Natural Resources Law
SLN #: 82607Course Prefix: LAW-639
Course Section: 001
Credit Hours: 3
Instructor(s): Feller
Course Books: View List of Books
Course Description:
Most of the great open spaces of the western United States - forests, mountains, and deserts - are owned by the federal government in the form of National Forests, National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These publicly-owned lands are important sources of such commodities as timber, minerals, and oil and natural gas. They are also valued by the public for their natural scenery, recreational opportunities, wildlife, and wilderness qualities. Over the last several decades, these lands have been the scene of controversy and conflict over the environmental effects of logging, mining, livestock grazing, recreation, and other land uses. This course will cover the history of federal public land law, the administration of federal public lands, and the interpretation and application of the major federal laws affecting public land management, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the National Forest Management Act, the Wilderness Act, the Taylor Grazing Act, and the Mining Law of 1872. In addition to casebook readings and class discussions, each student will work with a small group of other students to prepare a presentation to the class on a topic of current controversy in public land management.
This course will serve as the prerequisite for the Natural Resources Law Field Seminar if that seminar is offered in May. The Natural Resources Law Field Seminar is a one-week traveling seminar that features visits to the Colorado Rive in Glen Canyon, the forests of the Kaibab Plateau, and desert rangelands on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon. To enroll in the Natural Resourses Law Field Seminar, students must have taken either Water Law or Natural Resources Law. Students wishing to take the Natural Resources Law Field Seminar (if offered) in May should take Natural Resources Law or Water Law in the fall.
Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 3
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Final Exam Given: Yes
Final Exam Type: In-Class - Completely Secure
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: Group advocacy presentations on current topics in natural resources law.
Participation Points: Yes
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: Mandatory
* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.