Some complain of health problems. Outside the gas patch, the story of the battle between natural gas companies and residents is less well known, but a new documentary may help change that. Santa Fe, N.M., filmmaker Debra Anderson set out to capture the stories of residents of western Colorado and New Mexico in her documentary Split Estate. The film is scheduled to run Oct. 17 and Oct. 22 on Planet Green, a Discovery Communications network. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/film_shines_light_on_wests_energy_battles/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/u4LCzulCYJM/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/last_minute_options_for_new_west_conference/C35/L35/ Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:52 MST NewWest.Net’s Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference kicks off on Monday, and if you haven’t signed up yet there are still some options. On Monday, the two Missoula tours are sold out, but we still have some room left for the Butte historic preservation and redevelopment tour, which promises to be fascinating. (You’ll need to sign up in advance for that one as it leaves at 8:00 a.m. Monday.) On Monday afternoon at 4:30 we formally kick off at the MCT Theatre with economist Christopher Thornberg, who has become something of a cult figure among folks who have seen his dead-on accurate real estate market forecasts at our previous conferences. His talk will be followed by a reception, sponsored by First Security Bank. We have a limited number of $39 tickets for Thornberg’s presentation and the reception only; on-site tickets will be available, space permitting. Tuesday is a full day at the Hilton Garden Inn, with three tracks of break-out sessions in the morning and a plenary session in the afternoon. The afternoon features Luther Propst of the Sonoran Institute, Roger Lang of Sun Ranch, Michelle Sulllivan of Sullivan & Assoc., architect Andy Erstad, and developers Mark Wolley and Keith Simon, among others, and will conclude with Sam Byrne, the new owner of the Yellowstone Club. The Tuesday evening reception will feature music with Shane Clouse and Tom Catmull, sponsored by WGM Group. Tuesday-only ticket are available for $198, and include breakfast, lunch, breaks, and the reception (as well as all the great presentations, of course). You can sign up online or on-site at the Hilton. We hope to see you at the event, please call 406-829-1725 if you have questions, or visit the conference website at www.newwest.net/realestate. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/last_minute_options_for_new_west_conference/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/3d0XAPgSQTk/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/architects_planners_appraisers_attorneys_get_your_ce_credits_at_the_new_wes/C35/L35/ Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:11:39 MST Since we launched our regional conference series four years ago, we’ve taken pride in providing carefully crafted programs of top-notch speakers, with high production values all the way around. And one result is that we have been able to qualify our conferences for continuing education credit in multiple disciplines. Oftentimes, professionals regard continuing education as a burden, and the traditional providers of continuing education often respond with courses that are designed to satisfy the requirement, nothing more and nothing less. But at NewWest.Net’s Real Estate and development in the Northern Rockies conference - the fourth annual edition takes place next week, Oct. 12-13 in Missoula - you can get your credits, and have a fantastic and broadly educational experience too. Architects, planners, Montana appraisers, Montana lawyers and Montana and Idaho real estate agents can all get credit at Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies. We know you won’t be disappointed - we consistently receive overwhelmingly positive responses from attendees on the quality of our programs. We hope you can join us. Visit NewWest.Net/realestate or call 406-829-1725 for more details. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/architects_planners_appraisers_attorneys_get_your_ce_credits_at_the_new_wes/C35/L35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newwest/topic/growthpublicpolicy/~3/ZXR-shvGvso/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/the_future_of_historical_redevelopment_in_butte/C35/L35/ Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:01:54 MST The walls and streets of Butte tell an amazing tale of Western architectural history, and can also tell a tale of what’s to come. NewWest.Net’s upcoming Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference will be touring Butte as part of the pre-conference tours, but from the perspective of looking forward instead of looking back. Join this tour that will give you insight into the redevelopment potential of Butte with insight from local developers, local historians and Butte’s historical preservation office. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/the_future_of_historical_redevelopment_in_butte/C35/L35/