NW WI Lakes Conference set

SPOONER

There is still time to register for the 2016 Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference, which will be held this year in Spooner on Friday, June 24 at the Spooner High School.

This popular regional event has evolved into one of the state's premier lake conferences. The all day program will again be a great opportunity for lake enthusiasts, local government officials and others interested in protecting our water resources to take in a number of educational presentations, visit many informative exhibits and network with fellow conference attendees.

Peter Annin, noted environmental journalist and author of the Great Lakes Water Wars, will be the conference's keynote speaker. Annin has covered stories on the droughts in the Southwest, hurricanes in the Southeast, wind power on the Great Plains, forest fires in the mountain West, recovery efforts on the Great Lakes, and the causes and consequences of the 'dead zone' in the Gulf of Mexico.

The title of Annin's presentation is 'Water Tension and the Great Lakes Compact.' He will delve into the long history of political maneuvers and water diversion schemes that have proposed sending Great Lakes water everywhere from Akron, Ohio to Arizona.

He will also discuss several noteworthy Great Lakes diversions that already exist, and shed light on potential water diversions of the future.

Twelve different conference breakout sessions will be featured covering a wide variety of lake-related topics and issues, including: conservation easements, aquatic invasive species successes and threats, lakeshore habitat, concentrated animal feeding operations, drawdown to control invasive species, lake restoration, shoreland zoning update, detection and monitoring aquatic invasive species, Wisconsin lake leaders program, life changing photography, northwest Wisconsin raptors, and lake association communication.

The registration fee is $45, which includes: admission, program materials, a continental breakfast and lunch. Students, both high school and college, can attend free of charge, but need to indicate the school/college they attend on their form.

For more information or to register, contact the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at northland.edu/soei or 715-682-1264 or register online at northland.edu/sustain/soei/lakesconference. For more detailed information on the conference program and speakers, contact MaryJo Gingras at 715-682-1392 or mgingras@northland.edu.