Professor Adam Brown (about me)
Email: brown@byu.edu
Office phone: (801) 422-2182
Office: 772 KMBL
Current syllabus: https://adambrown.info/p/courses/2025/fall/325
Syllabus version: August 26th, 2025
Office hours: Th 10:30-11:30a or Fr 9-10a or email to set another time to meet in my office or over Zoom.
Our food, clothing, shelter, and all essentials of life come from the earth, and all our wastes go back into it. This simple truth forces every society to decide how to balance its activities against the earth's natural constraints. These decisions are often among the most difficult in modern politics. They can pit health, prosperity, beauty, and survival against each other.
For Latter-day Saints, these decisions are further complicated by a moral imperative. Though Latter-day Saint scripture proclaims that "the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare," this declaration is accompanied by a stern warning: God makes everyone individually "accountable as a steward over earthly blessings" in their management of God's "handiwork," and the greedy will "lift up his eyes in hell" (see DC 104:13-18).
Environmental politics has too broad a scope for a single course. Most environmental politics courses focus on the difficulty of managing pollution that drifts across jurisdictional boundaries, or of negotiating international solutions to climate change or extinction. By contrast, we will focus on America's public lands—that is, lands owned by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, or Fish and Wildlife Service. Like other western states, nearly two-thirds of Utah's area falls under these designations. These include many scenic gems but also vast stretches of seeming wasteland. Mining, grazing, preservation, logging, recreation, endangered species, hunting, drilling, scenic vistas, paleontology, and restoration clash. Competing state and federal agencies, each responding to different interests, wrestle for control.
In the first half of the course, we will discuss the general philosophies and political dynamics surrounding land and wilderness, as well as concepts relevant to environmental politics more generally. In the second half of the course, we will consider several illustrative policy disputes: Hard rock mining, dam construction and removal, endangered species recovery, and protection of national parks and wilderness areas. We will observe environmental conditions firsthand with several local field trips. The course culminates in an overnight trip to the Moab area that includes Arches National Park and other sites managed by various state and federal agencies.
My purpose is not to prod you toward agreeing with my stance on the difficult issues we will discuss. Rather, it is to train you in the history and nuance of these issues so that you can engage them fairly and productively, whatever your leanings. This course tends to draw people with strong views on both sides, making respectful dialog critical.
By the end of the course, you should be able to do the following:
I do not enforce any prerequisites, since this course serves diverse majors. However, the course is aimed at juniors and seniors, not freshmen and sophomores. In addition, you will not succeed without the following:
This course includes several field trips. Local trips held (mostly) within our regularly scheduled time, though we may start early or end late. We will also have an overnight excursion to the Moab area. Check the schedule below for details, recognizing that inclement weather or other circumstances may force changes.
The local field trips are lectures taught on location. Be prepared to take notes while standing, probably by hand. Bring pens, paper, and a hard writing surface such as a binder or clipboard. Learning will be assessed on exams, similar to other lectures.
The Moab trip will include less lecture relative to observation (though you should still be prepared to take notes). Instead, I will help you see firsthand how land management decisions have influenced conditions on the ground. Learning will be assessed via a brief paper after the trip, and perhaps also on the final exam.
You must have a C- or better at the time of the Moab trip to participate.
Field trips will involve walking on rough ground, ascending steep trails, and other potentially strenuous activity. Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Bring water (one gallon), a backpack, food, and sun protection as needed. My hope is that students at a variety of fitness levels can participate. If you can walk from the Marriott Center to the Kimball Tower and back at a typical student's pace, you will probably be fine. Please visit with me in advance if you have an injury, disability, limited mobility, or any other concern that may limit your participation or require reasonable accommodations.
We will use university-owned vans for all field trips. FHSS experiential learning funds generously cover all transportation and lodging costs, but you are responsible for your own food and other personal supplies. You will share a hotel room (but not a bed) with other students of the same sex. If you prefer to reserve your own room at your own expense, talk to me first to ensure you are within walking distance of our main hotel.
After the trip, you will complete the Moab response paper 
. An alternative assignment for those who miss the trip is included in those instructions. If you already know that you prefer the alternative assignment, talk to me promptly; the course's enrollment limit is linked to the number of seats we have in vans, so I can increase enrollment if I know you are not coming.
If you are a minor, talk to me about obtaining parental consent. Otherwise, your participation implies your acknowledgement and acceptance of the risks inherent in travel, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Visit with me if you have questions.
Mark your calendar for these field trips, and make arrangements to miss work or classes as needed:
Visit as many public lands near as possible before or during this semester. Always practice Leave No Trace principles:
Here are suggestions of nearby public lands suited to visitation. I have visited them all, so you are welcome to ask me first.
You're paying a lot for your education. To get the most from it, keep laptops, phones, and other devices put away unless directed. This is not merely a request but a class policy. (1) Taking notes by hand improves learning. Those who type write too much, creating a transcript with minimal cognitive engagement, but those who take handwritten notes cognitively process and prioritize information as they decide what to write (source). (2) Electronics are distracting and degrade social interactions even when left on the table (source 1, source 2).
On request, I will make exceptions to accommodate disabilities or if you are expecting an important call (such as a spouse going into labor). Otherwise, bring pen and paper.
| 8% | Quizzes and other small random things |
| 16% | Term paper (instructions ) |
| 10% | Moab response paper or alternative (instructions ) |
| 33% | Midterm |
| 33% | Final exam |
| 1% extra credit | Complete 44-minute van and vehicle driving training (even if you don't drive) |
Standard grade scale. 93 A, 90 A-, 87 B+, 83 B, 80 B-, 77 C+, 73 C, 70 C-, 67 D+, 63 D, 60 D-, otherwise E. If necessary, I may curve at the end of the semester by lowering some of these cutoffs. I do not typically curve scores on individual assignments.
Grade scale without term paper. You may choose to skip the term paper, but you will not be eligible for a grade above C+. I will calculate your course percentage without it in the denominator (by hand, not in Learning Suite). Grade scale: 77 or higher C+, 73 C, 70 C-, 67 D+, 63 D, 60 D-, otherwise E.
Attendance. I expect but do not track in-person attendance, but absences will make exams harder. If technology cooperates, I will stream lectures to accommodate illness, disability, emergency, and similar circumstances. To (occasionally) view the stream live, request the Zoom link at least half an hour before class. I will also make audio recordings of local field trips. If the technology fails, do like the old days: Get notes from a classmate, then visit me to fill in any gaps.
Keep your peers healthy. Do not spread illness. Stay home if you have symptoms of flu, covid, norovirus, or other contagious illness, such as vomiting, nausea, coughing, chills or fever, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, and pretty much anything else other than a minor runny nose. (If you vomit overnight, it is almost certainly not food poisoning but norovirus, often called "stomach flu," and it is very contagious.) Your peers may be vulnerable or immunocompromised. Even if it's just a bad cold, nobody wants that. Stay home when sick. Wash your hands often, even when healthy. Get your vaccines. Help us all stay healthy.
Missing local field trips: I cannot stream field trips but will attempt audio recordings. If you must miss a trip, please inform me in advance if possible so we don't delay our departure waiting for you.
Missing the Moab field trip: All should plan to attend, but do not feel pressure to attend if you wake up sick, experience an emergency, or have a disability or other condition that would significantly affect your experience. Contact me if possible so we don't delay our departure waiting for you. Unexplained or unexcused absences will cause you to forego the points associated with the Moab response paper. If excused, complete the alternative assignment in the Moab response paper instructions .
Late assignments: If you experience a family or medical emergency that causes you to submit an assignment late, contact me as soon as reasonable. Otherwise, up to one weekday late is a 10% penalty; two is a 20% penalty; three is a 30% penalty; later is unacceptable and will not be graded. Assignments submitted online are due at 11:59pm; papers submitted in class are due when class begins; papers submitted to the drop box are due at 4:45pm.
Missed exams: Arrange a makeup in advance if possible. If missed due to emergency or illness, contact me as soon as reasonable to work things out.
Final exam: Administered in the classroom. See details at the bottom of the course schedule.
In addition to daily short readings linked in the schedule below, you will read two books on your own. We will not discuss these books in class, but you will be accountable for them on exams. You can read these books before the semester begins if you wish. Use the study guide and take notes to review when the exam rolls around.
Timothy Egan, The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, 324 pages. Amazon.
Megan Kate Nelson, Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America. 195 pages. Amazon.
The BYU library has physical or electronic copies of required books. I have placed them on course reserve, meaning you may check them out for up to three hours. BYU library course reserve link: https://apps.lib.byu.edu/reserve/course/72945/
I can recommend many more great books if you are interested.
Sign up for two free daily newsletters: "The Morning" (New York Times) and "WSJ Politics and Policy" (Wall Street Journal). Both are free, but following links will lead to a paywall. BYU provides free NYT access. For the WSJ, consider a student subscription. The NYT and WSJ are the most widely read newspapers among national policymakers of both parties—particularly the NYT.—and anyone in a politics course should follow them.
Writing submitted for credit must consist of your own ideas presented in your own language. When appropriate, you may include ideas from others if clearly identified by appropriate introduction ("According to...") and citation. Direct language, including language generated by AI, must additionally appear in quotation marks. Take care while gathering material for your papers to track sources and to differentiate quotations you have jotted down from paraphrases you have written. Even unintentional plagiarism has consequences. Violations may result in a failing grade on an assignment or in the course. Serious violations may result in university action. Read more in the university catalog. A thesaurus does not eliminate plagiarism. Please review this short infographic about plagiarism by Emily Myers.
Using AI in writing. You may have employers who encourage use of AI tools to speed your writing. Writing serves a different purpose in a business than in a classroom, however. Businesses write to efficiently accomplish a task; students write to master new ways of thinking. Unless specified otherwise, you must do your own brainstorming, research, writing, and revising. Using AI for these purposes without specific authorization violates the definition of plagiarism given in the preceding paragraph and will therefore result in a failing grade and referral to the Honor Code Office.
Other uses of AI. Do not treat generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini as search engines or trust them to explain a difficult concept. AI tends to hallucinate (that is, make things up), especially when it moves from bland generalities to concrete details, but it writes so authoritatively that you may believe what it tells you. When I asked a well-known AI tool to answer a sample of questions from one of my exams, it did poorly. You will receive more reliable assistance if you come to office hours.
"We strive to create a community of belonging composed of students, faculty, and staff whose hearts are knit together in love. ... We value and embrace the variety of individual characteristics, life experiences and circumstances, perspectives, talents, and gifts of each member of the community and the richness and strength they bring to our community" (BYU Statement on Belonging). "The Lord expects us to teach that inclusion is a positive means toward unity and that exclusion leads to division" (Elder Gary Stevenson).
Many lifelong mental illnesses emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. If you experience frequent sadness, worry, fear, inability to focus, nightmares, forgetfulness, or mood changes; if you are withdrawing socially by avoiding friends and activities; if you experience significant changes in sleeping or eating habits; if you are abusing alcohol, medications, or other substances; or if you are thinking about hurting yourself, then please talk to somebody. Mental health concerns, crime, family problems, and stressful life events can affect students' academic performance and quality of life. BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS, 1500 WSC, 801-422-3035, caps.byu.edu) provides confidential counseling and stress management services for free to full-time students. For immediate concerns visit help.byu.edu.
President Nelson has taught, "The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God's children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! During the Savior's earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less?" He also taught, "Any abuse or prejudice towards another because of nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, educational degrees, culture or other significant identifiers is offensive to our maker."
Elder Ballard has taught, "I want anyone who is a member of the Church, who is gay or lesbian, to know I believe you have a place in the kingdom and recognize that sometimes it may be difficult for you to see where you fit in the Lord’s Church, but you do. We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing." He has also taught, "We need to ... eliminate any prejudice, including racism, sexism, and nationalism. ... [T]he blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are for every child of God."
People may feel vulnerable or marginalized at BYU due to their race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religious views, age, and so on. Join me in creating a compassionate learning environment where "all may be edified by all." Please visit with me if I may help you.
BYU is committed to providing a learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Examples include vision or hearing impairments, mobility limitations, chronic illnesses, emotional disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety), learning disorders, and attention disorders. If you have a disability that impairs your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC) to request a reasonable accommodation. The UAC can also assess students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. Going further: If you have a disability, please visit the UAC to request an accommodation letter, which will spare you from needing to explain yourself over and over to each of your instructors. The letter will not disclose your disability, and I will not ask, but it will recommend to your instructors appropriate accommodations. Even if you are still waiting on the UAC letter, please talk to me about appropriate accommodations.
In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, BYU prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The university also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, university employees, and visitors to campus. Dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are also prohibited forms of sexual misconduct. University policy requires all university employees in a teaching, managerial, or supervisory role to report all incidents of sexual misconduct that come to their attention in any way, including but not limited to face-to-face conversations, a written class assignment, class discussion, email, or social media post. (This means I am a mandatory reporter; if I learn you have been a victim or perpetrator of prohibited conduct, I must report it.) Incidents of sexual misconduct should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at t9coordinator@byu.edu, 801-422-8692, https://titleix.byu.edu/report or (24 hours) 1-888-238-1062. BYU offers confidential resources for those affected by sexual misconduct, including the university's Victim Advocate. Find further information at http://titleix.byu.edu.
Dates may change, of course; a syllabus is a plan, not a contract. You can also view the reading schedule in calendar format. Although my lectures may diverge considerably from the readings—more so for some topics than for others—be advised that anything from lecture or the readings is fair game for the exams.
| Fri, Sep 5th, 2025. Introduction. Environment, policy, and environmental policy. | |
| Readings |
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| FYI |
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| Fri, Sep 12th, 2025. Political thought about the environment. Part 1. | |
| Readings |
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| Wed, Sep 17th, 2025. | |
| DUE | Asst 1. See term paper instructions. Submit by 4:45pm to the 7th floor KMBL drop box. |
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| Fri, Sep 19th, 2025. Political thought about the environment. Part 2. | |
| Readings |
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| Fri, Sep 26th, 2025. Making environmental policy. Governmental institutions. | |
| Readings |
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| Wed, Oct 1st, 2025. | |
| DUE | Asst 2. See term paper instructions. Submit by 4:45pm to the 7th floor KMBL drop box. |
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| Fri, Oct 3rd, 2025. Making environmental policy. Interests and difficulties. | |
| Readings |
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| Fri, Oct 10th, 2025. Assembling the commons. Origin, history, and management of the public domain. The Bureau of Land Management's origin and mission. The BLM and grazing politics. | |
| DUE | Van training. Last day to submit for extra credit. See Learning Suite. |
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| Readings |
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| Wed, Oct 15th, 2025. Yay! | |
| DUE | Midterm. Administered Monday-Wednesday. See details below. |
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| FYI |
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| Fri, Oct 17th, 2025. Mining PRERECORDED. Development of Utah mining industry. Environmental hazards associated with mining. Federal policies about mining on BLM and USFS lands. Cleaning up hazardous mining wastes. The policy cycle applied to mining. | |
| Readings |
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| FYI | Watch this lecture before our next meeting. It introduces important concepts, like NEPA, that will come up in later lectures. If possible, visit Rock Canyon afterward to view the site discussed in lecture. |
| Wed, Oct 22nd, 2025. | |
| DUE | Asst 3. See term paper instructions. Submit by 4:45pm to the 7th floor KMBL drop box. |
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| Fri, Oct 24th, 2025. Rivers and dams. How societies use rivers. Why dam building exploded in the 1960s, then rapidly declined. The 21st century politics of river restoration. | |
| Readings |
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| FYI | FIELD TRIP: Meet in the pickup/dropoff circle east of the WSC promptly by 1:00pm. Plan to return as late as 5:30pm. Prepare appropriately for rain, sun, cold, hot, whatever. Wear shoes you can walk comfortably in. We will visit several sites along the Provo River, starting in Provo and ending near Midway. Have a way to take notes while standing.. |
| Fri, Oct 31st, 2025. Endangered species. How a fish saved the pioneers. Development of endangered species policy. The 1973 Endangered Species Act: Listing, take, and recovery, and impact on public lands. | |
| Readings |
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| FYI |
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| Fri, Nov 7th, 2025. Protected lands. National parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and wildernesses. How different land management strategies reflect different environmental philosophies. Policy cycles and policy entrepreneurs. Competition between Congress, presidents, and executive agencies. | |
| Readings |
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| Resources |
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| Wed, Nov 12th, 2025. | |
| DUE | Term paper. See term paper instructions. Submit by 4:45pm to the 7th floor KMBL drop box. |
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| Fri, Nov 14th, 2025. Moab field trip | |
| Readings |
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| FYI |
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| Fri, Nov 21st, 2025. No class | |
| DUE | Moab response. See instructions . Submit by 4:45pm to the 7th floor KMBL drop box. |
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| Readings |
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| Fri, Dec 5th, 2025. Latter-day Saints and the environment | |
| Readings |
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| Resources |
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| FYI |
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| Fri, Dec 12th, 2025. | |
| DUE | Final exam |
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| FYI |
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