UW SER to Host Rocky Mountain Land and Resource Management Conference April 15

The University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) will host -- in partnership with the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, as well as the Student Chapter of Energy Resources -- the Rocky Mountain Land and Resource Management Conference Wednesday, April 15.

Formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Professional Landman Conference, the in-person forum and student-led conference has expanded its scope, bringing together a cross-section of academic, industry, legal and business experts to discuss issues in land and resource management. 

The conference will take place from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, located at 222 S. 22nd St. in Laramie.

This year’s conference will focus on negotiations, entrepreneurship, innovation and stewardship in land and resource management, with Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon providing the keynote address.

“In years past, this conference has served to showcase the professional land management concentration of SER’s energy resource management and development degree program and connect students with professionals while discussing current topics in the industry,” says SER Senior Assistant Dean Kami Danaei. “This year, we are delighted to partner with our colleagues in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources -- specifically the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program -- to bring in topics relevant to both students in the energy and environmental systems concentration in energy resource management and development, and students in the Ranching in the West Seminar.”

The newly branded conference will alternate topics every other year to emphasize each of SER’s energy resource management and development concentrations and also serve as the capstone of the Ranching in the West Seminar of the RMAL degree.

“By bringing the Rocky Mountain Land and Resource Management Conference under the same roof as our College of Agriculture and the ‘Ranching in the West’ series, we are breaking down the traditional silos between energy, law and production agriculture,” says Randall Violett, associate director of the RMAL Program and director of SER’s energy and environmental systems concentration. “This merger reflects the reality of the modern West: You cannot manage land effectively without understanding the ranching heritage and agricultural innovations that define our landscape. This unified forum allows us to equip the next generation of leaders with a 360-degree perspective on stewardship and economic resilience.”

Beyond the governor’s keynote, attendees can expect a presentation by authors David Prescott and Michael Ashley for their joint book “Creative Destruction,” and panel discussions addressing ethics, land use, reclamation, technology applications, negotiation and resource management in the West and rural communities.

The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register and for details -- including the agenda, speaker bios, and travel and accommodation information -- visit the event website.

The conference provides multiple opportunities for continuing education credits through several organizations. It is approved for 3.5 continuing education credits and one ethics credit, for a total of 4.5 credits through the American Association of Professional Landmen, and 5.5 credits of continuing legal education (CLE), including an hour of ethics in Wyoming. Applications also have been submitted for CLE in Colorado, and for continuing education credits through the Society of Ecological Restoration and the American Society of Reclamation Sciences.

The Student Chapter for Energy Resources will host a joint networking reception with the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center.

“In the spirit of collaboration, we also are excited to bring a multitude of stakeholders together to make meaningful connections and network,” Danaei says. “The joint reception will serve as the finale to the Haub School’s Nuclear Energy Emerging Issues Forum and is the kickoff event for our conference, showcasing how these topics traverse many disciplines.”

The reception will include an opportunity to purchase and have signed the book written by Prescott and Ashley. There also will be a raffle to support the student club, which uses the proceeds for experiential learning events throughout the academic year. All conference registrants are invited to attend and connect with current UW students and other industry professionals.

For more information, call Christine Reed, SER outreach director, at (307) 766-6708 or email christine.reed@uwyo.edu.