270.41 sec. 001 - Fire Science, Law, and Policy (Fall 2021)
Instructor: John Battles
Instructor: Eric Biber (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
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Units: 3
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
TuTh 3:35 PM - 5:05 PM
Location: Law 134
From August 26, 2021
To November 23, 2021
Course End: November 23, 2021
Class Number: 31987
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 8
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 12
As of: 01/25 05:06 PM

Fire is part of California’s history, present, and future. Fire was an integral part of California landscapes and ecosystems up until the early twentieth century, but has been largely absent for over a century, primarily because of human development and suppression of fires. Fires have now returned to California, causing social and economic disruption, creating severe air pollution problems, and threatening lives and property.
This course will examine the law, science, and policy in California and the broader Western United States. It will provide a basic overview of the key scientific research on fire behavior, fire history, the impacts of fire on ecosystems and air quality, and the interaction of climate change with fire. It will provide an overview of the legal and policy structure that shapes how California responds to fire - including management of public and private forest lands, exurban development across the landscape, air quality laws, liability for the use of fire on lands, and the use of fire by Native communities.
The course will be a shared seating course with the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Law students will engage with graduate students from that department, as well as guest lecturers who will bring a range of perspectives and training to the problem of fire in California. Students will prepare a research paper as their final assessment in the class.
Attendance at the first two weeks of class sessions is mandatory for all currently enrolled and waitlisted students; any currently enrolled or waitlisted students who are not present during the first two weeks of class (without prior permission of the instructor) may be dropped without notice. The instructor can continue to take attendance throughout the add/drop period and anyone who moves off the waitlist into the class must continue to attend or have prior permission of the instructor in order not to risk being dropped without notice.
Requirements Satisfaction:
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Exam Notes: (P) Final paper
Course Category: Environmental and Energy Law
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Public Law and Policy
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