FARMINGTON — Western Mountains Alliance’s annual meeting will feature a discussion on the future of planning oversight in the Unorganized Territories of Western Maine. It will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Department of Conservation Commissioner William Beardsley, Land Use Regulation Commission Director Catherine Carroll, county commissioners and a representative from a local conservation group will participate in the discussion.

Nearly half of Western Maine’s geography is in Unorganized Territories, areas where zoning and planning regulations fall under the jurisdiction of LURC, a state agency under the Department of Conservation.

Frequently at the center of some of the region’s most controversial development proposals, LURC has been the focus of a reform commission created by the Legislature earlier this year to make recommendations for improving the 40-year-old state agency.

In the spirit of the Western Maine Legislative Caucus Series, the alliance will host a panel discussion with Beardsley, Carroll, Franklin County Commissioner Fred Hardy, Somerset County Commissioner Robert Dunphy and former LURC Commissioner and President of the Mahoosuc Land Trust Steve Wight. The discussion will include an update on the Reform Commission’s work, development trends in the region, and perspectives on the future of oversight in the Unorganized Territories.

The panel discussion takes place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and is followed by a social hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with appetizers prepared from local food. There will be live music and a cash bar.

The Western Maine Alliance is a nonprofit community development organization promoting sustainable development in four western Maine counties. The organization coordinates a public forum series and several initiatives supporting local food systems.

The forum will take place at Thomas Auditorium at the University of Maine Farmington, followed by a social hour in North Dining Hall in the Olsen Student Center.

Registration is $25 for nonmembers, $20 for members and $10 for students. Space is limited and RSVPs are requested. For more information, contact (207) 778-3885 or tcook@westernmountainsalliance.org.