OXFORD, Miss. – Natural disaster preparation and policy
planning for coastal communities are to be the focus of a
conference March 25-26 at the University of Mississippi.
The Sea Grant Law and Policy Journal Inaugural Symposium at
the Ole Miss-Oxford Depot is open to the public for a $35
fee. It is hosted by the National Sea Grant Law Center,
located on the Oxford campus.
“The focus is to look at some of the legal issues that
costal communities may face with respect to coastal
hazards , such as hurricanes, floods, torrential rainfall
or any type of natural disaster,” said Stephanie
Showalter, director of NSGLC. “The conference will explore
possible solutions and policies that may help coastal
communities respond efficiently in the event of a natural
disaster.”
For a complete symposium schedule and registration form, go
to
http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/SGLC/National/SGLPJ/SGLPJ.htm.
On-site registration is scheduled 5:30-6 p.m. Tuesday and
7:30 – 8 a.m. Wednesday. The fee includes dinner that
evening, as well as breakfast, snacks and lunch the
following day.
National and local speakers plan to discuss topics related
to dealing with natural disasters, including innovative
changes that may be made to existing laws and policies to
allow communities to adapt more efficiently in response to
a national disaster, flood insurance, litigation that
follows a natural disaster and whether local governments
have the authority to pass ordinances to address
disaster-related problems such as fertilizer runoff.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Clark Griffith, chairman of the
Revive the Renaissance Commission based in Biloxi,
delivers the symposium’s keynote address Tuesday evening.
He plans to discuss the coastal community’s recovery
methods and progress in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
“We are very excited to hear what Lt. Gen. Griffith has to
say about the commission’s recovery methods and their
effect on the devastated community,” Showalter said. “We
have a few Mississippi speakers, although we are also
evaluating how the rest of the country is looking at these
issues. Hopefully, Mississippi can learn from the
experiences of other areas, and those areas can gain
insight from Mississippi’s own experience.”
Presentations and papers discussed at the symposium are to
be published in the Sea Grant Law Center’s inaugural issue
of its Sea Grant Law and Policy Journal, which is slated
to become an annual publication.
“I hope this conference is an opportunity for professionals
working in the emerging field of coastal resiliency to
come together and learn about the work being done, network
and build on the issues at hand,” Showalter said.
The National Sea Grant Law Center was founded at UM in 2002
to provide legal research to the Sea Grant community and
its constituents. The center conducts research on marine
laws and policies, coordinates ocean and coastal law
researchers and disseminates information to coastal and
ocean policymakers.
For more information, contact Showalter at 662-915-7775 or
sshowalt@olemiss.edu. For assistance related to a
disability, call 662-915-7775. For more information on the
National Sea Grant Law Center, go to