The Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts will fill the downtown Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis early next week for their annual conference. With a good array of sponsors and a broad line-up of speakers on conservation topics, this promises to be an exciting meeting.

Once held at Purdue University, the annual event has been held in Indianapolis for more than two decades. It allows soil and water district supervisors to have one –on-one contact with legislators during the annual IASWCD legislative breakfast held during the event. Political observers say this breakfast draws a higher percentage of lawmakers than most other similar events held by various interest groups.

From the beginning, the IASWCD has used the breakfast to present a unified message about conservation, encourage support of programs, namely Clean Water Indiana today, and allow individuals form all four corners of the state time to talk to legislators and tell their message face-to-face while sweated at banquet tables.

This year's theme for the entire conference is 'The Power of Conservation, Local Action with Global Impact!' It's the 69th annual conference. Most districts were organized in the 1940s and 1950s by pioneers in their community.

Running from Monday, January 9 through January 11, the event leads off with Bruce Vincent, a third generation logger from Libby, Montana. Vincent has become a champion for conservation in a responsible manner in the great Northwest, and tells his message all over the country. His efforts have helped focus attention first on problems with conservation and the environment first in the Great Northwest, and then across the country.

Supervisors from every district in Indiana are expected to attend. If you're interested in attending any sessions or learning more about the conference, contact your local soil and water conservation district office.