Virginia Environmental Law Journal

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Our fall symposium, entitled 'Condemning Open Space,' took place at the law school on the afternoon of Friday, November 2, 2007. The symposium presented a variety of perspectives concerning the legal and environmental issues associated with Dominion Virginia Power's proposed electricity transmission line through scenic open space and conservation easements in northern Virginia.
The panelists speaking at the symposium included: * Nancy McLaughlin, nationally recognized expert on conservation easements and Professor of Law, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law * Lynn Coleman, Piedmont Environmental Council Board of Directors * John Echeverria, Executive Director of Georgetown Environmental Law and Policy Institute * Fred Fisher, Special Assistant Attorney General for Virginia Outdoors Foundation * John Smatlak, Dominion Virginia Power * George Freeman, original drafter of much of Virginia's original open space preservation laws and partner at Hunton & Williams * Nikki Rovner, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources for Virginia Read what others have written about the symposium: C-ville Weekly: Transmission lines power debate at law school University of Virginia (including a podcast of the entire symposium): Proposed Power Lines Debated at Environmental Law Symposium Virginia Law Weekly: VELJ Symposium Invites Discussion of Virginia’s Open Spaces
Handouts available to symposium attendees: Nancy McLaughlin, “Condemning Conservation Easements for Power Lines" George Freeman, “An Update on Virginia Law Applicable to Possible Destruction of Perpetual Easements on Historic Properties and Open Space by Condemnation- It All Depends Upon Who is the Grantee" Frederick Fisher, “Condemning Protected Open Space Land- Perspective of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation”