Case in Point: Staying Current
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Current Issues in Natural Resource Policy (NR 571) is a course that attracts students from diverse backgrounds, including engineering, public administration, landscape architecture, policy, ecosystem assessment, spatial analysis, and coastal systems. This capstone course in natural resource policy analysis strives to teach critical thinking through the lens of contemporary challenges in natural resource management. Students learn analytical tools and apply them through written assignments, small-group work, and collaborative team presentations.
Cases studied this semester include a variety of national, regional and local conservation, and environmental issues. For instance, national level case studies have included Endangered Species Act reform, the US Forest Service roadless rule changes, the new US Forest Service planning regulations, and the plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. A local case study of water quality degradation in Raleigh’s premier drinking water source was also addressed, as was a state-level issue that includes locating a military landing field near the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. By engaging students in on-going contemporary issues, they begin to appreciate the complexities of the multiple interests involved and the ambiguities associated in dealing with real people, facing real problems.
The ability to see problems at the national, regional and local levels provides students with the opportunity to identify how nested structures of governance intersect, conflict, and provide inconsistent direction for natural resource issues. Appreciating these considerable complexities is the first step in developing more realistic expectations about what is possible in the realm of natural resource policy and management. By the end of the course, students come away with a deeper appreciation for what constitutes an actionable policy problem and how they can utilize their own specific set of skills to realize better solutions that serve the common interest of society at large.
