Posted: 07.11.2011

Hundreds of conservationists are expected to descend on Madison this week for a conference on the future of the nation's wildlife refuges.

The conference is set to begin Monday with field trips. Workshops and speeches will run from Tuesday through Thursday at the Monona Terrace convention center. Discussion topics will range from dealing with climate change to engaging more volunteers on the
refuges.

Speakers will include U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel M. Ashe and retired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who led the federal response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The national refuge system contains 553 refuges spanning about 150 million acres.

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