Past Events

June 4 & 5: 2026 Conference on the Colorado River

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:10:39 +0000

June 4 & 5: 2026 Conference on the Colorado River Annie Carlozzi Thu, 06/04/2026 - 09:10

The Colorado River:

Searching for Solutions in the Face of Uncertainty

The Colorado River is facing unprecedented change and uncertainty. Average annual flows continue to decline, and negotiations to craft post-2026 guidelines to manage the river have repeatedly bogged down over disagreements about delivery obligations, sharing shortages and mandatory conservation. While some clarity may emerge in the coming months, the ability to sustain many existing municipal and agricultural water users is already compromised. Meanwhile, there is growing recognition that a durable resolution must also address the water rights of sovereign Tribal nations and better integrate environmental values into river management. All sovereigns, stakeholders, and sectors must work together now more than ever to find solutions for short-term needs and long-term goals.

The Getches-Wilkinson Center and Water & Tribes Initiative will co-convene the 2026 Conference on the Colorado River at the Wolf Law Building in �鶹ӰԺ, CO.

Thursday, June 4th and Friday, June 5th
Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom

Thursday, June 4th
7:30-8am: Registration Opens and Light Breakfast
8am-5pm: Colorado River Conference
5-6:30pm: Reception for Registered Attendees

Friday, June 5th
7:30-8am: Registration Opens and Light Breakfast
8am-3pm: Colorado River Conference

Breakfast, Snack and Lunch provided daily
Free parking onsite. Parking details will be sent out the week of the conference.

We hope you join us for what will be sure to be an engaging 2-day conference bringing together thought leaders from across the Colorado Basin.

Conference Agenda (subject to change)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Public Event: Screening of The American Southwest.
This event requires a separate registration which can be found here.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4

Session 1: Climate & Hydrology: Expectations for an Ever-Shrinking Pie. Growing water shortages on the Colorado River system derive from a mismatch between supplies and human demands. While water managers can proactively manage demands, natural inflows to the basin are not easily manipulated, placing a premium on understanding trends and forecasts.

Session 2: Sustaining a Living River. Respecting and protecting the ecological lifeline of the Southwest is a formidable challenge given that existing laws and policies are largely designed to divert water out of the river and consumptively use it off-stream. This panel will highlight some emerging efforts to recover and sustain the Colorado as a living river.

Session 3: Living with Less on Farms and Ranches. Irrigated agriculture is the largest water use in the basin, and is where most of the current and projected curtailments are aimed. Although there have been some notable innovations already, more will be required to balance the basin’s water budget. This panel will highlight lessons learned from farms and ranches where adapting to less water is already underway.

Session 4. Designing Water Conservation Programs for the Future. Large-scale water conservation is essential to future management of the Colorado River, however, these efforts raise a host of legal, political and administrative challenges. This panel will reflect on lessons learned in prior conservation efforts, and identify suggestions for the design of more comprehensive and effective future programs.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

Session 5: Status of the Post-2026 Guidelines. The process of developing the post-2026 operating guidelines remains an ongoing challenge. The basin’s four sets of sovereigns -- including federal and state governments, Tribal nations, and Mexico – along with multiple stakeholders have discussed a range of options to share water shortages, conserve water, and coordinate operations of Lake Powell/Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead/Hoover Dam. This series of panels will provide an update on the process of developing post-2026 guidelines, review the options under consideration, and reflect on the potential alternatives to a negotiated solution.

Session 6: Learning from the Process: How do we Do Better in the Future? As substantive negotiations over reservoir operations and conservation programs have languished, it’s worthwhile to think about what this says about the processes and traditions being relied upon to identify the needed solutions. This panel will examine recent efforts to improve inclusivity, and proposals for making problem-solving more proactive, transparent, and holistic.

Confirmed Speakers Bios and Headshots Can be Found HERE

Chairwoman Amelia Flores, Colorado River Indian Tribes
Amy Moyer, Colorado River Water Conservation District
Anne Castle, Getches-Wilkinson Center
Becky Mitchell, Upper Colorado River Commission
Brad Udall, Colorado State University
Carlos de la Parra, Centro Luken
Celene Hawkins, The Nature Conservancy
Chris Winter, Getches-Wilkinson Center
Daniel Anderson, Getches-Wilkinson Center
Daryl Vigil, Water & Tribes Initiative
David DeJong, Gila River Indian Community
Doug Kenney, Getches-Wilkinson Center
James Eklund, Taft Law
Jason Robison, University of Wyoming College of Law
Jay Weiner, Quechan Tribe Attorney
John Berggren, Western Resource Advocates
John Bezdek, CRIT Attorney
John Entsminger, Colorado River Commissioner for Nevada
Kathryn Sorensen, Kyl Center for Water Policy
Katrina Grantz, Bureau of Reclamation
Mark Squillace, Colorado Law School
Roger Fragua, Flower Hill Institute
Samantha Barncastle, Family Farm Alliance
Chairman Selwyn Whiteskunk, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Scott Cameron, Bureau of Reclamation
Scott Campbell, The Freshwater Trust
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community
Tina Shields, Imperial Irrigation District
Zak Podmore, Author

Colorado CLE credits have been approved: 11 general credits and 1.20 EDI credits

REGISTER HERE

Registration Rates Early Bird - Register prior to May 1, 2026
General (In person) $370
Remote Access Only $170
Non-CU Student $170
CU Faculty/Staff/Student (In person) $25
CU Faculty/Staff/Student (Remote Only/Zoom) Free with BuffOne Card #

Registration Rates - Register on or after May 1, 2026
General (In person) $395
Remote Access Only $195
Non-CU Student $195
CU Faculty/Staff/Student (In person) $50
CU Faculty/Staff/Student (Remote Only/Zoom) Free with BuffOne Card #

Registration will close Thursday, May 28th (one week prior to the conference).
Registrants of all categories will be provided remote access.
No refunds will be offered after Friday, May 15th.

Conference reception, campus parking, and lunches/refreshments included with in person registration.

REGISTER HERE

Hotel Information

GWC has a hotel room block at the Residence Inn Canyon Blvd in �鶹ӰԺ from Wed, June 3rd - Sat, June 7th. Book your group rate for GWC26 The room block is available on a first come, first serve basis and is valid until Thurs, April 30th or until all rooms are filled.

Thank You to 2026 Conference Partners:

Water & Tribes Iniative Partners

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June 3: The American Southwest Film Screening

Annie Carlozzi — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:37:48 +0000

June 3: The American Southwest Film Screening Annie Carlozzi Wed, 06/03/2026 - 10:37

The American Southwest Film Screening
Wednesday, June 3rd
6:00-7:30pm: Film Screening followed by Q&A with Filmmaker Len Necefer

On the eve of the 2026 Conference on the Colorado River, GWC, American Indian Law Program, Center of the American West and Center for Humanities & the Arts are pleased to invite the public to join us for an inspiring film and an engaging conversation with Filmmaker Len Necefer.

This is a free, in person event. Advanced registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

The American Southwest is a wild and unforgettable journey down the mighty Colorado River. Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse, the film beautifully showcases the region’s abundant wildlife, confronts the ecological impacts of dams and river depletion, and boldly advocates for increased water and wildlife conservation. This Fin and Fur Films production travels through legendary landscapes from the perspective of some of the Southwest’s most charming characters—such as wetland-building beavers, bugling bull elk, and desert-adapted rattlesnakes.

Created in association with Natives Outdoors, The American Southwest highlights the region’s deep cultural history and the urgent need to manage the river more sustainably so that both wildlife and society can thrive.

Dr. Len Necefer, Ph.D. — Producer
Len Necefer is an Indigenous (Diné) scholar, filmmaker, and founder of NativesOutdoors, a media and advocacy collective focused on outdoor recreation, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of Arizona. Raised between urban and reservation life, Len offers a distinctive perspective on environmental storytelling—rooted in scientific rigor, cultural knowledge, and lived experience. His work centers on building more inclusive narratives around public lands, water, and the future of conservation.

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Wind River Water Forum 2026

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 14 May 2026 18:28:05 +0000

Wind River Water Forum 2026 Annie Carlozzi Thu, 05/14/2026 - 12:28

Daniel Anderson

On Friday, May 1st and Saturday, May 2nd, the Wind River Water Resource Control Board (WRWRCB), Gina Guy Center for Land and Water Law, and Getches-Wilkinson Center hosted the 2nd Annual Wind River Water Forum. Gathering at the Frank B. Wise Building in Fort Washakie, this year’s forum focused on water management issues and solutions led by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho of Wind River Reservation. Attendees engaged throughout the forum, and both in-person and remote attendance was roughly four times that of last year’s inaugural Wind River Water Forum. One message rang clear from this year’s Wind River Water Forum: dedicated interest in responsible and thoughtful water management at Wind River Reservation is growing – starting first from the local community but also expanding to a diverse national audience.

Wind River Water Resource Control Board Panel

By 9AM on May 1st, there was standing room only as community members from Wind River Reservation, local non-profits, university researchers and students, government officials, and more packed in to hear from the Wind River Water Resource Control Board. Moderated by John Washakie, Former Deputy Tribal Water Engineer, and featuring Lokilo St. Clair, Tribal Water Engineer, and members of the WRWRCB, this panel discussed the key history and pressing issues for Tribal-led water management at Wind River Reservation. Topics during the panel, and the Q&A that followed, ranged from how the Tribal Water Engineer’s office strives to maintain and improve Tribal irrigation projects to efforts to collaborate with other Missouri River Valley Basin Tribal Nations on water management.

Community Organizations Panel

After moving to a larger conference room during the break, the second panel of the day featured several community-based organizations working on water-related projects at Wind River Reservation. Moderated by Dr. Tarissa Spoonhunter, Assistant Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and Director of the High Plains American Indian Resource Institute, the panel included Jason Baldes from the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Colleen Friday from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Big Wind Carpenter from Wyoming Outdoor Council, Leslie Shakespeare from the Wind River Development Fund, and Darwin St. Clair III. The panelists shared how water intersects with their work, including the cultural connections between water and buffalo recovery, the importance of water investments to support Tribal governance, and ongoing threats to water quality at Wind River Reservation. The throughline from these presentations? The community understands that water is vital to the health, culture, and economy of Wind River Reservation – and they are working hard to protect the many values that flow from water.

Following a community lunch, the conference shifted to consider emergent proposals to address long-standing water management issues facing many Tribal Nations. Moderated by Daniel Anderson, Getches-Wilkinson Center Water Law Fellow, the panel featured presentations by Jason Robison, Carl M. Williams Professor of Law and Responsibility and Co-Director of the Gina Guy Center at the University of Wyoming College of Law, Alyson White Eagle, Tribal Water Institute Fellow at the Native American Rights Fund, and Bethany Aragon, Student Fellow at the Gina Guy Center and J.D./M.A. student at University of Wyoming. These presentations examined the interstices between the Federal Trust Responsibility, Tribal sovereignty, access to clean water, structural exclusion of Tribal Nations from interstate water compacts, and tools within the Clean Water Act available to Tribal Nations. Dialogue on legal considerations followed the presentations, including the panelists’ thoughts about ongoing global efforts led by indigenous peoples to recognize their relationships with – and the rights of – rivers.

Finally, the day ended with a keynote address from Representative Ivan Posey, Wyoming House District 33, who also serves as the Co-Chairman of the Select Committee on Tribal Relations. Representative Posey expressed his thoughts on the importance of balancing water use at the Wind River Reservation, as well as the need to continue advancing education about water rights and water management concerns within Wind River Reservation and beyond.

Washakie Reservoir

On the following morning, May 2^nd, attendees of the Wind River Water Forum toured key water infrastructure across the Wind River Reservation. This included stops at Washakie Reservoir, Bull Lake, the proposed site of Steamboat Reservoir, and Diversion Dam. Led by Howard Brown, WRWRCB member, and Gary Collins, Former Tribal Water Engineer, the group considered not only the infrastructural challenges, but also the potential opportunities to improve Tribal benefits from water infrastructure. Discussion topics also included protection of Tribal cultural resources and how to more closely align water management decisions with enduring Tribal water relationships at Wind River Reservation.

Tour group at the Lenore Bridge over the Wind River

Planning for the 3rd Annual Wind River Water Forum is currently underway. Feel free to reach out to Daniel Anderson (daniel.anderson-1@colorado.edu) with any thoughts or questions regarding next year’s water forum.

To access recordings of panel discussions from May 1st, please click here.

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Reflections on Steve Bloch's Visit to Colorado Law

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:18:50 +0000

Reflections on Steve Bloch's Visit to Colorado Law Annie Carlozzi Thu, 04/23/2026 - 11:18

Andrea Shipton and Obie Johnson

On April 1st, thanks to the generous support of the Wyss Foundation, we had the opportunity to host Steve Bloch, legal director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (“SUWA”). SUWA is a non-profit organization that fights to defend Utah’s stunning redrock wilderness for the benefit of all Americans. Steve has worked at SUWA since 1999.

The inspiration to ask Steve to speak at Colorado Law came from the Advanced Natural Resources Seminar on the Colorado Plateau, which we both enrolled in during the spring of our 2L year. During that spring break, we spent ten days exploring the unique landscapes of Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, under the guidance of Professors Chris Winter and Mark Squillace. We met with numerous stakeholders, including tribal representatives, employees of federal land management agencies, and Neal Clark—Wildlands Director for SUWA, based in the Moab office. That trip really opened our eyes to all of the incredible work being done by public lands advocates in some of the most unique landscapes in our country. It certainly solidified our desire to use our legal degrees to fight for the lands, wildlife, and people of not only the Colorado Plateau, but the rest of the nation and even world as well.

During his visit, Steve spoke to us about the substance of his work at SUWA and his advice for students interested in non-profit environmental litigation. He spoke candidly yet optimistically about some of the most severe threats facing the Colorado Plateau right now—from proposals to sell off Utah’s public lands, to attacks on national monuments via the obscure Congressional Review Act, to stagnant grazing and other resource extraction fees set by the federal government. He also gave us a peek into his day-to-day life at SUWA and shared helpful advice for the many students in the room aspiring to work for an organization like SUWA after graduation. Having read the Supreme Court decision Norton v. SUWA at least three or four times during our law school careers, it was great to hear his perspective on a lawsuit he worked so closely on and a decision that has been so key in guiding administrative law jurisprudence ever since.

We are so pleased with how Steve Bloch’s visit went and would like to thank the Wyss Foundation, the Getches Wilkison Center, and Steve himself for making it all possible. With so much uncertainty right now surrounding federal public lands law, it was so reassuring to hear inspiring words from one of our public land’s greatest advocates.

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Wind River Water Forum

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:35:22 +0000

Wind River Water Forum Annie Carlozzi Thu, 04/23/2026 - 09:35

Wind River Water Forum

May 1, 2026

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Community breakfast: 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Community lunch: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Location: Frank B. Wise Building, Fort Washakie, WY

Join us for an in-depth discussion of water management issues facing Tribal Nations on the Wind River Reservation and elsewhere across the United States. More information coming soon!

For more information and to register: https://www.uwyo.edu/law/centers/center-for-land-and-water-law/events/wind-river-water-forum.html

Wind River Water Forum 2026 Agenda

Please join us, in person or over Zoom (registration link), for a Water Forum addressing the historical, current, and future water-management challenges facing the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Panel discussions among members of the Wind River Water Resources Control Board, as well as community-based organizations doing water-related projects on the reservation, will be featured alongside research presentations on water-management issues confronting Tribal Nations across the United States. An optional tour will also be offered to visit water infrastructure across the reservation.

Friday, May 1

The main portion of the Water Forum will be held on Friday, May 1, from 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Frank B. Wise Building in Fort Washakie (3 Ethete Road, Fort Washakie, WY 82514). In addition to our panels and keynote address, a community breakfast will be held from 8:00-9:00 a.m., followed by a community lunch from 12:30-1:30 p.m. In-person attendance is encouraged, and online attendance over Zoom is also welcomed (registration link).

8:00-9:00 a.m. MDT: Community Breakfast

9:00-9:30 a.m. MDT: Prayer & Introduction

James Trosper, Tribal Elder
Travis Shakespeare, Co-Chair, Wind River Water Resources Control Board (invited)
Orville St. Clair, Co-Chair, Wind River Water Resources Control Board (invited)

9:30-11:00 a.m. MDT: Wind River Water Resources Control Board (WRWRCB) Panel

This first panel, composed of Tribal Water Engineer Lokilo St. Clair and WRWRCB members, this first panel will discuss foundational aspects of water management on the Wind River Reservation, as well as cutting-edge issues the Board is now facing.
Moderator: John Washakie, Former Deputy Tribal Water Engineer (invited)
Panelists: Lokilo St. Clair, Tribal Water Engineer, and WRWRCB Members

11:00-11:15 a.m. MDT: Break

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MDT: Community Organizations Panel.

A host of community-based organizations are doing water-related work on the Wind River Reservation, and this second panel will shed light on several of these organizations and their respective projects.
Moderator: Dr. Tarissa Spoonhunter, Asst. Professor at Haub School of Env’t. and Natural Resources & Director of High Plains American Indian Research Institute, Univ. of Wyoming
Panelists:
- Jason Baldes, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative
- Big Wind Carpenter, Wyoming Outdoor Council
- Colleen Friday, Greater Yellowstone Coalition
- Shila Aragon, Wind River Development Fund

12:30-1:30 p.m. MDT: Community Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m. MDT: Beyond Wind River Panel

Tribal Nations across the United States are navigating challenges similar to, and different from, those facing the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes, and this third panel will present research on some of these challenges, including their potential connections to future water management on the Wind River Reservation.
Moderator, Daniel Anderson, Water Law Fellow, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School
Panelists:
- Bethany Aragon, Research Fellow, Gina Guy Center for Land & Water Law, University of Wyoming College of Law
- Jason Robison, Professor, University of Wyoming College of Law
- Alyson White Eagle, Tribal Water Institute Fellow, Native American Rights Fund

2:45-3:00 p.m. MDT: Break

3:00-3:30 p.m. MDT: Closing Keynote

Ivan Posey, Wyoming House District 33 Representative

Saturday, May 2

Led by past and present members of the Wind River Water Resources Control Board, including Richard Baldes, Gary Collins, and Howard Brown, an optional tour will be offered on Saturday, May 2, from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., involving site visits to water infrastructure across the reservation. The tour will depart from the Frank B. Wise Building in Fort Washakie (3 Ethete Road, Fort Washakie, WY 82514). Simple grab-and-go breakfast and lunch will be provided, and the tour will be followed by a debrief at the Wise Building from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Please fill out this form if you are interested in joining the tour.

8:00-8:15 a.m. MDT: Meet at Frank B. Wise Building + Load Vehicles

8:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. MDT: Tour

Itinerary: Bull Lake, proposed Steamboat Reservoir project location, Diversion Dam/Wyoming Canal, Ray Lake, and Washakie Reservoir.

12:00-2:00 p.m. MDT: Debrief + Sack Lunch at Frank B. Wise Building

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April 1: Wyss Scholars Host Steve Bloch for Student Conversation

Annie Carlozzi — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:31:34 +0000

April 1: Wyss Scholars Host Steve Bloch for Student Conversation Annie Carlozzi Tue, 03/17/2026 - 11:31

Obie Johnson ('26) and Andrea Shipton ('26), current Wyss Scholars, will moderate a discussion with Steve Bloch regarding his experience in land conservation law and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). Bloch's visit to Colorado Law is thanks to the Wyss Foundation Scholars Program which supports the graduate-level education of emerging leaders in U.S. land conservation by providing scholarships, mentorship, and community.

Wed, April 1 12-12:50pm
Wolf Law Building Room 204
Lunch will be provided!

Steve Bloch
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Stephen Bloch is an attorney and legal director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). SUWA is Utah’s largest conservation organization. Formed in 1983, its mission is the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans. Steve received his law degree from the S.J Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and has worked at SUWA since 1999. In 2011, he was the Utah State Bar Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law (ENREL) Section’s Lawyer of the Year and he served as ENREL Section Chair in 2019-2020. Steve currently serves on the Salt Lake City Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry & Trails Advisory Board. He and his family live in Salt Lake City.

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2026/2027 Course Overview: Natural Resources, Environmental, and American Indian Law Programs

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:12:22 +0000

2026/2027 Course Overview: Natural Resources, Environmental, and American Indian Law Programs Annie Carlozzi Mon, 03/09/2026 - 09:12

Join us to hear faculty describe the courses they plan to offer next year in the natural resources, environmental and American Indian law programs.

Professors attending include, but are not limited to:
Mark Squillace, Sarah Krakoff, Michael Pappas, Kristen Carpenter, Sarah Matsumoto, Chris Winter and Nadav Orian Peer.

Here is the link to the recording: https://colorado-law.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=2228ed10-59df-45b2-9f12-b40b0114df8a

Additional information on the American Indian Law Certificate and the Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resources Law and Policy Certificate can be found here: /law/academics/degrees/dual-degrees-and-certifications#certificate-programs

Additional information on each of the clinics: /law/academics/clinical-education-program

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GWC Scholarships and Fellowships Lunch and Learn

Annie Carlozzi — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 18:07:14 +0000

GWC Scholarships and Fellowships Lunch and Learn Annie Carlozzi Sat, 10/25/2025 - 12:07

Join us for lunch, learn about GWC Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities!

Monday, November 10
12-12:45pm
Room 206

Current Getches-Wilkinson Center Scholars and Fellows will share information on the various funding opportunities available through GWC. This will include instructions on how to apply for a Summer 2026 or Academic Year 26/27 Scholarship or Fellowship in Natural Resources, Public Lands and Water Law.

Opportunities highlighted:

The Wyss Scholars Program for U.S. Lands Conservation

The Harrison Fellowship in International Water Law

The Charles N. Woodruff Memorial Scholarship

Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellowship

Post-Grad Water Law Fellowship

Free lunch! Registration not required.

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2025 Martz Symposium on Public Lands

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 17:27:20 +0000

2025 Martz Symposium on Public Lands Annie Carlozzi Thu, 10/23/2025 - 11:27

The Getches-Wilkinson Center will be convening the 2025 Martz Symposium on Public Lands: "Public Lands in Public Hands – Reflections on 50 Years of Retention Policy" on Thurs, Oct 23rd and Fri, Oct 24th at the Wolf Law Building in �鶹ӰԺ, CO.

Public Lands in Public Hands: Reflections on 50 Years of Retention Policy

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act marked a new chapter in the history of public lands in the United States. In that 1976 law, Congress declared a national policy that public lands be retained in federal ownership and control for the benefit of the American people. Over the last 50 years, that retention policy has led to far reaching consequences for people and places across the country. Today, public lands provide critical support for economic, environmental, social, and cultural values, contributing to the vitality of both urban and rural communities. Yet, the nation still struggles with the effects of dispossession and forced removal of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, most of which remain in the hands of the Federal government. Retention of public lands also presents certain challenges to states, localities, and private property owners.

Despite 50 years of retention policy and widespread public support for keeping public lands in public hands, the future of public lands remains uncertain. Some want the federal government to sell off federal public lands or give them to the States. Others are keen to defend and celebrate the retention policy and their love of public lands.

The legal landscape has also changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Public land planning has proved to be a mixed bag, but it engages the public on the critical issues facing public land planners, including resource development, grazing policy, land conservation, endangered species conservation, and the protection of cultural resources, among many other things. Modernizing the decision-making process has also taken center stage, with debates about strategies for making faster and smarter decisions. Adaptive management has also entered the public lands lexicon, although it sometimes seems more aspirational than real.

This year’s Martz Symposium takes a deep dive into the past, present, and future of our national policy of keeping public lands in public hands. The symposium will convene experts in public lands law and policy, advocates from across the political and policy spectrum, including Tribal leaders, experts on public opinion, and many other respected voices. Our goal will be to stimulate new thinking and fresh ideas, and to inspire a new generation of public lands leaders to build on the legacy from the past 50 years. Please join us for what promises to be an outstanding opportunity to engage with old and new friends and colleagues on one of the most important issues facing the American West.

Agenda

Thursday, October 23, 2025

8:00-8:45am	Breakfast and Networking
8:45-9:00am	Welcome and Opening Remarks Chris Winter, Executive Director, Getches-Wilkinson Center
9:00-9:30am	Who Will Speak for the Public Lands and What Will They Say Prof. Sarah Krakoff, University of Colorado Law School
9:30-10:30am	Public Opinion on Public Lands – A Deep Dive into the Conservation in the West Poll Kathryn Hahne, New Bridge Strategy
10:30-11:00am	BREAK
11:00am-12:15pm	The Affordable Housing Question Moderator: Prof. Bret Birdsong, UNLV Law School Arthur Gailes, American Enterprise Institute Dan Gibbs, Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Former Summit County Commissioner Rudy Soto, Native American Indian Housing Counsel Eric Novak, Praxis Consulting Group LLC
12:15-1:15pm	LUNCH
1:15-2:15pm	Debating The Constitutional Foundation Moderator: Chris Winter, GWC Prof. John Leshy, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Law San Francisco, Former Solicitor of the Department of the the Interior Ethan Blevins, Pacific Legal Foundation
2:15-2:45pm	BREAK
2:45-4:00pm	The Land Back Movement and Public Lands Moderator: Prof. Vanessa Racehorse, University of Colorado Law School Gussie Lord, Earthjustice Prof. Kekek Stark, Davis-Johnston Associate Professor of Law, University of Montana School of Law Prof. Rebecca Tsosie, University of Arizona Law School
4:00-5:30pm	Conference Reception

Friday, October 24, 2025

8:00-9:00am	Breakfast and Networking
9:00-9:15am	Welcome and Opening Remarks Chris Winter, GWC
9:15-10:30am	Agency Funding and Staffing – Who Will Manage the Public Lands Moderator: Matt Lee-Ashley, Foreground Strategies, Former Chief of Staff, Council on Environmental Quality Dr. Mamie Parker, Former Head of Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Tim Whitehouse, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Scott Fitzwilliams, Former Supervisor of the White River National Forest
10:30-11:00am	BREAK
11:00am-12pm	Fireside Chat with Secretary David Bernhardt, former Secretary of the Department of the Interior
12-1:00pm	LUNCH
1:00-2:15pm	The Great Balancing Act - Evolving Issues in Multiple Use Management Moderator: Alison Flint, The Wilderness Society Louis Geltman, VP for Policy and Government Relations, Outdoor Alliance Natalie Landreth, Partner, Nashoba Consulting LLC and Co-Executive Director, Tribal Public Lands Alliance Katie Schroder, Partner, Davis Graham & Stubbs Prof. Mark Squillace, University of Colorado Law School

Read Speaker Bios Here

Download Agenda Here

Recordings of Symposium Panels

Registration Rates
General (In person) $250
Remote Access Only $100
CU Faculty/Staff/Student (In person or Zoom) Free
*Buff OneCard number may be requested for validation of current �鶹ӰԺ faculty/staff/student status.
Colorado Law Alumni Only Reception Thurs, Oct 23 $15
*This is only available to Colorado Law alumni to attend the Martz Symposium Reception on Thurs, Oct 23rd. This does not grant access to the conference.

9.0 General Colorado CLE credits awarded for Martz Symposium.

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Ruth Wright Distinguished Lecture in Natural Resources with John Leshy

Annie Carlozzi — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:27:37 +0000

Ruth Wright Distinguished Lecture in Natural Resources with John Leshy Annie Carlozzi Wed, 10/22/2025 - 10:27

The Getches-Wilkinson Center is pleased to present the 2025 Ruth Wright Distinguished Lecture in Natural Resources with John Leshy on Wed, Oct 22nd at the Wolf Law Building in �鶹ӰԺ, CO.

On Shaky Ground: America’s Public Lands Face an Uncertain Future

Laying groundwork for the Martz Symposium, Leshy will discuss current challenges to America’s public lands, starting with a proposal to include, in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that President Trump signed into law in early July, a mandate to sell off millions of acres. While that proposal failed after triggering widespread opposition from western Republicans, among many others, the OBBBA did contain several sweeping---if little-noticed---mandates aimed at industrializing many millions of acres of public lands. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has taken aggressive steps, principally through deep personnel and budget cuts, to hollow out the four major federal land management agencies, apparently to persuade Americans that the federal government simply cannot manage these lands and thus make a case for transferring them to states and private interests.

The lecture will then address whether all this could fundamentally alter the objective of conserving large areas of land in national ownership, open to all, and managing them primarily for conservation, preservation, inspiration and recreation. That has been a primary objective of public land policy ever since the 1890s. It was then that---partly in reaction to the corruption and plunder by robber barons that marked the so-called Gilded Age---a movement flowered to conserve large areas of land in national ownership, leading to the public lands we see today. Now we are in a new Gilded Age, with the rich amassing unimaginable wealth while many ordinary Americans are stagnating. Leshy will conclude by discussing whether some rethinking of public land policy is in order, as calls grow for using these lands for, among other things, extracting critical minerals, upgrading the electrical grid, and siting renewable energy facilities, as support grows for streamlining governmental decision-making processes, as climate change exacerbates wildfires and droughts, and as recreational visits mushroom.

Wednesday, October 22nd

12-12:50pm Student Lunch with John Leshy in Room 206 - no registration required

6:00-7:30: Lecture: Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom
7:30-8:30pm - Reception for all registered attendees

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend and/or receive the livestream link.
In person and Virtual (Zoom) attendance available.
There will be a reception following the lecture. Details will be sent to registered participants prior to the event.

1.0 General Colorado CLE credit awarded for this event.

Recording of Ruth Wright Lecture

John Leshy

John Leshy is Professor Emeritus at the University of California College of the Law in San Francisco. His political history of America’s public lands, Our Common Ground, was published in 2022 by Yale University Press. Leshy was Solicitor (General Counsel) of the Interior Department throughout the Clinton Administration, and earlier served as special counsel to the Chair of the Natural Resources Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, a law professor at Arizona State University, Associate Solicitor of Interior for Energy and Resources in the Carter Administration, an attorney-advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and a litigator in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. He headed the Interior Department transition team for Clinton-Gore in 1992 and was co-lead for Obama-Biden in 2008. He’s four times been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, from which he graduated in 1969, after earning an A.B. at Harvard College. His many publications include a book on the Mining Law of 1872 and co-authoring casebooks on public land and resources law (now in its 8th edition) and water law (now in its 7^th edition).

The Ruth Wright Distinguished Lecture in Natural Resources

In 2018, the GWC received a generous gift from the Wright Family Foundation to establish the Ruth Wright Distinguished Lecture in Natural Resources in honor of her inspiring legacy as a leader in western natural resources, land conservation, and environmental policy and advocacy. With this support, we look forward to bringing this free event to our community for years to come.

As a legislator, environmentalist, and historian, Ruth Wright dedicated her career to environmental issues and activism. While a student at Colorado Law, she led efforts to preserve �鶹ӰԺ’s open space and limit the height of buildings in �鶹ӰԺ to 55 feet to protect enjoyment of the unique landscape for the ages. In 1980, she was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives, where she represented �鶹ӰԺ until 1994. She was also the second woman ever to become the House minority leader, a role she held from 1986 until 1992. While serving in the House of Representatives, Wright continued to be a strategic champion for the environment, and has been recognized by such groups as the Colorado Wildlife Foundation, the ACLU, the Sierra Club, and Colorado Open Lands.

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