March 2001

Conference on Resources Law: 21st Century Challenges to Access of Public Lands and Resources Section of Environment, Energy and Resources

The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy and Resources is sponsoring a conference on resources law April 5-6 in Las Vegas. The two-day conference, 21st Century Challenges to Access of Public Lands and Resources, will focus on western communities and public land managers attempting to balance population growth while maintaining quality of life, protecting resources, and accommodating commodity users. The conference is aimed at attorneys as well as public officials, corporate environmental managers, environmentalists and community activists.

Tom Sansonetti, the U.S. Department of Interior transition team coordinator, will kick off the conference by discussing the new resources agenda of the Bush administration. The luncheon speaker will be Patricia Mulroy, the executive director of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. George Miller, a nationally recognized constitutional lawyer, will discuss the recent designation of national monuments and related "takings" issues.

Alternatives to litigation will be explored in a session on resource conflict resolution. Mediation and other innovative dispute-resolution techniques will be discussed in a panel moderated by Ann MacNaughton, an experienced mediator and author. Of special interest to lawyers will be an ethics session involving multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional practice.

Continuing legal education credits are available for this program. For more information, visit http://www.abanet.org/environ/programs/resourcelaw.html, or call the ABA at 312-988-5724.

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