We're sad to share the news that long-time Center for Progressive Reform (CPR) Member Scholar Dale Goble passed away at his home on April 14. Scholars and staff alike appreciated his warm presence at our scholars' meetings, and he brought a wealth of knowledge to the fields of wildlife and conservation law.
Center Vice President Sid Shapiro said, "When the founders of CPR were reaching out to the nation's leading progressive scholars, we were so pleased that Dale agreed to join. His humanity, his dedication to protecting public lands and wildlife, and his participation in CPR will be sorely missed."
Board Member Rob Glicksman added, "Dale was a leader in natural resources management and wildlife law. At a time when interdisciplinary work did not have the cache that it does now, Dale worked closely with scientists in advocating effective approaches to protecting the nation's precious natural resource base. He rarely missed a CPR scholars' meeting, where his input reflected his creative approaches to legal and policy questions. Anyone who spent more than a few minutes with Dale would surely have been exposed to his wicked sense of humor. Dale seemed to revel in his life in Idaho and in academia, and he radiated optimism and good cheer. He was also committed to CPR's work, as evidenced by his frequent and generous donations to the organization. Dale will be missed by everyone who knew him, and those involved in natural resources law will miss his contributions to the field."
Member Scholar Rebecca Bratspies noted, "Dale’s impact on wildlife conservation law was immense. He had a collaborative spirit and always looked for interdisciplinary projects that would make environmental law more relevant to scientists, policymakers, and the general public. Dale set high standards for his students and gave generously of his time to them and to junior colleagues. He was my first mentor in the legal academy and was always willing to read drafts or give advice. Dale also loved good food and wine. My husband and I spent many happy evenings cooking with him and Susan in Moscow, Idaho (usually Thai food), and dining with him in cities across the country whenever our paths crossed. He was a smart, funny, kind, and generous man with a ferocious appetite for life and deep abiding love of the West. RIP my friend. You will be missed. You are already."
Member Scholar Dan Rohlf said, "Dale's work on legal issues dealing with managing and protecting wildlife and biodiversity had enormous influence on both his colleagues in the academy and generations of students. I've used multiple editions of his textbook on wildlife law for many years to inspire and educate students about how to conserve the species with which we share the planet. But what I most enjoyed was engaging with Dale himself on these topics, whether we were discussing the latest wildlife cases at a meeting, debating the best way to reverse the decline of biological diversity on a conference panel, or trading articles and responses in print. Best of all were the evenings we shared over beers or dinner, when his good nature and sense of humor lit up the room. The planet is better off, as are all of us, because of Dale."
Board Member Joel Mintz added, "I knew Dale when we were both undergraduates at Columbia in the 1960s. I remember having some impassioned conversations about how we both abhorred the Vietnam War and about our mutual efforts to avoid being drafted. Even then, Dale was really bright, witty, a bit eccentric, and fun to be with. I will miss him."
Dale earned an A.B. in philosophy from Columbia College and a J.D. from the University of Oregon. Following law school, he taught at Oregon for a year before joining the Solicitor's Office at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. as an Honor's Program Attorney. He subsequently worked in the Lands and Minerals Division where his responsibilities included sagebrush rebellion litigation, wilderness, land-use planning, and wild and scenic river issues. He joined the University of Idaho College of Law in 1982 after the notorious James Watt became Secretary of the Interior and his subordinates sought to sideline Dale and his progressive approach to natural resources management from any meaningful participation in the agency's work. In his teaching role, Dale educated and mentored students for 36 years.
Dale was highly regarded and active in his fields. He received the College of Natural Resources' Bridge Builder Award (2008), the University of Idaho's Award for Excellence in Research / Creative Activity (2004-2005), the Idaho State Bar Association's Distinguished Service Award (1992), and four Alumni Awards for Excellence in Teaching. He also served on the boards of directors of the Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Legal Aid Services, Idaho Land and Water Fund, and Idaho Environmental Forum, and he was a member of the editorial advisory board of Western Legal History and was Idaho state reporter for Administrative and Regulatory Law News.
Editor's note: This post will be updated periodically.
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Brian Gumm, Minor Sinclair, Robert L. Glicksman, Sidney A. Shapiro | April 18, 2022
We're sad to share the news that long-time Center for Progressive Reform Member Scholar Dale Goble passed away at his home on April 14. Scholars and staff alike appreciated his warm presence at our scholars' meetings, and he brought a wealth of knowledge to the fields of wildlife and conservation law. When the founders of CPR were reaching out to the nation's leading progressive scholars, we were so pleased that Dale agreed to join. His humanity, his dedication to protecting public lands and wildlife, and his participation in CPR will be sorely missed.
Michael C. Duff | April 15, 2022
Under established constitutional law, states may generally not tax or regulate property or operations of the federal government. This principle is known as intergovernmental immunity. Congress may waive this federal immunity, however, and the scope of that principle is the major issue in Monday’s oral argument in United States v. Washington.
Caitlin Kelly | April 14, 2022
In 1971, Iowa highway construction workers uncovered 28 human remains. Of these, 26 were white, and two, a mother and her baby, were Native American. The white remains were buried in a local graveyard, while the Native American remains were sent to a local university for study. This decision was typical in the context of the past centuries' patrimonial laws, scientific racism, and outright genocide. In this case, however, a tribal member named Maria Pearson successfully pushed for both the return and proper burial of the Native American remains and the passage of a state law guaranteeing equal treatment of the remains of Native Americans and other peoples. Pearson and other advocates continued lobbying for federal protection of their cultural items. In 1990, because of their efforts, Congress passed the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act ("NAGPRA"), which provides a framework for federally recognized Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations to reclaim ancestral remains and associated objects from entities that receive federal funding.
Daniel Farber | April 12, 2022
The Trump administration left a trail of regulatory destruction behind it. Cleaning up the mess and issuing new regulations is Priority #1 for the Biden administration. Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Michael Regan, the effort is beginning to pick up steam.
John Knox | April 11, 2022
Introduced last month, the Advancing Human Rights-Centered International Conservation Act comes in the wake of a 2019 news investigation that described many instances of alleged murder, rape, and torture by park rangers against Indigenous people and local communities. The alleged abuses were perpetrated at parks supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which received millions of dollars in funding from the U.S. government.
Jake Moore | April 5, 2022
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) recently made a statement bashing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the East Coast's regional cap-and-trade program intended to reduce climate pollution and energy costs for low-income households. In attacking the program, Youngkin repeated questionable claims about its costs, impacts, and benefits and made clear his desire to move the Commonwealth backwards on climate policy and the clean energy transition.
Daniel Farber | April 4, 2022
The Biden administration is slowly grinding away at an important regulatory task: reconsidering the air quality standards for particulates and ozone. Setting those standards is an arduous and time-consuming process, requiring consideration of reams of technical data. For instance, a preliminary staff report on fine particulates (PM2.5) is over 600 pages long. When the process is done, the result will not only be better protection of public health. It will also be a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other global warming agents.
Brian Gumm | March 31, 2022
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled back to my home state to accept an award on behalf of the Center for Progressive Reform. The first-ever De Prey Peace Awards, named for Sheboygan, Wisconsin, peace activist Ceil De Prey, honor individuals and organizations whose work, volunteerism, and advocacy contribute to peace, a stronger democracy, and a better, more inclusive world for future generations.
William Funk | March 30, 2022
On the day before President Biden’s inauguration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopted the Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely rule, colloquially known as the SUNSET Rule, because it would sunset any regulation that had not been assessed and, where required, reviewed within a specific timetable. Everyone is now expecting HHS to rescind the SUNSET Rule in the near future, and the agency should indeed take this action.