Natural Resources & Environmental Law
Natural Resources Journal
The need for interdisciplinary collaboration in solving resource related problems was a formative principle in the creation of the Natural Resources Journal. The NRJ is an internationally recognized quarterly devoted to the examination of resource issues. It is multidisciplinary and policy-oriented. For forty-five years, the Journal has been guided by the principle set out in its first volume:
"The isolation of scholars in various fields concerned with resources problems continues to be a principal impediment to progress....[R]esources problems are so complex that traditional lines of approach prove inadequate.... Rarely do we find the work of the lawyer and the non-lawyer appearing side by side.... The primary function of this (new) journal is to meet this need...."
NRJ contributors come from various disciplines, represent many countries, and provide many approaches to the complex issues raised by the need to balance resource development and environmental concerns. Recent issues of the journal have been devoted to electric bypass issues, oil and gas issues, western water issues, wilderness issues, and migratory species issues.
In the recognition of the complex nature of natural resources issues, the internationally acclaimed Natural Resources Journal was established in 1961 to serve as a forum for interdisciplinary discussion of current problems in the field. Students compete for positions on the editorial board of this quarterly publication that examines all aspects of resource issues. They proofread and edit articles written by the experts in timely subject areas. Recent issues have addressed oil and gas leasing, fire in the national forests, transferable development rights, grazing, and transboundary water problems. Recently Stephen Pyne, a leading writer on fire in the west, wrote about fire in the national forests and John Leshy, solicitor for the department of interior in the Clinton administration, wrote an essay on mining law reform and the mining law of 1972. The NRJ was the first to discuss options on how to preserve the Colorado River Delta’s ecosystems; some of the options subsequently were put into place.
"More than any other law school experience, editing Natural Resources Journal articles helped me improve and refine my own writing abilities. Being on the Journal gave me invaluable opportunities to develop my skills and network with professionals working on the laws, policies and economics affecting natural resource concerns. I can't recommend the NRJ experience highly enough."
