Western Environmental Issues Reading Group

This reading group is dedicated to an exploration of environmental policy challenges in the American West. The group is focused on current policy issues, and while we may consider theoretical perspectives on some topics, we are grounded in policy application. Many of the most complex policy dilemmas raise questions of federalism and involve some tussle between federal agencies and state control; we will explore these political themes throughout. Our reading material aligns with this applied policy focus, and we study news articles, websites, and policy statements. Occasionally we will look at academic articles, but they will not form the bulk of our reading list.