Must economic development always come at the price of the natural environment? The 2009 New York State Conference on the Environment – “Balancing Development with Sound Environmental Policy” – seeks to explore the possibility that one goal need not be sacrificed for the other. And what better location to explore this idea than in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York, an area that, until relatively recently, has remained largely overlooked in the development boom experienced in many other locales, but that is rich in natural resources, scenic beauty and habitat diversity. Schuyler County, located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region, is home to numerous world-class wineries, the world-renowned Watkins Glen State Park, the Finger Lakes National Forest, and, for the sports car enthusiasts, Watkins Glen International Race Track, which is now making strides to move in a greener, more sustainable direction in its operation. The conference itself will be located at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, the new four-star hotel and conference center on the southern shore of Seneca Lake in historic Watkins Glen. The 2009 Conference on the Environment is organized into three tracks and covers a breadth of issues the organizers hope may appeal to members of Environmental Management councils and Conservation Advisory Commissions, representatives of local governments, county planners, and interested citizens.