In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Temple Stoellinger, an associate professor at the University of Wyoming, about state trust lands, which are public lands that states own and must use to raise revenue for public schools and other public beneficiaries. Stoellinger discusses how state trust lands historically have been used; the existing and potential uses of these lands for conservation; the legal and policy barriers to conservation efforts; and additional uses of these lands, including energy development and livestock grazing.

References and recommendations:

“Valuing conservation of state trust lands” by Temple Stoellinger; https://www.americanbar.org/groups/environment_energy_resources/publications/trends/2022-2023/march-april-2023/valuing-conservation/

“Opening the Range: Reforms to Allow Markets for Voluntary Conservation on Federal Grazing Lands” by Shawn Regan, Temple Stoellinger, and Jonathan Wood; https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol2023/iss1/4/

“Allow ‘nonuse rights’ to conserve natural resources” by Bryan Leonard, Shawn Regan, Christopher Costello, Suzi Kerr, Dominic P. Parker, Andrew J. Plantinga, James Salzman, V. Kerry Smith, and Temple Stoellinger; https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi4573

“Stolen” by Ann-Helén Laestadius; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Stolen/Ann-Helen-Laestadius/9781668007167

“Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter” by Ben Goldfarb; https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/eager-paperback/