Arbogast to lead WV Sustainable
Communities Project
CHARLESTON – An expert in sustainable
communities with a
special interest in ecotourism has been named project
leader of the next West Virginia Sustainable Communities
Project.
Doug Arbogast, a Pennsylvania native and avid outdoor
enthusiast, will lead six young adult interns in their
efforts to
conduct pollution prevention projects focused on
energy efficiency, water
conservation and waste
minimization throughout 2007. The project will
begin in
January and will focus on all four sectors of the community
including homes, schools, businesses and community
institutions.
“This is such an amazing opportunity for us, not only to
continue on
with this grassroots effort, but to see what
people can do when you give
them the right tools,” Arbogast
said. “We are right now building an
enthusiastic and
committed team of interns who are willing to roll up their
sleeves and make a difference one person, one community,
one county at a
time.”
The project is a joint effort of the West Virginia
Department
of Environmental Protection, the Claude
Worthington Benedum Foundation and
the Student Conservation
Association – Students Conserving America.
In 2005-2006, a team of SCA interns was based in
Summersville to
target Nicholas and Braxton counties. In
2007, the momentum will continue in
those areas while also
targeting Gilmer and Fayette. There will be a
statewide
outreach and education campaign, but these four counties
are
targeted specifically because they are Alliance of West
Virginia Champion
Communities, which is a publicly and
privately funded grassroots movement to
empower communities
to achieve sustainable development.
“We will
strive to have as broad an impact as possible
while working hard to make a
difference to individual
citizens and communities,” he
added.
Arbogast earned his bachelor’s in environmental geo-science
and a master’s in recreation, parks and tourism resources
from West
Virginia University. He was involved in the
implementation in Richwood and
Pineville of “Creating A
Value Added Community Curriculum,” a pilot project
for
Appalachian communities developed to provide a business
plan for
poverty reduction and the creation of community
wealth.
He has
served as a project coordinator for the West
Virginia Ecotourism Association
and earned a certificate in
ecotourism planning and management from Humboldt
State
University in Arcata, Calif. He, his wife Susan and
daughter Abby
will reside in Fayette County during the
project.
For more
information on the program, contact Arbogast at
(304) 846-4268, (304)
619-0668 or
darbogast@thesca.org.