Knight Law Center to hold wildfire symposium
The University’s Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation will host its annual symposium, which will give a comprehensive overview and history of wildfire issues across the West.
The symposium, which is open to the public and free of charge, will take place today in room 110 of the Knight Law Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Besides providing a public forum to exchange information and strategies, the symposium’s purpose has been to educate participants on international, national and regional environmental issues.
“We have three very different speakers covering a broad range of issues related to current states of wildfire policy,” said Dominic Campanella, editor in chief of the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation.
Keynote speakers will include Marc Fink, a staff attorney of the Western Environmental Law Center; Andy Stahl, executive director of the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics; and Scott Horngren, an attorney who has represented timber companies in post-fire timber sale cases.
Campanella said symposium coordinators put out advertisements for the event in local publications to spark an interest in the community. Although the designated location accommodates more than 100 attendees, he said he has heard enough buzz between the environmental studies department and the law school to have confidence in today’s attendance.
“I think we’ll have a pretty solid turnout,” he said.

— Caron Alarab
 

Fall-term law school flood causes $10,000 in damage
Flooding that occurred in the Knight Law Center the weekend before fall term finals caused more than $10,000 in damage, Law School Assistant Dean of Finance and Operations Jamie Moffitt said.
The carpet in the Wayne Morse Commons area and some of the wood underneath were destroyed, and some water may have damaged nearby hallways.
“It was custom carpet, so it was definitely on the more expensive side,” she said.
The commons reopened this term; however, the carpet has not yet been
replaced, and Moffitt said it could take eight to 10 weeks to replace because it was custom made to match the area.
She said the flooding was a minor inconvenience to students, but the area is a place students like to congregate.
“Luckily we don’t tend to do too many events in that area,” she said.
Moffitt said this was “surprisingly” the first time this area has flooded, and that excessive rainfall led to clogged drains in the parking lot outside the area and caused the flooding.
“The water built up in the parking lot and got to a point where it overflowed,” she said, adding that falling leaves probably caused the drains to clog more than usual.
About a week after the flooding, more heavy rains nearly caused the area to flood again. But Moffitt said students in the building saw the water building up and called the Department of Public Safety in time to prevent further damage.
She said new drains for the courtyard outside the area are being considered to prevent future flooding.

— Chelsea Duncan