In honor of the 40th anniversary of the ESA, the 19th annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Florida Levin College of Law will focus on the evolution of endangered species protection over the past four decades. “The Endangered Species Act at 40: Polishing the Crown Jewel,” will be held Feb. 21-23 at UF Law.

“I’m very excited about this year’s conference,” said UF Law Professor and Director of the Environmental and Land Use Law program Mary Jane Angelo. “We are bringing in experts from around the U.S. to discuss the act’s many successes, such as the recovery of our national symbol, the bald eagle, as well as significant challenges we face in the future such as addressing impacts from habitat loss and climate change.”

Keynote speakers for this year’s conference include Carl Safina, founding president of the Blue Ocean Institute and award winning of author of Song for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross, and Zygmunt Plater and Patrick Parenteau, attorneys in the landmark decision of Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill et al. – temporarily halting the completion of the Tellico Dam on the Little Tennessee River in order to protect the snail darter, an endangered species of fish.

The conference will also include multiple panel discussions, a workshop sponsored by The Florida Bar, and training opportunities for both attorneys and those outside the legal field.

UF Law student and PIEC co-chair Chelsea Sims said the PIEC is one of the largest student-run conferences in the nation.

“It’s a great opportunity for UF students to engage with cutting edge issues surrounding endangered species such as the Florida panther, corals, sea turtles, manatees and more.”

To view the agenda and register for the conference, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/academics/concentration/elul/public-interest-environmental-conference.

“Any student that is interested in learning about the status of endangered species, the role of climate change, or the interface of science and policy regulating endangered species will enjoy this free event at the law school campus,” said Rachael Bruce, UF Law student and PIEC co-chair. “Please come out and join us.”

For more information:

Matt Walker, UF Law Communications

352-273-0650, mlwalker@law.ufl.edu

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the ESA, the 19th annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Florida Levin College of Law will focus on the evolution of endangered species protection over the past four decades. “The Endangered Species Act at 40: Polishing the Crown Jewel,” will be held Feb. 21-23 at UF Law. The event is free for all UF students and faculty – register under the “student conference” option on the registration page (there is a $35 fee to attend the opening banquet).

Click here for more information about the PIEC.

Read the full press release here.

“Fishable, Swimmable? 40 Years of Water Law in Florida and the United States”

2012 marks the 40th anniversary of both the Florida Water Resources Act and the federal Clean Water Act. In honor of this occasion, the 18th annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Florida Levin College of Law will focus on the evolution of water law and policy over the past four decades.

This year’s PIEC will feature keynote speaker Carol Browner (JD 79), former White House “energy czar” under President Barack Obama.

The conference is expected to be approved for 15 CLER credits

For more information and to register, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/piec/.

Presented by the UF Levin College of Law and co-sponsored by The Florida Bar Environmental and Land Use Law Section and student government, this two-day conference titled, “Beyond Doom and Gloom: Illuminating a Sustainable Future for Florida,” will focus on long-range and innovative approaches to Florida’s environmental problems. Conference attendees can earn 13 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and explore sustainability solutions from science, technology and progressive regulations, and economic and behavioral changes through communication and social marketing.

“This year’s conference offers a timely focus with an interesting set of themes including the role of social marketing, and panel discussions dealing with energy and climate change,” said Alyson Flournoy, director of the UF Levin College of Law Environmental and Land Use Law Program and one of the organizers of the conference.

“We’ve also expanded the workshop format to include skills training and the final plenary session will provide a unique interdisciplinary look into Florida’s future by historians, ecologists, planners and public-interest advocates.” Flournoy added that the Friday night keynote speaker Rena Steinzor, president of the Center for Progressive Reform, will offer insight into likely policy developments under the Obama administration.

Conference topics slated for discussion include, “Thinking Outside the Grid,” “Ports: Balancing the Economic and Environmental Impacts,” “Public Education: Understanding the Science of Environmental and Land Use Policies and Law,” “Hope Springs Eternal: Overcoming the Water Supply Issues,” “The Cost of a Human Life: Beyond Risk Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis,” “Social Marketing: Green is the New Black?,” “The Long Slow Flood: Science, Policy and Adaption to Sea Level Rise,” “Credits and Trading: Air, Water and Land,” and “The Role of Journalism in Communicating Environmental Issues and Fostering Public Participation.” Workshops include, “Land Use 101: Understanding the Land Use Approval Process and How to Effectively Participate,” and “The Art and Skill of Communicating with Legislators.”

Robert Hartsell, trial counsel for the Everglades Law Center Inc. and a past PIEC participant, encourages those interested in, and working on environmental issues to attend the PIEC. “This conference exposes the practitioner to fresh thinking and an opportunity to collaborate with the best and brightest on the cutting edge environmental issues.”

February 20 is the postmark deadline for PIEC pre registration at $85. Onsite registration is $100. The registration fee includes CLEs and all program activities. Banquet registration is $35. The conference is free for all UF students, faculty and staff. A discounted registration fee of $45 is available for non-UF students, as well as scholarships. Visit the PIEC Web site to view the room assignments, scholarship form and conference brochure, which includes program and registration information.

Contact: Leslie Rogoff, 813-810-5542; Lrogoff@ufl.edu

Co-sponsored by The Florida Environmental and Land Use Law Sections and UF Student Government, the conference will take place in conjunction with the 1st Annual University of Florida Water Symposium—”Sustainable Water Resources: Florida Challenges, Global Solutions.” In addition, the PIEC and the National Association of Environmental Law Societies is hosting a Campus Climate Neutral Roundtable for the southeast region.

On the evening of Wednesday, February 27, 2008, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit climate change and human rights activist and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, will present a pre-conference keynote speech at the Reitz Union Ballroom. The event is co-sponsored by the UF Office of Sustainability and is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The conference is free for all UF students, faculty and staff. Scholarships are available for non-UF students, as well as a discounted registration fee of $45. Please see the scholarship and registration forms available online at http://www.law.ufl.edu/piec for more information. The PIEC pre-registration fee is $85, and the on-site registration is $100. Both fees include all program activities except the banquet, which is an additional $35 for all conference attendees.

The opening reception will be held at the President’s House, 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28, with welcoming remarks by UF Law Dean Robert H. Jerry, II, as well as a keynote speech by Shannon Estonez, governing member, South Florida Water Management District. The conference resumes at the Levin College of Law Friday, Feb. 29, with an entire day of panel discussions involving dozens of participants on such topics as sea-level rise, climate change, agricultural challenges, water resources, community land management, carbon markets, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the impact of war on the environment, and Florida’s needs for sustainable energy. The conference banquet, 7-10 p.m., will feature keynote speaker David Hunter, assistant professor of law and director, program on International and Comparative Law at American University Washington College of Law.

Saturday’s schedule starts with a 9 a.m. workshop on “Walking Small: Reducing Your Personal Footprint,” featuring Michelle Adamski, sustainability extension agent, Wakulla County, UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). Saturday’s panels begin at 10:30 a.m. and cover such topics as environmental injustices and dams, biodiversity loss, and communication between scientists and policymakers. A two-hour closing plenary, entitled “The Focus on Florida,” begins at 1:30 p.m.

Since its inception in 1994, this student-organized conference has attracted top practitioners, legal scholars and scientists from around the state and beyond to discuss Florida’s most pressing environmental issues. Now in its fourteenth year, the PIEC has enjoyed a continual increase in reputation, attendance and popularity. Detailed schedule, panel descriptions, speaker bios, registration, directions and parking information are available at www.ufpiec.org. For more information, contact Andrew Beckington (abeck82@ufl.edu) or Yee Huang (lyh@ufl.edu).

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—Sustainability is a concept that is sweeping the nation—from hybrid vehicles to green buildings—but as a movement it is still in its emerging stage. Finding ways to help organizations discover solutions that are both sustainable and cost-effective is the focus of the thirteenth annual University of Florida Public Interest Environmental Conference (PIEC), to be held March 1-3 at UF’s Levin College of Law.

Co-sponsored by The Florida Bar Environmental and Land Use Law Section and UF Student Government, this year’s PIEC embraces the theme “Talk, Technology and Techniques: Game Plan for Green,” and addresses the movement toward sustainable “green” design, institutions, and infrastructure. The conference is free for UF students. Scholarships are available for students who attend school in Florida, and a discounted registration fee is available for out-of-state students. Registration for the conference is $85, and the banquet is an additional $35.

Panels on Friday and Saturday will cover topics such as sustainable architecture, rural stewardship, low-impact development, and green corporations, featuring speakers who are leaders in government, academics, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Friday morning’s roster of speakers will feature five leading academics, each of whom will focus on a technique or technology that offers promise for moving us towards sustainability. Their presentations will focus on innovative approaches for engaging market competition as a tool to promote environmental protection, valuing ecosystem services, designing energy policy and promoting green building, and a perspective on the role of litigation in attaining sustainability.

The conference is designed to provide an opportunity for meaningful conversation among a group with a diversity of perspectives but a shared commitment to sustainability. On Saturday morning, conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet in a unique workshop format for conversation with corporate leaders who are committed to sustainability, to discuss how to communicate effectively with the private sector on this topic. The finale on Saturday will explore the ethical challenges and opportunities presented by working with non-traditional partners to achieve sustainability.

The conference kicks off with a reception March 1 featuring speaker Jil Zilligen, vice president, Sustainable Business Practices at Nau Inc., a technical and lifestyle outdoor apparel company that is a unique business model built around sustainable business practices, the innovative use of technology and philanthropic partnerships.

UF President Bernie Machen, whose tenure has been marked by environmental initiatives, is the reception’s closing speaker. In 2004, Machen created the UF Water Institute, which provides a focal point for water-related research, education and public outreach programs. And in 2005, he gave sustainability a higher profile when he announced a series of measures to reduce the university’s impact on the environment. UF held its first Sustainability Day in late 2005, and in February 2006 the university named its first director of sustainability.

A Friday evening banquet at the Florida Museum of Natural History is highlighted by a keynote speech by Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface, Inc. Anderson has transformed Interface, Inc. into a leader in sustainable and successful industry by redesigning processes and products, pioneering new technologies, and increasing the use of renewable materials.

Continuing Legal Education credit (13 general CLE credits, including 1.5 ethics hours) will be available for lawyers attending the conference.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Carol Browner, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, are among more than 50 experts to headline the nation’s first conference combining humanities, law, policy, children and the environment.

The 12th Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference, “In Fairness to Future Generations,” will be hosted by the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law in Gainesville March 8-11. The student-produced conference drew more than 400 participants last year.

“We are focusing on intergenerational equity and conserving our resources for the future,” said professor Alyson Flournoy, director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program. “The conference will discuss water as a central resource today and its importance in Florida, while linking the issues to the land and to future generations.”

The conference is co-sponsored by the law school; UF’s Center for Children’s Literature and Culture; and the National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS), a nationwide coalition of more than 50 law student groups devoted to environmental issues. At the invitation of UF’s Environmental and Law Use Law Society, NAELS will hold its annual conference at UF in conjunction with the Public Interest Environmental Conference.

“This year’s joint conference presents an amazing opportunity to bring together a diverse community around common environmental issues of concern,” said Dan Worth, executive director of NAELS. “It should help break down the walls that separate undergraduates, graduates, professors and administrators — allowing the university community to more efficiently work together toward public interest solutions.”

The conference kicks off with a speech by Kennedy, president of Waterkeeper Alliance, at 8 p.m. March 8 at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts, sponsored by ACCENT Speakers Bureau. Kennedy is the author of “Crimes Against Nature” and the children’s book, “Saint Francis of Assisi: A Life of Joy,” which details the mission of St. Francis to inspire children to care for the environment.

Richard Louv, a columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune and Parents magazine, will speak about his book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” March 9, at the conference welcome reception. The conference also will feature Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau and president of Earth Echo International.

A diverse selection of panel discussions on Friday and Saturday will feature the following topics:
- Issues and Challenges in Restoring the Ecological Integrity of Lake Okeechobee Watershed
- Marine Ecosystem Management in Florida: Obstacles for Management-Options for Change
- All Hot and Bothered: Global Warming, Endangered Species & Sustainable Development
- Earth, Wind and Fire: Nature, Science and Art
- At the Altar of Nature: Religion and Spirituality
- The Choctawatchee Miracle: An Uncommon Approach to Protecting a River Basin
- Disaster Recovery & Waiver of Environmental Laws
- Fortress Florida: The Future of Florida Coastal Policy
- Wild Things: Children’s Culture and Ecocriticism
- Shooting the Messenger: Science, Politics, and Ethics

Media are invited to cover the conference. For more information on media access, please contact Barbara Serokee, Finance Chair, at (352) 273-0856 or bserokee@ufl.edu, or go to www.ufpiec.org or www.naels.org.

The conference offers 13 hours of CLE credit, including 1.5 Ethics hours. The conference is free for all UF students and faculty and staff, with the exception of the banquet. The conference registration fee is $85, and banquet fee is $35. The registration form may be downloaded from www.ufpiec.org. The registration deadline is March 1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. —A small-town schoolteacher who became an environmental crusader – and took on one of the world’s largest oil companies – will tell her story to University of Florida students, faculty and others this month.

Margie Eugene Richard, who won the 2004 Goldman Prize for Environmental Justice for her fight against the Shell Chemicals plant in her hometown of Norco, La., will be the keynote speaker at the Public Interest Environmental Conference at UF’s Levin College of Law, to be held Feb. 24-26.

“A pervasive theme this year is the social justice aspects of environmental issues,” said conference organizer Adam Regar, a student at the law school. “Margie Richard, the first African-American to win the Goldman Prize, is a great example of someone engaged in the fight for environmental justice.”

The student-run conference, now in its 11th year, will bring together environmental activists, lawyers, and scientists from around the world to discuss Florida’s most pressing environmental problems and the legal issues they create. This year’s conference, titled “Hurricanes, Humans, and Habitat: Reclaiming, Rethinking and Rebuilding Our Environment,” covers a wide range of issues – from the state of the world’s oceans to the tone of this year’s Florida Legislature. Organizers say Richard’s speech will be one of the conference’s can’t-miss events.

Richard grew up in Old Diamond, a historically African-American community in the shadow of the Shell Chemicals plant in Norco. After a 1988 accident at the plant killed seven workers and spewed millions of pounds of chemicals into the air, Richard, then a middle-school teacher, founded Concerned Citizens of Norco. The grassroots group pressured Shell to pay resettlement costs for people who live near the plant. Richard and her group are credited with helping secure a $5 million community development fund from Shell, as well as relocation funds for the entire neighborhood of Old Diamond.

“A lot of activists start out the way Margie Richard did – by organizing to fight environmental problems in their own communities,” Regar said. “What makes Margie Richard noteworthy is that she took on a large corporation and was successful in getting much of what she demanded.”

Richard will speak at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The conference will also host Costa Rican presidential candidate and economist Ottón Solís, who served as Minister of Planning and Economy in the Oscar Arias administration and founded the Citizens’ Action Party, a third-party movement in Costa Rica that emphasizes social equity and environmental issues. Solis garnered 17 percent of the vote in Costa Rica’s last presidential election. Solís will deliver an address on international free trade agreements and their effect on the environment at 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The conference will also host 19 separate panel discussions on a broad range of pressing environmental issues. Panel topics include:

• The War Against Citrus Canker. A discussion of Florida’s citrus canker eradication program, the rights of landowners, and proper compensation for trees that have been destroyed to stop the spread of canker.
• Got Merc? Regulating, Mitigating, and Litigating the Levels of Mercury in the Fish We Eat. How does mercury get into fish? How much fish can a person safely eat? And what happens if you consume to much mercury? A toxicologist, an ecologist and others will answer those questions.
• The Inside Scoop. State Sen. Rod Smith (D-Alachua), state Rep. Thad Altman (R-Melbourne) and others will offer a sneak preview of the environmental issues being discussed at this year’s session of the Florida Legislature
• Whose Right to Regulate? Interagency Conflicts in Permitting Authority. A look at the complex and sometimes confusing world of environmental permits, where federal, state and local jurisdictions overlap. Panelists from a variety of government agencies will explain what their permits authorize – and what they believe other agencies’ permits allow.
• From Cattle to Concrete. A discussion of development pressures facing rural landowners as Florida’s farmlands give way to spreading suburbs.

Attendees will gather Feb. 26 for a “grand finale” panel discussion about overfishing, the decline of ocean wildlife and the collapse of ocean ecosystems. Titled “The State of Our Seas,” the discussion will focus on two recently released reports on the ocean crisis – one by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and another by the non-profit Pew Oceans Commission – and their very different prescriptions for healing the world’s seas.

The event is sponsored by the Environmental and Land Use Law Society and the Center for Governmental Responsibility at UF, in cooperation with the Public Interest Committee of the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the Florida Bar. UF law students, faculty, and members of the media may attend for free. Others can register for the entire conference at a cost of $110, for panel discussions at a cost of $85, or for the keynote address at a cost of $35. For more information, contact Adam Regar at aregar@ufl.edu or Ashley Cross-Rappaport at cross711@ufl.edu, or call 352-392-2237.

GAINESVILLE, Fla * Fifty national and state experts will be featured as panelists and speakers next week at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law Eighth Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference.

“Industry is From Mars, Environmentalists are From Venus: Reconciling Differences on Earth,” is theme of the event, scheduled for Feb. 14-16. The conference is sponsored by the law school’s Environmental and Land Use Society and its Center for Governmental Responsibility in cooperation with The Florida Bar.

Among featured speakers will be Dr. David Guggenheim, vice president of conservation policy at the Ocean Conservancy, Washington, D.C., and Gary S. Guzy, former general counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and now a partner with Foley Hoag & Eliot, LLP, concentrating on corporate social responsibility.

Conference topics will focus on Florida industries with sessions on agriculture, tourism, land development and infrastructure. Specific programs will address balancing competing interests for Florida’s water and energy supplies, agricultural conservation issues, regulating wildlife-based tourism, and conservation issues on military lands. There also will be a North Central Florida Environmental Summit to discuss area issues.

Event sponsors include Hopping Green & Sams, P.A., of Tallahassee, the Jelks Family Foundation and UF Student Government. For lawyers attending the conference, Continuing Legal Education credit is available.

The event will be at UF’s Reitz Union. For registration and additional information, or call the Center for Governmental Responsibility at (352) 392-2237.