This seminar covers the principal laws and legal doctrines that govern the management of federal land. It begins with a history of federal land policy, exploring how and why the U.S. government came to own such a large body of lands. The course then focuses on constitutional issues including the relationship between the executive and the legislative branches; judicial review questions; generic laws that govern most federal lands decisions (such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act); the federal land planning process; and laws and policies that govern management of national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation and conservation areas, wild and scenic rivers, and wilderness. Considerable attention will be given to contemporary policy disputes over such lands and resources. Credit/no credit option available. The paper written for this seminar may be used to satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement. R: (Recommended Prior) Environmental Law