As friction over federal public lands continues to play out in the public policy sphere, the future of public lands took center stage at the Wallace Stegner Center’s annual symposium, “Public Lands in a Changing West.”
The two-day event on March 15-16 reviewed how the west is changing, explored scientific advances, and examined how public land laws and policies are evolving. The symposium examined three signature issues—the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument designation, multi-jurisdictional efforts to manage for sage grouse conservation, and the Crown of the Continent initiative in northern Montana—to extract key lessons learned and viable strategies for addressing contentious issues. The symposium concluded with a panel discussion to identify ongoing problems, policy changes, and related reforms that could improve resource management across the public domain and also garner broader support.
The Wallace Stegner Lecture, a separate event held on March 14 in conjunction with the symposium, was given by professor John Leshy, University of California Hastings College of Law and former Department of the Interior Solicitor. Both events were recorded and are available for viewing on the law school’s YouTube channel.
RadioWest interviewed John Leshy in advance of the lecture. Listen to the segment here.