Prof. Karkkainen      
Tuesdays Apr 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7                

This course will examine the law and policy of environmental and natural resources conservation in the United States, with special emphasis on laws and regulations affecting the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. Topics covered include: common law precedents, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), protection of wetlands and freshwater aquatic resources, protection of estuarine and marine resources, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the several statutes governing federal management of public lands, and recent legal and policy innovations under the rubric of "ecosystem management."  The course assumes no prior legal knowledge or training.  It is designed for both non-lawyers and for lawyers who are not specialists in environmental law but seek to gain some familiarity with the statutory and regulatory framework within which U.S. environmental policy is carried out. 

Required texts:

Schoenbaum & Rosenberg, Environmental Policy Law, 3d ed. (Foundation Press 1996, ISBN 1-56662-344-8)

Supplementary materials (photocopied)