Environmental Law Symposium Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Landmark Decision

Updated October 30, 2019

Lewis & Clark Law School’s Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law program and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission hosted a day-long symposium on October 18, 2019, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Judge Robert Belloni’s historic opinion in U.S. v. Oregon.

The event coincided with a celebration of 50 years of the environmental law program at Lewis & Clark. It is the first of many engaging events.

The US vs. Oregon symposium featured discussions on the implications of the landmark decision that recognized the tribes’ rights to “participate meaningfully” in fishery management and recognized the importance of tribal sovereign control over their natural resources. The decision’s effect on the health of the salmon runs, the negotiation and renegotiation of international treaties, and the formation of CRITFC are among the topics that the conference will address.

Speakers for the symposium included:

-Davis Washines, Yakama Nation; Ron Suppah Sr., Simnasho District, Warm Springs will give the invocation.

-Professor Charles Wilkinson, University of Colorado

-Professor Michael Blumm, Lewis & Clark Law School

-Laurie Jordan, Policy Analyst, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

Rob Lothrop Policy Development and Litigation Support Department,Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

-Howard Arnett, Karnopp Petersen, LLP

-Jaime Pinkham, Executive Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

-John Sledd or Jane Steadman (invited)

-Jeff Litwak, Legal Counsel, Columbia River Gorge Commission

-Brent Hall, Tribal Attorney (Fisheries & Litigation), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

-Professor Monte Mills, University of Montana, School of Law

-Professor Nigel Bankes, University of Calgary, Faculty of Law

-Professor Barbara Cosens, University of Idaho, College of Law

-Coby Howell, Senior Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice

-John Ogan, Tribal Attorney, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation

-Michael Grossmann, Senior Counsel, State of Washington, Office of the Attorney General

-Sammy Matsaw, PhD candidate, Water Resources IGERT Fellow, University of Idaho

 The symposium schedule and further information can be found here.