The Western Landowners Alliance (WLA) and Sheridan County Conservation District (SCCD) invite the public and local producers to a happy hour and panel discussion that celebrates working lands. The event will be held from 5-7 p.m, Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Snow Goose Room at the Best Western.

“Working lands are invaluable to wildlife habitat, connected landscapes, open space, and recreation,” said Carrie Rogaczewski, district manager of the SCCD. “The value of private landowners and working lands is often overlooked and taken for granted. This event provides a great opportunity for our community to dive into these topics and have a dialogue together.” 

Western Landowners Alliance is a landowner-led, non-partisan organization that advances policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes and native species. WLA envisions a future in which private and leased public lands in the West are resilient to stressors, healthy and biologically diverse, and provide for prosperous rural business and critical ecological services.

The event will feature leading experts, land owners and producers as they share insights on the many ecosystem services provided by private lands. An introduction by Lesli Allison, chief executive officer of WLA, will kick off the event. She will be followed by a panel including: Bob Budd, the executive director of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust; Brad Bauer, the executive director of the Sheridan Community Land Trust; local ranchers Dan Reinke and Doug Masters; and Ian Tator, the terrestrial habitat supervisor with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 

The event will also feature a short film about one of the largest private wetland restoration projects in Montana as an example of how restoration can be monetized through private-public partnerships and can benefit both ecosystems and economies.

“There is a growing movement across the West to retain the open working lands that remain, and there are numerous opportunities and tools that reward and compensate landowners for the values their working lands provide to the public,” said Shaleas Harrison, Wyoming resource coordinator for the Western Landowners Alliance. “We have a great lineup of people to help us understand these emerging opportunities for landowners.” 

This event will provide the opportunity for attendees to discuss, explore, and celebrate the many public benefits that private lands provide to our communities. 

Free appetizers and a cash bar will also be available. People are encouraged to RSVP by going to wla.social/wl-pb-feb1.