Forest Law and Policy

Forest Law and Policy - Professor Susan Jane Brown

• Course Number: LAW-360
• Course Type: Foundational
• Credits: 3
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
• Description: Public forest lands have long been one of our most treasured natural resources. Forests provide clean water and air, habitat for a diverse array of flora and fauna, recreational opportunities, wood fiber, and other products for human and non-human use. Decisions on how to prioritize among these amenities involve hotly debated scientific principles and often provoke a debate that can cause deep divisions among people. These issues play out at local, state, and national levels among an array of public, private, and governmental interests and entities.

This class will provide an initial historical, legal, and policy framework for the debate surrounding our federal forest heritage. Discussions with conservation groups, attorneys, community foresters, congressional staff, industry representatives, members of the media, agency personnel, and/or political appointees will help participants fully understand the many aspects of modern forest management.

• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Two written assignments as well as regular and robust class participation.
• Capstone: no
• WIE: yes