An article about state trust lands by two University of Wyoming experts has been recognized
by the Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review as one of the top environmental
law and policy articles of 2025.
The article, “State Trust Land Revenue Diversification Through Conservation,” was
published in the Utah Law Review and is available online at https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol2025/iss1/1/.
Leading the article were Temple Stoellinger, associate dean of UW’s Haub School of
Environment and Natural Resources, a Wyoming Excellence Chair in the College of Law
and co-director of the Gina Guy Center for Land and Water Law; and Bryan Leonard,
an associate professor with a dual appointment in the Haub School and the School of
Energy Resources. Other co-authors were Travis Brammer, of the Property and Environment
Research Center (PERC), a graduate of the UW College of Law and Haub School’s concurrent
J.D./M.A. program; Shawn Regan, with the Manhattan Institute; and Jonathan Wood, of
PERC.
The Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review is a project of the Environmental Law
Institute, in partnership with Vanderbilt Law School, that identifies the most significant
environmental law and policy scholarship published each year. Through a rigorous review
process, the Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review recognizes articles that make
exceptional scholarly contributions and offer practical policy insights.
Selected as an honorable mention and named one of the top seven articles nationwide,
the work was recognized for its scholarly contribution and practical, feasible policy
recommendations, particularly relevant in the complex environmental law and policy
landscape of 2025.
The authors examined strategies for state trust land managers to diversify revenue
streams through conservation leasing and ecosystem service markets. The article demonstrates
how these approaches can complement existing land uses to generate sustainable long-term
revenues while meeting fiduciary obligations to trust beneficiaries, primarily public
schools and institutions. Their recommendations were especially noted for being grounded,
implementable and responsive to current policy constraints.
“I’m honored that our article was recognized among such influential work,” Stoellinger
says. “Our goal was to provide forward-looking, practical strategies for state trust
land management that balance fiduciary obligations with conservation opportunities
-- and this recognition highlights the importance of that work.”
“This work exemplifies the value of interdisciplinary collaboration,” Leonard says.
“By integrating legal analysis with economic principles, we were able to develop solutions
that address the complex challenges state trust land managers face in meeting their
fiduciary obligations.”
This recognition underscores the Haub School’s commitment to producing innovative, policy-relevant scholarship that addresses critical challenges in natural resource management. Interdisciplinary collaboration defines the Haub School’s approach to environmental law and policy research, helping prepare future leaders to address complex environmental challenges.
