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See also: "Not in my backyard" Case Study
** This syllabus is a dynamic, changing document! Due to the nature of the course, I'm using an "adaptive management" approach; please be flexible and accepting of change. I'll make announcements in class, but it's your responsibility to check Blackboard often.
By the end of this course, you will be able to identify the major personalities involved in creating the National Forest System, National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and Wilderness Areas. In addition, you will be able to describe the major legislative acts creating these areas. Although our focus is on contemporary issues, we will place these in a historical context.
This course will be an exchange of ideas, using a variety of techniques that emphasize active learning and participation. Active participation involves speaking out, sharing ideas, asking questions, summarizing, and listening to other viewpoints in a professional manner. There is a fair amount of group participation in the course. You are expected to attend each class session, and have the readings and assignments done prior to coming to class. If you are unable to attend, you are still responsible for the assignments due that day. I expect everyone to have access to the Internet, and this course is managed through Blackboard.
Participation is important for the following reasons. First, it helps you synthesize and engage more actively with the course material. Second, public speaking skills are becoming more important in all careers, and participation gives you a chance to develop communications and speaking skills in a comfortable atmosphere. Third, the students in this class have diverse backgrounds and experiences; sharing individual perspectives and insights will help us all learn more and appreciate different angles.
There will be two papers, one midterm, and one final project. I'll hand out specific instructions and guidelines will be handed out before each writing assignment.
In lieu of a final exam for the class, there will be a final project, which is a combination of two things: a written report and an oral presentation to the class. There will be adequate class time and mini-assignments along the way to keep you on track. In essence, you will be creating a portfolio.Assignments |
Points |
Paper #1 – TBA |
25 |
Midterm |
50 |
Paper #2 – case study |
50 |
Final project (group)* |
75 |
Total |
200 |
*Written report (30) |
A |
>95.0% |
190 |
A- |
>92.5% |
185 |
B+ |
>87.5% |
175 |
B |
>82.5% |
165 |
B- |
>80.0% |
160 |
C+ |
>77.5% |
155 |
C |
>72.5% |
145 |
D |
>67.0% |
134 |
F |
<66.0% |
132 |
There is no "curve" for this course; I grade on a flat scale, as indicated above. |
||
Week 1:
Introduction to course and each other; foundations of policy in the United States; sources of land acquisition in the United States. Disposition of lands in the United States - distributing resources to various sources; i.e. homesteading, grants to railroads, etc.
Discuss annotated bibliography assignment.
Reader – Gates Ch.5 "Acquisition of the Public Domain" p.3-27
Reader – Gates Ch.14 "Land Grants for Railroads & Internal Improvements"
p.341-386
Reader – Peffer Ch.8 "Homesteading the Arid West" p. 134-168
Week 2:
Continuation of history of public land policy and contemporary issues
Burton – Skim Chs. 1-3, but read carefully pp. 58-62, the subsection titled "East Meets West in the American Conservation Movement"
Wilkinson – Ch.1 "The Lords of Yesterday" p. 75-86 (in binder)
Week 3:
Management of public lands
Reader – Peffer Ch.6 "The Conservation Movement" p. 99-108
Reader – Hays Ch.3 "Woodman, Spare that Tree" p.27-48
Reader – Davis Ch.3 "The Federal Four" p. 35-54
Burton – Chs. 4-5
DVD: The Greatest Good. The U.S. Forest Service's origins, changes, administrative framework, and major contemporary issues.
Wilkinson – Ch.4 "Forests for the Home-Builder First of All" p.114-174 (in binder)
Reader – Peffer Ch.3 "The Expanding Program" p.63-71
Additional readings TBA
DUE: Paper #1, topic TBA
Week 4:
Bureau of Land Management - origins in the General Land Office, changes in responsibilities, major contemporary issues (recreation, mining, etc.)
Wilkinson – Ch. 2 "The Miner's Law" p. 28-74 (in binder)
Wilkinson – Ch. 3 "The Rancher's Code" p.75-113 (in binder)
National Park Service - nature-based tourism, major contemporary issues (snowmobiles, crowding, pollution, etc.)
Burton – Chs. 6-7
Assign and meet with groups
Week 5: EXAM (first 75 minutes)
Indian Lands - history of trust relationship with federal government, Treaties, rights. Sesquicentennial of the 1855 Treaties.
Reader – Limerick Ch.6 "The Persistence of Natives" p. 179-221
Reader – Prucha Ch.4 "The policy of Indian Removal" p. 64-77
Additional readings TBA
Wildlife Refuges and Endangered Species policy - long and complicated history
Burton – Ch. 8
Week 6:
Preservation issues in the U.S. - archaeological resources, rivers, and wilderness areas. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Reader –Coggins, Wilkinson, and Leshy Ch. 12 "Reservation of Archaeological and Historical Artifacts and First Amendment Issues" p. 1032-1053
Reader – Law Book D. River Preservation
Burton – Chs. 9-10
Reader – Leopold "Land Ethic"
Additional readings TBA
GROUP WORK
Week 7:
Wilderness discussion, more on the Arctic
Selected readings from http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/ANWR
Reader – Coggins, Wilkinson, and Leshy. Ch.12 "Wilderness Preservation" p.1104-1162
Burton – Chs. 11-12
Other readings TBA
DUE: Case study
Week 8 :
Free day to prepare for presentation.
Week 9: Catching up, course review, evaluations, and additional time to prepare for presentations.
Week 10:
Group presentations
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