May 15-17, 2008, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources will hold its Spring Council Meeting at Fairmont Chateau Laurier, 1 Rideau St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on May 15-17, 2008. The meeting will involve discussions and decisions on key issues for our Section. Your participation in this meeting is important to continuing what has been a productive year and to achieving a smooth transition into the next bar year under incoming Chair Claudia Rast. Because your presence at the meeting will also confirm your continued interest in a Section leadership role, it is highly recommended that Committee Chairs attend the Meeting. Committee Vice Chairs and Section Liaisons are also welcome.

The Executive Committee and members of the National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section (NEERLS) of the Canadian Bar Association will meet and hold a CLE conference at the Fairmont on May 15-16, 2008. Leadership from the ABA and CBA will meet to discuss possible both ongoing and future collaborations. The CLE program titled “2008 National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Summit: Climate Change and Air Quality - Cross Border Issues” has been designed to focus on “the” legal and political hot topic throughout North America and in much of the world. The program will include an overview of the rapidly expanding North American legal regime; the emergence of carbon markets; green power; the continued resurgence of the nuclear industry; and a review of several cross-border air issues. A full program brochure is attached; a registration fee is required to attend. Attendance by Section members for the entire CLE program is encouraged.

We are currently fine-tuning the details for the evening reception and other events. Additional details will be forwarded to you as soon as they are confirmed.

Schedule of Events
Please plan your travel schedule around the agenda listed below. Registration and an informal reception will be held on Thursday, May 15, for all who have arrived. All Section and Committee leaders are invited to attend the Council meetings scheduled for Friday and Saturday. As we get closer to the meeting, agenda details will be distributed and posted on the Section Web site.

Spring Council Meeting Agenda

Thursday, May 15, 2008

5:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Joint ABA/CBA Networking Reception at Parliament Hill. (All visitors to the Parliament Buildings are required to go through security scanning stations.)

Friday, May 16, 2008

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Joint Selection and CBA-NEERLS Business Meeting and Lunch
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Section Council Meeting
5:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.	Joint ABA/CBA Networking Reception at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier
7:00 p.m.	Dinner on your own

Saturday, May 17

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Section Council Meeting
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Section Council Meeting

Council Agenda Book Items
All Committee Chairs are expected to provide a written Progress Report of their Committee Action Plan for the Council Meeting. Copies of the Progress Report Form may be found on the Section’s Leadership Portal at http://www.abanet.org/environ/mo/premium-nr/leadership/. Your Council Liaisons and Section staff (Yumeka Brown) must receive all Progress Reports by Friday, April 11, 2008. Council Liaisons to the Committees should prepare and submit an overview summary report for their respective Committee groups by Friday, April 18, 2008. Officers should submit their reports and agenda items to Lee DeHihns and Dana Jonusaitis by Friday, April 25, 2008.

Meeting Registration
Please use the enclosed Registration Form to indicate your attendance at the Spring Leadership Meeting. Please also register all spouse/guests. The registration fee is $150 per person for all member participants. The Registration fee includes the following events: Thursday’s reception, Friday’s lunch and reception, and Saturday’s breakfast and lunch.

Spouse/Guest Registration
Please use the enclosed Registration Form to indicate if you will be bringing a spouse or guest to the Meeting. The registration fee is $100 per person for spouses and guests, including children 12 and over. The Registration fee includes the following meals: Thursday’s reception, Friday’s reception, and Saturday’s lunch.

The deadline to register for the Spring Council Meeting is Friday, April 11, 2008. Please fax or email the Registration Form (if paying by credit card) to Ninah Moore at (312) 988-5572 or mooren@staff.abanet.org. Otherwise, please mail your Registration Form with payment to ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Attn: Ninah Moore, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610.

Housing and Meeting Location
The meeting will take place at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, 1 Rideau St., Ottawa, Ontario. A block of sleeping rooms has been secured at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier where rooms are available at the discounted rate of $219 CDN (single/double). This rate is prior to the 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST), the 5% Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and a 3% Destination Marketing Fee. All reservations must be guaranteed by credit card or check. To make reservations, please call the hotel directly at (613) 241-1414 or toll-free (800) 257-7544 and refer to the “CBAABA” or the “Environmental Law CLE Conference” to receive our special rate. Please make your reservation by Sunday, April 13, 2008. After the cut-off date, the hotel will release rooms and the CBA/ABA group rate may only be available on a space-available basis.

Transportation
Nestled on the banks of the majestic Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau Rivers, Ottawa is one of the most beautiful capitals and is rich in culture and heritage with its many national institutions, parklands, waterways and historic architecture. For more on Ottawa, see http://www.ottawatourism.ca/. Please note that this is international travel, so please be sure you have the proper documents to enter Canada and re-enter the United States.

“YOW Airporter” offers a shuttle service from the Ottawa International Airport (YOW) to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. The shuttle departs from post 10 outside the level 1 Arrivals area. Please call 613-260-2359 or visit http://www.yowshuttle.com for more information. The fare is approximately $14 CDN. If you prefer to drive yourself, all major car rental firms are represented at the airport. Taxis are also available with an average fare to downtown of $25 CDN.

Airfare discounts are available for travel to ABA meetings by contacting the airline directly at the toll free numbers listed. To receive the ABA discount, be sure to reference the discount code when making your reservations. American Airlines: (800-433-1790), Code # 19838; and United Airlines: (800-521-4041), Code # 578IG.

Travel Reimbursement Requests
Reimbursement is generally available to Officers, Council Members, and Committee Chairs who are government employees, academics, or public interest attorneys who have no other source of travel reimbursement. Committee Vice Chairs do not fall into the reimbursable category.

If you are planning to seek reimbursement for expenses associated with the Spring Council Meeting, please email your request by Friday, April 11, 2008, to Dana Jonusaitis at jonusaid@staff.abanet.org. All requests need to be received by Dana and approved prior to making travel arrangements. We encourage you to make your request as soon as possible, so that you may arrange for the most inexpensive airfare possible. (Note that reimbursement does not include car rentals or the meeting registration fee).

Reimbursable expenses may include airfare (up to $500); ground transportation; and housing (at the Fairmont). Reimbursement does not include rental cars, meals, telephone charges and other miscellaneous expenses. Every person, including those who receive reimbursement, is expected to pay the per person registration fee and for any optional activities in which he or she will participate.

Questions?
If you have any questions about this meeting, please call Dana Jonusaitis, Section Director, at (312) 988-5602 or email her at jonusaid@staff.abanet.org.

Key Deadline Dates

Friday, April 11, 2008	Requests for reimbursement due
Friday, April 11, 2008	Committee Action Plan Progress Reports due
Sunday, April 13, 2008	Fairmont housing deadline
Friday, April 18, 2008	Officer and Council Liaison Reports due
Friday, April 25, 2008	Officer and Council agenda items due
Friday, April 25, 2008	Deadline to register for Spring Council Meeting
Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17, 2008	Spring Council Meeting