“An Evening with Gord Downie” Kicks Off Environmental Event on October 3

ERIE COUNTY, NY— The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, in partnership with the Niagara Region Integrated Community Planning Department, has announced that the 2013 Conference on the Environment will take place in Buffalo on October 3-5, 2013. The conference, a program of the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (“NYSACC”) and the New York State Association of Environmental Management Councils (“NYSAEMC”), will take place at the Adam’s Mark hotel and is dedicated to helping the public and those in environmental fields respond to environmental opportunities and challenges relevant to communities across the United States and Canada. On Thursday, October 3 “An Evening with Gord Downie” will kick off the event, as the environmentally-active lead singer of Canadian rock superstars The Tragically Hip performs a remarkable evening of song and conversation on the environment.

“I welcome our friends on both sides of the border to Erie County for this important conference as we gather to discuss protecting and conserving our precious natural resources,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Sustainability knows no boundaries, and as international partners sharing Lake Erie it is incumbent on all of us to work together to implement sustainable practices. Together we can build a better region for future generations here on the Niagara frontier.”

The 2013 Conference on the Environment has been brought to Erie County through a partnership with the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning and the Niagara Region Integrated Community Planning Department. Registration for the event is $120 and includes all conference sessions, select meals, and a ticket to “An Evening with Gord Downie.” General public tickets are available for “An Evening with Gord Downie” for $25. Conference registration and event tickets can be purchased through the conference website at www.coe2013.org.

Doors for “An Evening with Gord Downie” will open at 6:00 PM on October 3 when the Western New York Environmental Alliance will showcase the work of environmental organizations from across the region. Downie will take the stage at 7:30 PM. “An Evening with Gord Downie” is sponsored by NYSACC, NYSAEMC, the Erie County Department of Environment and planning, and the Niagara Region Integrated Community Planning Department, and was made possible through the generous contributions of Ecology & Environment, Inc., the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, and National Grid.

For full conference details, visit   www.coe2013.org