Media Kit
August 2, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Neil Koomen, Information Specialist, (919) 515-8623 or nckoomen@ncsu.edu
San Diego to Host International Conference on Ecology & Transportation
Raleigh, NC – Over 350 worldwide experts in ecology and transportation will attend the sixth International Conference on Ecology & Transportation in San Diego beginning August 29.
Attendees from Australia, India, Poland, Spain and many other countries, including Canada and the U.S., will converge at ICOET to discuss solutions to ecological issues related to highways and roads.
These issues are growing in importance as communities and governments struggle to resolve conflicts caused by growing transportation needs that threaten shrinking wildlife habitats.
The National Safety Council estimates that nationally about 120 people die and 10,000 are injured in animal/vehicle accidents yearly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that over 1.5 million deer/vehicle crashes occur per year, causing over $1.1 billion in vehicle damage. Reported numbers of animal/vehicle collisions are rising. In many rural areas, collisions with deer and other large animals are the leading cause of accidents.
As well as international participants, ICOET will include local presenters such as Janet Fairbanks, Senior Regional Planner of the San Diego Association of Governments. Fairbanks will speak about San Diego’s $850 million TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program which will mitigate transportation projects within the region’s habitat conservation planning areas.
On the Road to Stewardship is the 2005 theme. The conference is designed to help communities and agencies in the U.S. and worldwide learn about new and innovative solutions. Many of these solutions will be considered for use in California and other states to reduce the impact roads and highways have on fish, wetlands, wildlife and habitats.
Highways consume large amounts of wildlife habitat and can create barriers to fish and wildlife movement, cause significant wildlife mortality and can contribute to water pollution. Solving these problems benefits everyone.
The event will be held at the Hilton San Diego Resort at Mission Bay from August 29 to September 2.
ICOET will be co-hosted by the California Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Road Ecology Center at the University of California-Davis. The Federal Highway Administration and the Center for Transportation and the Environment at North Carolina State University are lead organizers and are among the 23 business, government and nonprofit sponsors.
For more information on ICOET, please visit www.icoet.net/icoet2005.asp.
The Center for Transportation and the Environment is a national university transportation center located at the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University. CTE is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
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