[MPWG] The Law of Ecosystem Restoration - Public Land Law Conference - Sept. 2006; Montana

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

Please excuse the cross-postings.  This conference seems to have something 
for everyone - restoration, stakeholder involvement in natural resource 
management!  See the end of the e-mail for some important follow-up 
nuggets!
Mark Your Calendars!!
30th annual Public Land Law Conference
September 25-27, 2006
Missoula, MT
The Law of Ecosystem Restoration:
National Policy Implications of the Clark Fork River Basin Natural 
Resource Damage Program
Keynote Speaker: Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary of the Interior
The Public Land & Resources Law Review proudly presents the 30th annual 
Public Land Law Conference, held in beautiful Missoula, Montana.  The 
conference will focus on the history, successes, and continuing challenges 
of implementing this national program in Montana’s Clark Fork River Basin.
Background
In 1983, the State of Montana filed a natural resource damage (NRD) 
lawsuit against ARCO to recover damages for mining-caused injuries to the 
Clark Fork River Basin’s water, soils, vegetation, fish and wildlife, and 
for the public’s lost use and enjoyment of these resources.  As part of a 
1999 settlement, the state received $215 million, including about $130 
million earmarked to restore or replace the injured resources.   While the 
state’s NRD litigation is not fully resolved, major steps are already 
underway to restore or improve the injured natural resources and the 
recreation opportunities that accompany them.  For example, the NRD 
program will help fund full restoration at the confluence of the Blackfoot 
and Clark Fork rivers, where a multi-party consent decree signed in 2005 
(pursuant to a separate Superfund enforcement action) will result in the 
historic removal of the Milltown Dam and the tons of toxic sediments 
contained in its reservoir.
Focus
Many issues raised in the ongoing Clark Fork River Basin restoration 
reflect national concerns about natural resource damage assessment and 
implementation.  This conference will provide insights into current NRD 
law and policy developments nationwide, with a look ahead at possible 
resolutions in the Clark Fork River Basin and beyond.  Starting with 
keynote speaker Lynn Scarlett, special attention will be paid to issues 
before the federal advisory committee examining U.S. Department of the 
Interior NRD programs.
Who Should Attend
This conference offers Continuing Legal Education credits for attorneys. 
The program will also be of interest for federal, state, tribal, and local 
policy officials and resource managers; scholars; and representatives of 
industry, environmental, and community development groups involved in 
ecosystem restoration.  There will be ample opportunity to participate in 
facilitated discussions with panel members and to speak with them outside 
of their presentations.  Some of the speakers will publish their 
presentations as articles in the Public Land & Resources Law Review.
Conference Schedule
Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, will deliver the Keynote 
Address on the evening of Monday, September 27, 2006.  Tuesday will 
include interactive morning talks and panel discussions on national NRD 
issues; an on-site lunch provided; an afternoon session on Clark Fork 
River Basin issues; followed by a catered evening reception on the Clark 
Fork River, for all conference participants.  Wednesday morning sessions 
will focus on lessons learned in the Clark Fork River Basin and in other 
states’ NRD programs, and will explore implications for national policies 
and practice; the program will conclude at noon.  Plans are also underway 
for an optional tour of the Milltown Dam restoration site in conjunction 
with the conference.
If you would like further information about the conference, please visit 
the Public Land & Resource Law Review webpage at 
http://www.umt.edu/publicland/Conference.htm or contact us at 
plrlr at umontana.edu.
Sponsored by the Public Land & Resources Law Review, the Public Policy 
Research Institute, and the University of Montana School of Law, with 
additional support from the Clark Fork Coalition, the Montana Natural 
Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Bar, and the Montana Water Trust.
Please share this message with individuals or organizations who might be 
interested in the program.
Thank You! 
**********************************************************************************************

**Follow-up nuggets:**

>Cost:  This conference is free and open to the general public.  (There is 
a fee if you wish to obtain continuing education credits.)

>They really HAVE been doing this for thirty years!  Here is info from 
previous years:
>>2005 
WATER AND LANDSCAPE OF THE AMERICAN WEST
Keynote Speaker: Donald "Fred" Matt, Tribal Council Chairman, Confederated 
Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Summary: "This year's conference examines the link between water and land 
use practices. What is the state of current water laws in Montana and the 
western United States? How is the law changing? How can practitioners and 
policy makers work together to find better solutions and shape future 
water law? The conference will also examine international and tribal 
approaches to dealing with water issues." 
For more about the 2005 conference, see: 
http://www.umt.edu/publicland/Documents/2005%20brochure%20inside.pdf
>>2004
SCIENCE AND DEMOCRACY IN PUBLIC LANDS CONFLICT: FORESTS, FISH AND FIRE
Keynote Speaker: Chief Judge Donald W. Molloy, U.S. District Court in 
Montana
Summary: "This year's conference focuses on the management of public 
lands, which has grown increasingly complex. The interaction of science 
with law, economics, and politics makes policy formulation and 
implementation increasingly challenging. This conference examines public 
land and resources issues and case studies at the intersection of science 
and democracy.""
For more about the 2004 conference, see: 
http://www.world-wire.com/news/0914040001.html


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