Ag, water and environmental law experts convene at University of Nevada, Reno
National Ag Law Center presents 2nd Annual Western Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference
March 28, 2024
Fast facts:
- 2nd Annual Western Conference is June 13-14 at the University of Nevada, Reno
- The Honorable Judge Stephen Vaden joins as keynote
(558 words)
(Newsrooms: With art)
RENO, Nev. — Pressing issues face the American West regarding the future of agriculture and the management of land, water and other natural resources. The National Agricultural Law Center is convening the 2nd Annual Western Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference on June 13-14 on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, with a speaker lineup of experts geared to provide analysis and insights into some of these challenges and the laws and policy affecting them.
“The environmental and agricultural issues facing the American West are as unique as its geology, climate and culture,” said Harrison Pittman, the director of the National Agricultural Law Center, which is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Our lineup for this second conference will provide a deep dive into the challenges that have no peer in other parts of the country.”
Some of the topics on this year’s program include:
- Instream water rights and the future of irrigated agriculture
- The future of pesticides in Western states, including the latest legal developments and trends
- The 2024 Farm Bill, public lands and related federal issues
- Insights into tribal agricultural development
- State agriculture departments, and the regulation of agriculture and the environment
- Water quality in the West and updates on the Clean Water Act
The complete agenda is available online. In addition to speakers from the National Agricultural Law Center, other speakers include an impressive mix of practicing attorneys, staff from the U.S. Senate; staff from state departments of agriculture and attorney generals’ offices, and others. The keynote speaker is the Honorable Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden, of the U.S. Court of International Trade and former USDA general counsel, presenting “From Regulation to Adjudication: Perspectives on Agriculture & Trade.”
“The Honorable Judge Vaden is a tremendous presenter,” Pittman said. “His experience has given him a wealth of knowledge and perspective on agricultural issues. Conference attendees always enjoy hearing his legal perspective and insight.”
Brian Sandoval, University of Nevada, Reno president, said the conference focuses on many issues that faculty at the University are researching and working with Nevada producers and land managers to navigate, particularly in the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources.
"The topics being addressed at this conference are ones posing challenges to agriculture producers all over the West, issues our faculty are deeply focused on,” he said. “We’re pleased to have this unique blend of experts on campus to share their knowledge and insight into agriculture and environmental issues, and the legal aspects surrounding them.”
The conference will be submitted for approval for Continuing Legal Education — CLE units — in Oregon, California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. Continuing Education unit approval will also be sought from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Conference registration fees range from $300 to $500, with a discounted registration fee of $75 available for all students. Register online to attend in person or virtually.
For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit https://nationalaglawcenter.org/. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. Those requiring a reasonable accommodation to participate or needing materials in another format should contact dviguet@uark.edu as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay, a service at no cost that enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind, or those with a speech disability, to place and receive phone calls.
The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Nevada, Reno is a public research university that is committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University serves 21,000 students. The University is a comprehensive, doctoral university, classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Additionally, it has attained the prestigious “Carnegie Engaged” classification, reflecting its student and institutional impact on civic engagement and service, fostered by extensive community and statewide collaborations. More than $800 million in advanced labs, residence halls and facilities has been invested on campus since 2009. It is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Wolf Pack Athletics, maintains a statewide outreach mission and presence through programs such as the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Small Business Development Center, Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.
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Media Contacts:
Drew Viguet
Communications & Special Projects Coordinator
National Agricultural Law Center
dviguet@uark.edu
Claudene Wharton
Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources
University of Nevada, Reno / MS 0405
Reno, Nevada 89557-0404
775-784-7072
whartonc@unr.edu