Summer Session

Wildlife Crimes 954-S1 Canceled

This course will introduce students to the domestic statutes and international treaties that regulate and/or prohibit unlawful wildlife taking and trafficking, with emphasis on the enforcement schemes and methods used to address these crimes. The course will be divided into three general parts: State, Federal and International.  At each level, the most common types of wildlife crimes will be discussed within a context of the laws and treaties that apply to the conduct in question. During the Federal and International units, close attention will be paid to current issues in the application of federal wildlife law, including McKittrick Policy implications for Endangered Species Act prosecutions, the application of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to non-poaching takings (e.g. by government and industry) and recent amendments to the Lacey Act aimed at addressing the burgeoning illegal international timber trade.  The course will also include an examination of the CITES treaty, including enforcement mechanisms and implementing legislation.  Interspersed throughout the course will be case studies of particular current wildlife trade issues, including the elephant ivory downlisting, and tiger conservation.  Time permitting, enforcement methods used to address the trade will also be discussed (Interpol, extradition, MLAT, and post-Booker Sentencing Guidelines application, for example).