Lincoln Bramwell, Chief Historian for USDA Forest Service, to Speak at Denver Law on November 14

Dr. Lincoln Bramwell, Chief Historian for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, will make a presentation at Denver Law on "Exurban Land Use in Colorado" on Monday, November 14 at noon in room 170.

Dr. Bramwell's presentation was announced by Liz Hutchinson, president of the sponsoring organization the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Society (NRELS).

In the middle part of the last century, Rocky Mountain-based developers began to design areas Dr. Bramwell refers to as "wilderburbs," groups of rural homes located close to cities. He argued in his dissertation that "when humans tried to blend suburban order and structure with untrammeled natural aesthetics and features, they created unintended consequences for residents, the land, and wildlife." His dissertation has been published as a book, "Wilderburbs: Nature, culture, and the rise of rural development in the Rocky Mountain West, 1960-2000." More information about the book can be obtained by clicking here.

In addition, NRELS has arranged for interested students to join Professor Rock Pring's Public Lands and Resources Law Class (Monday, November 14 from 2:45 – 4:00 in room 280 as long as there is space available) for Dr. Bramwell’s presentation on “The 1911 Weeks Act: The Law that ‘Nationalized’ the National Forests.” The act has enabled the Forest Service to purchase eroded and cut-over private lands in the eastern United States.

In 2009 when he was named historian for the Forest Service, Dr. Bramwell said, "In my position as the agency's historian, it is my goal to make Forest Service history more accessible to the public and more meaningful to the agency." Earlier in his career he worked on Forest Service hotshot and trail crews. "I had the opportunity to view the agency from the ground up and find working for it no less compelling today," he said.

Will Sarni, Director and Practice Leader at Deloitte Consulting's Sustainability and Climate Change Practice, to Speak at Denver Law November 9

Will Sarni, an internationally recognized thought leader on sustainability and corporate water strategies, will speak at Denver Law on November 9 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in room 259. Mr. Sarni will speak about his sustainability practice and how that practice has changed in recent years.

Mr. Sarni has been providing sustainability, environmental and hydrogeological consulting services to private- and public-sector enterprises for more than three decades, with a focus on developing and implementing corporate-wide sustainability strategies, as well as broad based climate and water programs.

Mr. Sarni’s diverse client list includes Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations and non- governmental organizations (NGOs). He has managed complex projects throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, working with some of the world’s most recognizable companies.

He is the author of Greening Brownfields: Remediation Through Sustainable Development and contributed to Environmental Regulation of Colorado Real Property. He is the author of the recently published, Corporate Water Strategies and the forthcoming book, Water Tech – A Guide to Innovation and Business Opportunities.

Mr. Sarni was a member of the Environmental Compliance Committee of the Chicago Climate Exchange and is active in the International Association of Hydrogeologists and The Conference Board. He was a sustainability adviser to the 2018/2022 US World Cup Bid Committee, a judge for the 2010 CleanTech Open and the Hult Global Case Challenge – Clean Water Crisis.

Don Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program that is sponsoring the event, said, "One of the aims of a Denver Law education is to introduce students to individuals whose professional experience reflects the cutting-edge issues -- and careers -- of our times. Will Sarni is one of these unique individuals who has built a reputation and a career in the area of sustainability. There is no more profound an example of a career in sustainability than the one that Will Sarni has built over the last several decades."

Commission on Presidential Debates Selects University of Denver to Host First 2012 President Debate

The Commission on Presidential Debates has selected the University of Denver as the host site for the first 2012 Presidential debate.

Robert Coombe, Chancellor of the University, made the announcement in Denver today. The debate will be held Wednesday, October 3, in the Magness Arena at the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness.

Chancellor Coombe said, "This is a historic event for our campus, our city, and our state. The national and international spotlight will be on the University of Denver. Our commitment to addressing the great issues of the day and serving the public good make this event a perfect fit for us."

Don Smith, director of the Sturm College of Law Environmental and Natural Resources Law (ENRL) program, said, "The first 2012 Presidential debate will take place just 200 meters from the law building. While it is too early to predict what topics the debate will focus on, what is clear is that resources, environment, and energy-related issues will be part of the national discussion as November 2012 approaches. Being part of the ENRL program at Denver Law means that students will not only be learning about the underlying policy issues, but also seeing them being debated right next door."

All tickets are assigned by the Commission on Presidential Debates, and the majority of these tickets will go to the two campaigns for distribution to their supporters. The details are still being worked out.

DU faculty and staff will be involved in special programming for students in order to provide hands-on opportunities to experience this historic event. The ENRL program will post more information as it becomes available about these opportunities.

Editor's note: Photo of candidates Barack Obama and John McCain from 2008 debate.