Natural Resources Law

This course offers a basic examination of the rapidly growing body of law concerned with interrelationships between human activities and the larger environment, with a focus on conservation and land use issues. The course will cover laws affecting private land, such as the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, state water laws and local zoning laws, as well as the activities on federally owned land such as timber harvesting, grazing, recreation and wilderness preservation. Although the primary focus will be on federal legislation and regulatory programs, the course will also explore local, state and international dimensions. The materials and class discussions will seek to illuminate environmental practice as it exists today. This will include examination of the interactions among key players - e.g., industry, agriculture, NGOs, courts, Congress, federal agencies - in the development and application of the law.