Conference to address growing water needs in Utah

March 23, 2004 | Utah State University's Sustainable Landscapes, a student organization, hosts its fifth annual conference, "Desert Water: Shaping Our Future," at the Eccles Conference Center on the Logan campus, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 6.

Professionals and educators from across the nation will speak with participants about issues related to water, including ethics, restoration, policy and conservation.

Keynote speakers include Robert France, associate professor of landscape ecology at Harvard University; Alan Matheson, director of the Utah Water Project for Trout Unlimited; Joan Safford, former director of the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies; and Thomas Cathcart, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Design at Mississippi State University.

"Intense population growth in Utah and throughout the West has put increasing pressure on limited water supplies," said Alan Matheson. "Without some change in attitude and approach, the strain on our social, economic and environmental fabric will grow."

With Utah in its fifth year of drought, there is an increasing need to understand the implications of our society's values and actions regarding water in the West, said student organizers.

Registration is $10 for students and $40 for professionals and is available at the door. Meals are included for those who pre-register. Additional workshops will be offered in addition to the keynote presentations.

For a complete schedule and registration information go to http://www.usu.edu/laep/sustainablelandscapes/ or call 435-797-0500.

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