June 01, 2009

Jeff Maslow

BLM Action Center, The Wilderness Society, Denver, CO
2009

BLM Action Center, The Wilderness Society, Denver, CO

With the support of PILP, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a summer legal intern for the BLM Action Center at the Wilderness Society in Denver, Colorado. The Wilderness Society’s BLM Action Center focuses on tracking federal public land management decisions across the vast acreage of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and serves the public interest in advocating for greater protection of wilderness values.

 I chose the BLM Action Center for the opportunity to apply my background in Western natural resource policy toward meeting environmental goals in issues confronting our public lands. Working with the talented attorneys and policy experts at the BLM Action Center enabled me to gain practical insight into the challenging array of legal issues on public lands stemming from climate change and ever-increasing demands for recreation, energy, and water.

My work primarily involved legal research to support development of well-planned renewable energy development and transmission that can facilitate clean energy goals without compromising sensitive lands and wildlife. My exposure to litigation and advocacy for ecologically sound natural resource policies helped me familiarize with the major environmental statutes that govern BLM, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Federal Land Management and Policy Act (FLPMA), which continues to serve as a valuable asset in pursuing the environmental curriculum at Lewis & Clark.

 I owe many thanks to PILP and its dedicated members, volunteers, and contributors, for helping make my summer work experience at the BLM Action Center inspire me to pursue a career path where I can work with public interest dimensions of environmental and natural resource law.