Colorado Forest Health Survey Released

Colorado Forests

Every year, the US Forest Service, in coordination with Colorado State Forest Service perform an Aerial Health Survey. The survey monitors insect and disease-caused tree mortality and damage across Colorado forests.

This year's survey was released just yesterday. The study showed that the spread of the mountain pine beetle epidemic has slowed dramatically. The survey revealed that 97,000 acres had pine beetle activity in 2013. The first signs of outbreak were in 1996; to date, 3.4 million acres have been infested. The new report highlights the lowest acreage of active infestation observed in 15 years.

However, the spruce beetle outbreak continues to expand by 216,000 new acres of forestland in 2013. The first signs of spruce beetle in Colorado was also in 1996; more than 1.1 million acres have been affected to date.

Dan Jirón, Regional Forester for the Rocky Mountain Region of the US Forest Service shared in a statement: “Through our collaborative efforts we are improving the health of our public lands. Our continuing work on the land, together with other agencies, partners and the wood products industry will allow for the treatment of more acres in need of restoration at an increased pace.”

Mike Lester, State Forester and Director of the CSFS stated, “Bark beetles and other forest health concerns don’t recognize property boundaries, so it’s critical for land managers and private landowners to work together to address forest management across federal, state and private lands."


For more information about the Annual Aerial Forest Health Survey in Colorado, visit the US Forest Service Press Release.

For information directed at private landowners to help manage for healthier forests, visit the Colorado State Forest Service website.

Adjunct Professor William Brady Discusses Oil Spills Resulting from Train Derailments

William Brady

William J. Brady, an adjunct professor of Environmental and Natural Resources Law, currently teaching Law of Hazardous Waste and Toxic Substances, was interviewed for the national broadcast of Al Jazeera America News regarding the rash of oil spills from train derailments in the US and Canada, which have spiked dramatically this past year.

During the interview, Professor Brady provided commentary about potential environmental and health impacts, and compared the relative safety of moving oil by rail (99.99% safe) with both the undetected, and at times open and obvious, spillage from recent releases of oil from pipelines, as has occurred recently in Arkansas, Michigan and Texas.

He pointed out that both processes, while not without risk, are heavily regulated and provide a relatively safe method of transport for the oil industry.  Given increased production from fracking and subsequent transport fate, however, the number of spill incidents may be expected to increase marginally, perhaps necessitating rerouting of trains away from densely populated areas and greater emphasis on railroad safety measures, also heavily regulated by DOT.

Overall, both rail and pipelines have good safety records. Spills from rail cars occur more frequently than from pipelines but tend to be smaller. Pipelines can also be built to avoid population centers and fragile ecosystems, while crude-carrying trains frequently travel through large cities. Most of the crude currently being moved by rail is light crude from the Bakken region, not tar-sands oil from Canada.

Tar-sands oil is heavier and more expensive to move by rail, but energy companies in the Bakken region embrace rail since it is more flexible than pipelines. North Dakota produces nearly a million barrels of oil a day, a majority of it shipped by rail.  Recent meetings with government regulators and railroad representatives on proposed rail safety measures have resulted in agreement in principle to impose further regulations, such as rerouting of train shipments, as well as speed reduction, through less populous areas.  

To watch the video of Professor Brady's interview, follow this link. (Coming Soon)

For more information about this topic, read this Wall Street Journal article.

Colorado Bureau of Land Management Gets New Acting Director

Map of Colorado BLM Regions
Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has had a few changes of directors in the last year. Helen Hankins retired on September 30th of last year, after 42 years with the BLM. She was replaced by John Mehlhoff in October.

Mehlhoff will be taking a position in the federal Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). The ONRR handles royalty payments from the production of oil and gas operations on federal land. Mehlhoff will become the program director of coordination, enforcement, valuation and appeals.

The new temporary director will be Ruth Welch. She is currently the director of the BLM's National Operations Center in Lakewood. The Operations Center handles the agency's human resources and IT operations. The BLM's new acting director will take over the position in February.

The BLM is responsible for 8.3 million acres of the pubic lands within Colorado, as well as 27 million acres of mineral estate. The Director of the Colorado BLM will need to manage Colorado's resources and open spaces that contribute to the quality of life in Colorado.

Colorado Counties Declared a Disaster Area by the USDA

Drought Conditions in Colorado,
1/16/14 US Drought Monitor

On Wednesday of this week, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) listed counties in 11 states as primary natural disaster areas due to extreme drought. The majority of states affected by the drought are located in the west, with a few exceptions (Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Hawaii). The western states listed as disaster include: Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Idaho, and California.

Farmers in these states have been struggling to sustain crop yields which puts them at financial risk. The listing ensures that eligible farmers can apply for low-interest, emergency loans from the USDA. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared in a statement, "[The] USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood." The USDA wants to guarantee that farming and agriculture remain an economic force in the U.S.

The past few weeks have seen record storm and snow falls for the east coast. However, a ridge of high pressure has been preventing storms from reaching the Pacific coast and providing them with needed moisture. These weather patterns are causing the droughts to persist and intensify, the U.S. Drought Monitor explains.

Poor snowpack is threatening states dependent on major rivers in the west. The dry conditions could also lead to an active fire season.

For more information, visit the USDA Drought and Disaster Assistance website.

Rayme Ortega, MRLS 2008, Discusses Her Current Work

Rayme Ortega (formerly Maldonado) graduated from the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program in 2008 with her Master of Resources Law Studies (MRLS) degree.

Rayme stated, "The MRLS degree I earned from DU gave me the advantage of entering the job force with working knowledge of the legal system. The program helped familiarize me with many different natural resource and environmental laws and laid the ground work for which I am able to interact with entities from other agencies with confidence."

She recently began working for the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) agency as an Agriculture Specialist. The CBP detects and prevents terrorists from entering the United States and is responsible for enforcing laws relevant to boarder crossing, and facilitates the efficient flow of legitimate trade and travel.

Rayme described her position at the CBP: 
 "As an Agriculture Specialist I am trained to serve as an expert and technical consultant in the areas of inspection, intelligence, analysis, examination and law enforcement activities related to the importation of agricultural/commercial commodities and conveyances at the various ports of entry. 

I apply a wide range of federal, state and local laws and agency regulations when determining the admissibility of agriculture commodities while preventing the introduction of harmful pests, diseases and potential agro-terrorism into the United States." 

Rayme shared her compliments of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program, "I am most thankful for the degree I earned from The Sturm College of Law and would recommend it to anyone trying to get an edge on the competition."

Congratulations to Rayme! We wish her continued success in her position with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

Spring Semester Officially Starts on Monday

Sturm College of Law Building
Photo Courtesy of Great Degree

Fall semester's final exam period ended on December 17th of 2013. Providing students in the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program with the last three weeks to relax, visit with family and friends and reclaim hobbies lost during finals.

Students are preparing themselves for another semester, which begins Monday. This will be the final semester for many of our students. They are excited to be taking their final few courses and to see their degree within reach. We wish them the best in their final semester and hope that they will take advantage of opportunities to connect with their classmates and attend many of the great conferences taking place this spring.

A new group of students is also joining the program on Monday. The new students participated in orientation yesterday. During their orientation, they were able to meet many of the faculty and staff who will assist them through their graduate education. We hope these students are excited to begin a new chapter in Denver and that they take the time to get to know the wonderful people of the College of Law.

Have a wonderful spring semester!

Renewable Energy Soared in 2013, Creates Benefits in 2014

Photo of a Vestas Wind Turbine
Courtesy Creative Commons

Renewable energy hailed 2013 as an incredibly successful year. Public approval of clean energy has realized an increase across the board. In addition, sales and jobs in the renewable energy sector also experienced a boost.

On December 23rd, Vestas Wind Systems announced an order for wind turbines which made 2013 the manufacturer's second best year for sales in North America. Vestas announced 1,693 megawatts worth of turbine orders in the US and Canada, compare that number to the 252 megawatts worth of orders in 2012. (The wind energy sector suffered in 2012 due to concerns regarding the expiration of the Production Tax Credit.)

Vestas has four Colorado factories, which contributes to our state's employment opportunities and increase our capacity for clean energy. The factories in Colorado manufacture blades, nacelles and towers required to complete the orders. Vestas has said it plans to hire hundreds of workers in 2014 to fill jobs in its Windsor and Brighton locations.

The increase in capacity and jobs is surely related to the increase approval of renewable energy. Navigant Research, a Boulder based "market research and consulting team that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets," recently issued a report on the subject. Navigant surveyed over 1,000 US adults for its annual "Energy and Environment Consumer Survey: Consumer Attitudes and Awareness toward 10 Clean Energy Concepts"

The report highlights that American's views of renewable energy had increased in 2013 from the year previous. Average support for all ten clean energy concepts rose to 51%, an increase from 44% in 2012. The most popular clean energy concept was solar energy, with an approval rating of 79%. Wind energy came in close second.

These reports make it very clear that renewable energy is a growing industry. There is a need for people to fill the jobs created and to study the laws and regulations affecting the manufacture of parts as well as the production of energy.

If you are excited about this growing area, take a look at our exciting renewable energy law course offerings and consider applying to the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program today!