Ivy Talks: Endangered Species Act

Of Mussels, Eagles, and the Pit Bull of Environmental Laws

Extinction is forever. Join us as Jon Cannon, distinguished UVA Environmental Law professor, discusses the Endangered Species Act. Sometimes called the pit bull of environmental laws, this Act helps preserve the balance of nature that serves Earth, our Ivy Creek resources, and all of humanity. Limited financial resources and recent actions by federal officials have reduced the Act’s reach and effectiveness. Proposed Congressional reform initiatives could further weaken protections for endangered species, as could litigation now pending before the Supreme Court. 

Despite strong resistance from some states, developers, and anti-regulatory activists, the Act has worked to keep important species from extinction and promote their recovery. Endangered species we encounter locally, like the Bald Eagle (no longer on the endangered species list) and the James River Spiny Mussel, have benefitted from the its protections.

Jonathan Cannon is the Blaine T. Phillips Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he also serves as director of the law school’s environmental and land use law program. He joined the law school faculty in 1998 from the Environmental Protection Agency, where he served as general counsel (1995-98) and assistant administrator for administration and resources management (1992-95). Cannon teaches environmental and energy law, land use law, and conservation planning and law.  He has written on institutional design for programs as diverse as Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Superfund; the Supreme Court’s environmental decisions; and the future of the environmental movement. He is the author of “Environment in the Balance: The Green Movement and the Supreme Court,” published in 2015 by Harvard University Press. Cannon serves on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute and on the Advisory Board of Policy Integrity Institute.

This event is free and open to the public. We will start at 2 pm, Sunday, September 30, at the Ivy Creek Education Building, 1780 Earlysville Road for this exciting event. However, we have limited seating so be sure to come early.