The annual conference of the Wisconsin Stewardship will be Feb. 6-7 at UW-Stevens Point.  The event will feature a public forum on environmental and conservation rollbacks and a presentation honoring the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa and the Forest County Potawatomi tribes for their recent purchase of the Crandon Mine.

The conference will begin at 5 pm on Friday, with registration and refreshments.  Dinner will follow at 5:45 pm.

The Friday evening panel, at 7 pm, will address a growing trend of legislative rollbacks and retrenchments on environmental and conservation protections in Wisconsin and at the federal level.  Panelists include:

• Doug LaFollette - WI Secretary of State

• George Meyer, former WDNR Secretary and now executive director of the WI Wildlife Federation, 

• Steve Hiniker, former executive director of the Citizens Utility Board and now executive director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin,    

• Michael Furtman, award-winning outdoor and conservation writer from Duluth, MN, and   

• Melissa Scanlan, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates of Madison.  

Also on Friday night, the Forest County Potawatomi and the Mole Lake Chippewa will receive an award from the WSN honoring them for their environmental stewardship with their purchase of the Crandon mine site.  Gov. Jim Doyle will make the presentation.

If you are a member of one of the WSN member groups, you are entitled to a reduced conference registration fee.  Call (608) 268-1218 or e-mail info@wsn.org for more details.