SLIDES: The Future of Energy: What Are the Major Projections for the U.S. Energy Future, and What Are the Implications for the West?

Presenter: Gary Bryner, Brigham Young University, Department of Political Science 9 slide

SLIDES: Overview of Groundwater Management Laws in the Western United States

Presenter: Gary Bryner, Natural Resources Law Center and Brigham Young University (see also Groundwater Law Sourcebook of the Western United States). 37 slides

SLIDES: Overview of Groundwater Management Laws in the Western United States

Presenter: Gary Bryner, Natural Resources Law Center and Brigham Young University (see also Groundwater Law Sourcebook of the Western United States). 37 slides

AGENDA: Water and Growth in the West

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 29 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) + supplement (207 p. ; 29 x 24 cm.) Conference co-sponsor The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Conference moderators included University of Colorado School of Law professors Gary C. Bryner, James N. Corbridge, Jr., David H. Getches, Douglas S. Kenney, Kathryn M. Mutz, Peter D. Nichols and Charles F. Wilkinson. Accompanied by: CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) and supplement (xiv, 140, [49] p.) Includes bibliographical references The event will cover a breadth of issues, including demographics and water-use trends, improved planning and efficient use, implementation of TMDL and ESA requirements, groundwater management, tribal water resources, environmental protection, social costs of water transfers, climatic variability, and related issues. The third day of the event focuses exclusively on Colorado water issues. The focus of the conference not only reflects the continued salience of water issues in the modern West, but is a recognition that current rates of growth in the region have brought greater urgency and complexity to many longstanding issues. Over the last decade, nine of the ten fastest growing states are located in the West— a trend that is expected to continue. Most of these residents, both old and new, live in the region in part due to the considerable environmental amenities and recreational opportunities. Others are attracted to the strong regional economy, and an abundance of developable land. Water makes this possible. The potential exhaustion of available supplies, consequently, is a broad-ranging concern. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that potential water shortages are slowing current growth patterns, it is notable that virtually every western river of signifi­cance has at least one endangered species issue, and that competition for limited supplies increasingly pits sector against sector, basin against basin, community against community. In the modern West, it is increasingly difficult to separate issues of water quality and quantity, and water management and land-use. This is perhaps best illustrated by the emergence of TMDLs, the broadening influence of the Endangered Species Act, and the growing stresses on the agricultural sector. Nested within these concerns are thorny issues of equity and fairness, private fights versus public concerns, and the appropriate delineation of roles between federal, state, and local governments. The prospects of drought are also increasingly troublesome, as new demands threaten to reduce the “drought cushion” in water systems, and as new research shows that recent decades have been abnormally wet. On many levels, the world of western water resources is becoming more complicated, as strong growth pressures illustrate both the limits of current practice and the opportuni­ties for improved management

AGENDA: Water and Growth in the West

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 29 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) + supplement (207 p. ; 29 x 24 cm.) Conference co-sponsor The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Conference moderators included University of Colorado School of Law professors Gary C. Bryner, James N. Corbridge, Jr., David H. Getches, Douglas S. Kenney, Kathryn M. Mutz, Peter D. Nichols and Charles F. Wilkinson. Accompanied by: CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) and supplement (xiv, 140, [49] p.) Includes bibliographical references The event will cover a breadth of issues, including demographics and water-use trends, improved planning and efficient use, implementation of TMDL and ESA requirements, groundwater management, tribal water resources, environmental protection, social costs of water transfers, climatic variability, and related issues. The third day of the event focuses exclusively on Colorado water issues. The focus of the conference not only reflects the continued salience of water issues in the modern West, but is a recognition that current rates of growth in the region have brought greater urgency and complexity to many longstanding issues. Over the last decade, nine of the ten fastest growing states are located in the West— a trend that is expected to continue. Most of these residents, both old and new, live in the region in part due to the considerable environmental amenities and recreational opportunities. Others are attracted to the strong regional economy, and an abundance of developable land. Water makes this possible. The potential exhaustion of available supplies, consequently, is a broad-ranging concern. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that potential water shortages are slowing current growth patterns, it is notable that virtually every western river of signifi­cance has at least one endangered species issue, and that competition for limited supplies increasingly pits sector against sector, basin against basin, community against community. In the modern West, it is increasingly difficult to separate issues of water quality and quantity, and water management and land-use. This is perhaps best illustrated by the emergence of TMDLs, the broadening influence of the Endangered Species Act, and the growing stresses on the agricultural sector. Nested within these concerns are thorny issues of equity and fairness, private fights versus public concerns, and the appropriate delineation of roles between federal, state, and local governments. The prospects of drought are also increasingly troublesome, as new demands threaten to reduce the “drought cushion” in water systems, and as new research shows that recent decades have been abnormally wet. On many levels, the world of western water resources is becoming more complicated, as strong growth pressures illustrate both the limits of current practice and the opportuni­ties for improved management

AGENDA: Groundwater in the West

Conference moderators and/or speakers included University of Colorado School of Law professors James N. Corbridge, Jr., Douglas S. Kenney, Jim Martin and Kathryn M. Mutz. The Colorado Law Natural Resources Law Center celebrated its 25th Annual Summer Conference by exploring one of the most important natural resources of the 21st century: groundwater. Titled Groundwater in the West, the conference was held June 16-18 at the Fleming Law Building on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. Participants discussed law, policy, and management of groundwater in the West. As demands on surface water increase and drought seems more the norm than the exception, our attention is increasingly turning to groundwater, said Kathryn Mutz, conference organizer and a researcher with the center. Cities, farmers, tribes and conservationists must all look for innovative ways to protect both short-term and long-term water supplies for both our communities and the environment. Robert Glennon, author of Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America\u27s Fresh Water, will deliver the keynote speech June 16 at 7 p.m. in the Lindsley Memorial Courtroom of the law building. Prior to his speech, Glennon will hold a book signing. A reception will follow the lecture. The book signing, lecture and reception are free and open to the public. The three-day conference provided the basics of the science and law of groundwater and explored innovative management efforts. Conference sessions highlighted case studies of groundwater use and management throughout the West, focus on innovative solutions for a rapidly growing West and explore interstate and international transboundary issues

AGENDA: Shifting Baselines and New Meridians: Water, Resources, Landscapes, and the Transformation of the American West

The Center’s 29th annual conference will focus on the changes in the West resulting from rapid population growth, development, disrupted historical weather patterns and the effects of those changes on land, water, and energy resources. Speakers and panelists will address the adaptability of the legal and political institutions and how the transformation of the West may foreshadow fundamental changes to these institutions. The agenda includes panel discussions that will address: Water for the 21st Century —the big questions in Western water and rethinking Western water law. The Future of Energy —practical and sophisticated solutions to overcome the energy bottle-necks to meet the overarching goal of climate neutrality. Values of the American West —diverse ethical approaches to protecting natural resources and whether it is possible to reorient our understanding of our ethical duties to the environment and to foster more sustainable communities. The Role of Western Journalism in Relating Difficult Stories – discussion by journalists who specialize in relating stories about the ways in which communities or regions address the limits of their landscapes. Species and Habitats in the American West —the current state of the Endangered Species Act and the potential legal methods of maintaining biodiversity such as reform of the Endangered Species Act and ecosystem services. The Urbanizing West—Limits to Water, Limits to Growth —e an appropriate means to better reconcile the apparent disconnect between land-use planning and water planning in water-short areas The Politics of Change and Natural Resources —the 2008 election and how it may affect the future of natural resources law and policy? This discussion will provide perspectives on this critical issue. In conjunction with the NRLC conference, the Environmental Law Society (ELS) will host the National Association of Environmental Law Societies Regional Event to discuss strategies and approaches for creating more sustainable learning environments with our peers from other law schools