Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Conservationists sue to stop Florida's first black bear hunt in a decade

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Sep 19

Predator management litigation in the wild!

While I'm sympathetic to some of the claims the bear advocates are making, I think it will be a tough case for them to win.

I wrote about this phenomenon in my recent Utah Law Review article (see ⬇️)

apnews.com/article/bear...

Conservationists are suing to stop Florida from holding its first black bear hunt in a decade. State officials approved the plan in August despite strong opposition.

apnews.com

New Faculty at UF Levin College of Law

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Aug 25

A week late, but I am nevertheless thrilled to now work at @uflaw.bsky.social. The move even came with a promotion to Associate Professor!

We've got a great group - check out all the other new folks too:
www.law.ufl.edu/new-faculty

Meet the new faculty at University of Florida Levin College of Law with expertise ranging from constitutional law to corporations and intellectual property.

www.law.ufl.edu

Litigating Predator Management

Reposted by Alex Erwin

Natalie Jacewicz @njacewicz.bsky.social · Aug 6

To learn more about what works and doesn’t in litigating predator management, check out @alexerwin.bsky.social’s paper: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Despite significant gains over the last half century, predators such as mountain lions, wolves, and bears are in the crosshairs once again. Scientific man

papers.ssrn.com

PROTECTING WILD ANIMAL ABUNDANCE

Reposted by Alex Erwin

Natalie Jacewicz @njacewicz.bsky.social · Jul 21

Sharing my draft article, Protecting Wild Animal Abundance, forthcoming in Utah Law Review, @sjquinney.bsky.social. It highlights loss of relatively common wild #animals as distinct from the #biodiversity crisis, and discusses why US #environmental #law failed to stop such losses.

<p><i><span>Americans today encounter billions fewer wild animals than their grandparents did. These ongoing losses affect an enormous array of interests, inclu

papers.ssrn.com

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Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Jul 21

For junior environmental law folks, we’re hosting our 2nd Annual Early Environmental Law Scholars (EELS) Conference at @uflaw.bsky.social this Nov 6-8. We’ve got it all: paper talks, teaching workshops, a field trip into nature, and more!

Register here:
www.law.ufl.edu/events-feed/...

Early Environmental Law Scholars Conference - Levin College of Law

www.law.ufl.edu

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species

Reposted by Alex Erwin

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jun 8

The use of biotechnology for conservation, whether for de-extinction or genetic augmentation of existing species, promises solutions to otherwise intractable problems in protecting endangered animals. A law professor explains: buff.ly/MfRdVg3
By @alexerwin.bsky.social @fiu.bsky.social

A legal scholar with a Ph.D. in wildlife genetics explains the promise biotechnology techniques hold for some animals that are currently endangered.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Alex Erwin

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jun 7

The use of biotechnology for conservation, whether for de-extinction or genetic augmentation of existing species, promises solutions to otherwise intractable problems in protecting endangered animals. A law professor explains: buff.ly/MfRdVg3
By @alexerwin.bsky.social @fiu.bsky.social

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species

A legal scholar with a Ph.D. in wildlife genetics explains the promise biotechnology techniques hold for some animals that are currently endangered.

buff.ly

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Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Jun 6

I wrote this, so you should totally read it!

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jun 6

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species buff.ly/MfRdVg3

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species

A legal scholar with a Ph.D. in wildlife genetics explains the promise biotechnology techniques hold for some animals that are currently endangered.

theconversation.com

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species

Reposted by Alex Erwin

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jun 6

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species buff.ly/MfRdVg3

A legal scholar with a Ph.D. in wildlife genetics explains the promise biotechnology techniques hold for some animals that are currently endangered.

theconversation.com

1 2 3

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Jun 6

More of my thoughts on dire wolves, red wolves, and biotech for conservation. Thanks to @us.theconversation.com for editing and publishing.

theconversation.com/beyond-de-ex...

Beyond de-extinction and dire wolves, gene editing can help today’s endangered species

A legal scholar with a Ph.D. in wildlife genetics explains the promise biotechnology techniques hold for some animals that are currently endangered.

theconversation.com

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · May 17

Congrats to the FIU Law @fiu.bsky.social
Class of 2025 graduates! This was the first group I taught as 1L’s, so I feel like I’m graduating with y’all this year!

Rebecca Bratspies named Inaugural Oliver Houck Chair in Environmental Law

Reposted by Alex Erwin

Rebecca Bratspies, Author @rbratspies.bsky.social · Apr 22

Some big (personal) Earth Day news. I am deeply honored to be named as the first holder of the Oliver Houck Chair in Environmental Law at Tulane. Excited to join the fabulous faculty there law.tulane.edu/news/rebecca...

Tulane University Law School News

law.tulane.edu

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Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Apr 21

Taught my final class at FIU this morning. My natural resources law students made it extra-special with a UF-themed goodbye care package. It’s been a wonderful 3 years, and the students are what I will miss the most.

4

Reposted by Alex Erwin

Natalie Jacewicz @njacewicz.bsky.social · Apr 16

The administration today announced it's rescinding the regulatory definition of "harm" under the #ESA, which includes destroying endangered species' habitat.
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-06746.pdf

public-inspection.federalregister.gov

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Apr 10

And that’s all a shame. Because gene editing is a technology with significant potential for conservation. Not as a silver bullet or as an excuse to conserve less or destroy more, but as one tool in the conservation arsenal. 5/5

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Apr 10

The Administration can use de-extinction or gene editing as a fig leaf for their cuts to the ESA, but that line of argument is not based on the reality of the science or the purpose of the ESA. And they are going to make those cuts regardless. 4/5

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Apr 10

The ESA is supposed to conserve endangered species AND their habitat. Clearly allowing a species to go extinct because it can one day be brought back fails that dual purpose.

The same moral hazard argument can be made about cloning and even captive breeding programs. 3/5

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Apr 10

The “dire wolf” isn’t back. They’ve created something that maybe looks and acts like a dire wolf. And that distinction matters if we believe we have a moral or ethical duty not to cause extinction or if we care about all the genetic diversity and evolutionary history lost. 2/5

Trump team cites wolf ‘de-extinction’ as it seeks to cut endangered species list

Alex Erwin @alexerwin.bsky.social · Apr 10

The moral hazard issue is so dumb. True de-extinction will likely always be impossible. Functional de-extinction can maybe help restore ecosystems. But it is not real de-extinction and does not absolve humanity for its role in extinction. 1/5

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

The interior secretary hailed a biotech company’s claim to have brought back the dire wolf, while the administration and GOP push to roll back species protections.

www.washingtonpost.com