Natural Resources
Spring 2002
Course Information and Syllabus
Book: The course book is available for purchase from Ms. Sargent in Secretarial Suite 3317 for $14.
Attendance: Attendance is expected. Since class participation is a component of your grade and since you cannot participate if you are not in class, I may take absences into account in arriving at your class participation grade. You should inform me if exceptional circumstances arise that may cause you to miss more than one weekly session. Also, pursuant to §3.4 of the Student Handbook, I reserve the discretion to refuse to give credit for the course if you miss more than 15% of the scheduled classes.
Class participation: I expect each of you (this includes students who are taking the course pass/fail) to be prepared for each class. Your attendance and the quality (not necessarily the quantity) of your participation in class, along with your presentation, will comprise 25 percent of your final grade.
Each class session will run 2 hours. One of you will be responsible for creating a Powerpoint presentation on an issue or issues for a portion of each class, usually the first part of the second hour.
Paper: This is a paper course. No exam option. More details later.
Grade: Your final grade will be based on the paper (75%) and class participation (25%). The latter will include your group presentation as well as your class participation throughout the semester. Coverage: The following schedule is somewhat tentative. I do not expect coverage for the first four classes to change, but I may make changes after that. I'll keep you posted.
Coverage: The following schedule is somewhat tentative. I do not expect coverage for the first four classes to change, but I may make changes after that. I'll keep you posted.
| Topic | Date | Assignment (Pages) |
| 1. Introduction: Resource Issues and the Population Problem | Jan. 8 | 1-16 |
| 2.Oil and Gas: | Jan. 15 | 17-25 |
| 3.Coal | Jan. 22 | 26-64 |
| 4.Water: Riparianism: | Jan. 29 | 65-83 |
| 5.Water:Public Rights and Groundwater: | Feb. 5 | 83-110 |
| 6.Surface Water and Coastal Protection: | Feb. 12 | 110-135 |
| 7.Wetlands: | Feb. 19 | 135-146 |
| 8. Federal Water Law: | Feb. 26 | 146-178 |
| 9.Public Lands:Disposal: | Mar. 5 | 179-197 |
|
10.Public Lands: |
Mar. 19 | 197-221 |
|
11.Public Lands: State Regulation of Timber |
Mar. 26 |
221-245 273-278 |
| 12.Public Lands:
National Parks Wilderness Areas |
Apr. 2 | 246-253 |
| 13.Wildlife Resources: Endangered Species Act |
Apr. 9 | 254-272 |
| 14. Natural Resource Extractions in the Amazon |
Apr. 16 |
Handout |
Paper Requirements
Due Date: 4:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2, for students who anticipate graduating this year, and 4:30 p.m., Monday, May 6, for others. Turn paper in to Ms. Sargent in Secretarial Office No. 3317.
Length and Other Miscellaneous Details: No absolute maximum or minimum; a paper generally will run between 25 and 35 pages typed on 8-1/2 x 11 paper and double-spaced. The important question is quality, not quantity. Shorter, insightful work can score well while long-winded, superficial discussions can be unimpressive. Number the pages.
Footnotes: Citations to authority should be in footnotes rather than in the text. This is not an appellate brief, but a scholarly paper. Use footnotes rather than endnotes.
Citation Style: Use Bluebook form with the following rule of reason: if it takes more than two minutes to figure out how to cite something, forget what the bluebook says and use a form that makes sense to you. Never, however, fail to give information that affects the ability of the reader to find the cited material (author of book, page, edition, etc.) or that relates to the persuasiveness of the cite (e.g., level of court deciding case, jurisdiction, year of decision, etc.).
Topic: If you have an issue in mind, ask me about it. I will provide a list of possible topics in the next two weeks or so. You might begin your search for ideas by perusing the topics covered in the casebook and the items on the course web site.
Topic Approval: See me by March 8 to get your topic approved. You may not write on a topic that is substantially the same as one on which you have already written and received, or are contemporaneously writing and will receive, academic credit.
Outline: You must submit an outline by March 22.
Rough Draft: A rough draft is mandatory for those seeking writing credit. It is optional for others. The sooner you submit your draft, the better chance I will have to comment on it. A draft must be submitted by April 15.
Upper Level Writing Requirement: If you wish this credit, you must secure a form from the registrar and submit it to me for my signature.
Writing Style: Avoid long quotations (more than a sentence or two); write in a simple, straightforward manner; edit your work.
Plagiarism: Avoid putting yourself under suspicion by making frequent citations to authority. If in doubt as to whether to footnote a statement, do so.
Outside Help: You may talk with others to discuss generally the issue on which you are working; however, the writing of the paper should be done solely by you.
Grading: The grade will be based on the depth and accuracy of the research, the synthesis and analysis of the cases and issues, the clarity of expression and compliance with the above rules.