A national conference is being planned by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Conservation for November 3-4, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri to begin a national dialogue on thousand cankers disease and help protect black walnuts, a valuable economic and ecological resource to many states. For more information or to register for the conference, visit http://mda.mo.gov/plants/pests/thousandcankers.php. Registration deadline is October 23 and hotel deadline for group rate is October 13.