The benefits of set-backs on rural property adjacent to streams and rivers in Flathead County will be discussed by three experts during a Thursday evening panel presentation on February 7, sponsored by the Flathead Basin Commission. Set-back regulations are being discussed for implementation as a land planning tool in Flathead County, and the FBC wants area residents to benefit from learning details of the technique from presenters who will explore all perspectives of the issue.

The panelists include Garth Haugland, a rancher and county commissioner in Beaverhead County who will discuss the use and implementation of set-backs in his county and how the technique works from the perspective of using set-backs on his own agricultural land, and Stephanie Kruer, a nationally known attorney who specializes in land use law, who will discuss the legal implications of set-backs. Also featured will be Dr. Paul Hansen, recently of the University of Montana and Bitterroot Restoration. He is an internationally recognized expert on the topic of riparian zones, the delicate and environmentally important areas adjacent to rivers and streams. Dr. Hansen was recently featured on the Flathead Basin Commission DVD Healthy Lakes through Living Shores.