About Us

• NRULPC Brochure (PDF 1.36 MB)
• Introducing the NRULPC and Clinic (Rangelands Partnership Annual Meeting, 3-30-20; Tucson, AZ) (Zoom recording)

Mission
The Natural Resource Users Law and Policy Center is a unique partnership between the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cooperative Extension, and College of Law that strives to address the underrepresented law and policy needs of the natural resource community in Arizona and the West.The Center promotes innovative approaches to working with stakeholders and in creating the next generation of natural resource professionals, lawyers, agency heads, politicians, judges, etc.– those who will be making natural resources policy and legal decisions in the coming years – by creating an environment where students learn in real time by actively working on the needs of natural resource users and the community.

BENEFITING THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMUNITY BY

• Exposing students to complex natural resource law and policy matters in real time with a hands-on approach to learning – learning by doing.
• Building partnerships amongst natural resource users and with the larger community.
• Incorporating natural resource experts into classroom exercises promoting active learning and leadership on timely and relevant topics.
• Offering a public interest law clinic staffed by law students, with assistance from CALS, on matters involving the regulation and use of natural resources.
• Using the science-based knowledge of CALS students with the legal skills of law students to better serve the natural resource community.
• Sharing the history, customs, and culture of the West by teaching traditions deeply rooted in natural resource reliance, while focusing on modern solutions.
• Creating a unique approach to law and policy development by integrating STEM with law and policy.

• Increasing the law and policy analysis capacity of Cooperative Extension to serve natural resource users.

History
The Natural Resource Users Law and Policy Center is the result of a grassroots effort by a cross section of visionaries from the Arizona natural resource community to help address legal matters, problem-solving, and policy development from a proactive perspective as opposed to a reactive perspective.  Executive Directors, George Ruyle (CALS Cooperative Extension) and John Lacy (College of Law), ensure that both colleges have an active role in the development of a center that is “fit for purpose” for the natural resource community.