ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 620

Natural Resource Politics and Planning 

Fall 1998

COURSE TITLE: Natural Resource Planning and Politics

TIME & PLACE: TTh 2:00-3:50 p.m. Grant Hall 313

INSTRUCTOR: Gregory G. Brown

OFFICE: 317 Grant Hall

PHONE: 564-8267

EMAIL: gregb@alaskapacific.edu

OFFICE HOURS: TBA

A. Prerequisite:

Graduate standing.

 B. Course Precepts:

Natural resource planning and politics involves that set the human activities intended to either protect, conserve, or exploit natural resources. Planning is the process of specifying desired outcomes and determining the sequence of actions necessary to achieve those outcomes. Politics is process of acquiring and distributing power and influence. The planning for natural resources is inherently a political process because it can make a difference—something is changed that would not have otherwise changed. The allocation and management of natural resources emerges from a political process: from agreements, from consensus building, and from conflict resolution. The course will examine both the technical aspects of natural resource planning, and the more artful exercise of influencing the allocation and distribution of natural resources.

C. Objectives:

1. To evaluate public agencies' planning processes and their wildlife habitat models, linear programming, input-output and benefit-cost analyses to demonstrate how environmental values can better be integrated into current planning, decision-making, and management. (Loomis text)

D. Required Textbooks:

 Integrated Public Lands Management: Principles and Applications to National Forests, Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and BLM Lands. John Loomis. Columbia University Press. 1993.

 Extreme Conditions: Big Oil and the Transformation of Alaska. John Stroymeyer. Simon and Schuster. 1993.

 Readings/Books Placed on Reserve or Handed Out

 High Country News (Student Subscription, $7).

E. Grading

  Students will learn about natural resource planning and politics through reading, writing, class discussion, and a class project. Grades will reflect student efforts in the following areas: 1) reading assigned materials, 2) attending class, 3) class discussion, 4) completing a class project,

5) completing a plan critique, and 6) comprehension of planning and political concepts (exams). Specifically, grade allocation will be based on the following:

20% Attendance and Classroom participation

(more than 2 unexcused absences will result in a drop in grade)

Readings will be assigned each week. Students should come prepared to discuss the reading assignments in class. Written assignments are expected to be of professional quality. Grading will be based on both presentation and content.

Schedule of Topics and Readings (Revision 9/30/98)

Oct 1 1^st Week: Introduction

Oct 6,8 2^nd Week: Laws and Agencies

  Loomis, Chapters 1 and 2

Oct 13,15 3^rd Week: Decision Techniques for Public Lands

  Loomis, Chapters 3 and 4

Strohmeyer, Chapter 2,3

Oct 20,22 4^th Week: Models and Economic Efficiency

  Loomis, Chapters 5 and 6

Strohmeyer, Chapter 4,5

 Oct 27,29 5^th Week: Regional Economic Analysis & Multiple-Use Management

Loomis, Chapters 7 and 8

Strohmeyer, Chapter 6,7

 Nov 3,5 6^th Week: Planning in National Forest Management

  Loomis, Chapter 9

Strohmeyer, Chapters 8,9

Readings on Reserve

 Nov 10,12 7^th Week: Planning in the BLM

  Loomis, Chapters 10,11

Strohmeyer, Chapter 10,11

Nov 17,19 8^th Week: Planning in Fish and Wildlife Service and

National Park Service

  Loomis Chapters 12,13

Strohmeyer, Chapters 12,13

 Nov 24,26 9^th Week: Planning for Ecosystem Management

  Loomis Chapters 14

Strohmeyer, Chapters 14,15

Dec 1,3 10^th Week: Special Topics

  Strohmeyer, Chapters 16,17

Readings

 Dec 8,10 11^th Week: Special Topics

  Strohmeyer, Chapters 18,19

Readings

 Dec 15,17 12^th Week: Special Topics

Readings

Final Exam