STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Conservation on the working landscape—that will be the subject of a panel discussion Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the Community Library.

The panel discussion, in partnership with the Western Landowners Alliance and the Trailing of the Sheep Festival, will start at 5:30 p.m.

It will feature Lesli Allison, CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance; Cameron Westcamp, operations manager for Rinker Rock Creek Ranch, and Kim Brackett, who owns Brackett Ranches and is a past chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

The discussion will be moderated by Eric Winford, associate director of the University of Idaho Rangeland Center, which is involved with the Rinker Rock Creek Ranch west of Hailey.

The conversation will focus on the importance of public and private lands, the role of agriculture in conservation and the obstacles landowners face to being good stewards of their land.

Part of the mission of the Rinker Rock Creek Ranch is to study how to best range cattle with minimal impact to the land. Researchers there have found out,  for instance, that efficient cows that graze in upland areas eat 15 percent less feed than lazy cows that stay in creek bottoms.

To reserve a spot click on https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/10957470. The program also will be livestreamed and available to watch later at https://vimeo.com/event/3741418.