GWC Martz Symposium on Public Lands

The Getches-Wilkinson Center and American Indian Law Program will be co-convening the 2026 Martz Symposium on Public Lands: "Towards a New Era for Public Lands - Restoration and Renewal" on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23 at the Wolf Law Building. Toward a New Era for Public Lands – Restoration and Renewal America’s public lands are entering a period of profound transition. Ecological change, evolving social and cultural values, Tribal co-stewardship, and shifting political dynamics are reshaping how we understand public lands and our responsibilities to them and to each other. This symposium explores what it would mean to move toward a new era for public lands grounded in restoration of the land and renewal of our shared responsibility to care for it. Day 1 focuses on the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and public lands, featuring recent case studies alongside conversations about lessons learned and opportunities to reform laws and policies to strengthen the role of Tri...