At a time of thinly stretched budgets across the state, Gov. Jim Doyle will present his final State of the State address tonight before a joint meeting of the state Legislature.

Doyle has not spoken about the content of the speech, which is scheduled to take place at 7:00 p.m.

Most governors use State of the State addresses to highlight issues they will focus on in the upcoming year and current concerns facing the state.

In his 2009 State of the State address, Doyle focused on the economic crisis that had just hit the country and the unemployment and budget deficit facing the state. He also spoke about his accomplishments in the past year on environmental and energy issues.

Today’s address will be Doyle’s eighth State of the State.

Also taking place today is Wisconsin’s sixth annual Conservation Lobby Day, sponsored by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Institute.

According to Anne Sayers, executive director of the Conservation Voters Institute, the day is an opportunity for citizens to speak directly to Wisconsin legislators about important conservation issues.

Sayers said there are four main issues they will focus on at the conference. These include preserving groundwater, cleaning up drinking water, supporting the recently proposed Clean Energy Bill and pushing to allow the Citizens Advisory Board to elect Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources Secretary, a role that currently falls to the governor, Sayers added.

Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, will be a speaker at the event, and said he will focus on the progress that Wisconsin has made in conservation during the last year.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we need their help. There are still fights coming up,” Black said. “The key thing is that citizen involvement is the most important factor.”

The event will also feature a wild game dinner after the sessions.

“The idea is to bring hunters together with environmentalists over a meal to demonstrate the things that unite us are stronger than things that separate us,” Sayers said. “In the end we’re all Wisconsinites; we’re stronger when we advocate for things together.”

The Conservation Lobby Day will start at 10:00 a.m. at Monona Terrace.