Environmental Law

I. INTRODUCTION For the last twenty-five years, the United States has conducted a grand experiment in democracy. The administrative agencies of the executive branch of the federal government have opened their decision-making processes to unparalleled...

Water policy has left an indelible mark on America's western landscape. During the settlement and development of the West, a set of water policies evolved to create institutions and enable construction of facilities that allocate, store, distribute,...

I. INTRODUCTION A. The Federal Advisory Committee Act The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)(1) is not a mysterious piece of legislation. The legislative history is clear about the specific problems FACA addresses and FACA's text sets...

I. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose Water in streams, rivers, and lakes has social, economic, and environmental values that grow increasingly important as water grows more scarce. Local quality of life, cultural and historical assets, tourism dollars,...

In some respects, the Pacific Northwest as a region has been defined by what it is not: it is not as arid as the intermountain West.(1) But it is a mistake to think that water in the Northwest is not a scarce resource, subject to increasing demands...

I. INTRODUCTION As natural resource management issues continue rising to the forefront, it is important for the government not to alienate interested parties from the decision-making process. Currently, federal agencies can do more to involve...

I. INTRODUCTION The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that "private property [shall not] be taken for public use, without just compensation."(1) Supreme Court cases interpreting the Takings Clause generally fall into...