Conference was the fact that it was completely student led and organized including the selection of topics and speakers and generation of funding. One or two MLA students typically assumed the majority of work, however all the 3rd year graduate students participated by assisting with accounting and organization of mailings, layout of cards and program, scheduling and pick up of meals, and other conference needs. The conference events not only offered professional development opportunities for faculty, professionals, and students alike, but also showcased a number of engaging speakers and addressed some of the most pressing concerns regarding sustainability in the fields of planning and design in the Intermountain West. For the first several years of its existence, it was the only event at Utah State University specifically geared toward addressing sustainability and the most exciting student-sponsored symposium in the region. Sponsorship for the conferences was provided by numerous sources over the years of its existence through the contribution of time, effort, and funding to subsidize registration fees and make the conference a success. Sponsors included the LAEP Department and the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; the College of Natural Resources and its affiliated departments, including the Natural Resource and Environmental Policy Program; the Utah Botanical Center; the Bear River Institute; the Bear River Association of Governments; the Utah Humanities Council;
the Utah Chapter of ASLA, and the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation. Growing competition for attention from similar programs such as Bioneers, combined with waning interest among students to invest the effort necessary to organize the event, led to its abandonment following the 11th annual event in 2010. Themes of the conferences were: 2000 - From the Ground Up 2001 - Landscape Frontiers: Design for the New Millennium 2002 - Landscape Transects 2003 – Uncommon Ground; Collaboration and the Nature 2004 – Desert Water: Shaping our Future 2005 – Landscape Cycles: Connecting People and Place through Agriculture 2006 - Wildlife and Urban Restoration: Process of Rejuvenating Place 2007 - Equality of Life: Realizing Social Justice and Human Dignity through Design 2008 - Surviving the Future: An Anthology of Sustainable Societies 2009 - Sustainability: Inside and Out 2010 - Building Healthy Communities
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