Professor Robert Keiter, University Distinguished Professor and Wallace Stegner Professor of Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Photo Credit: James Boyd.
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, the Conservation Law Center welcomed Professor Robert Keiter for an engaging lecture on the past, present, and future of conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The event drew a full house of students, faculty, and community members from Bloomington and across Indiana’s conservation community, showing an inspiring display of curiosity and commitment to the protection of our natural world.
The University Distinguished Professor and Wallace Stegner Professor of Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law has dedicated his career to studying how law shapes the stewardship of America’s public lands. His most recent book, Conserving Nature in Greater Yellowstone: Controversy and Change in an Iconic Ecosystem, provided the foundation for his talk. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, an expanse of land centered around, but larger than, Yellowstone National Park spans parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Through this lens, Keiter explored how the story of one of the world’s most treasured landscapes continues to evolve in response to shifting values, scientific understanding, and social and political pressures.
Professor Robert Keiter delivers his lecture on conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to a full audience at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. Photo Credit: Katie Beck.
The lecture traced how Yellowstone became synonymous with the American ideal of nature conservation, while also serving as a living laboratory for the challenges of managing complex ecosystems. Keiter described the tensions between recreation and preservation, tourism and wildlife, and federal, state, and local authority. These dynamics, he noted, are not unique to the West, but rather mirror the questions conservationists everywhere must grapple with as we navigate the balance between human use and ecological integrity.
Even in Indiana, this conversation resonates deeply. Our landscapes may differ from the vast wilderness of Yellowstone, but the themes of collaboration, adaptive management, and long-term stewardship are just as relevant here. Protecting Indiana’s lands and waters likewise requires thoughtful legal frameworks, partnerships across jurisdictions, and a public that understands the stakes of conservation.
Professor Robert Keiter of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law with Professor Robert Fischman of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Photo Credit: James Boyd.
This event marked the first in a new series of public programs from the Conservation Law Center called Talking Conservation, which will formally launch in 2026. The initiative aims to bring together voices from law, science, and the conservation community to examine critical environmental challenges and opportunities. Through these lectures, Talking Conservation will invite open dialogue about how we can use the law as a tool to ensure a thriving future for land, water, and wildlife.
The enthusiasm surrounding Professor Keiter’s talk affirms the value of these conversations and the need for more. We are grateful to the Maurer School of Law for hosting, to Professor Keiter for sharing his expertise, and to everyone who joined us.
Stay tuned for upcoming Talking Conservation events and other ways to engage with the Conservation Law Center’s mission to defend our shared natural heritage.
