Regional Environmental and Land Use Conflicts: A National Perspective on a Local Problem

On January 27, 2006, former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and White & Case LLP attorney Neal McAliley discussed regional environmental conflicts in South Florida that are rooted in competing land uses. Secretary Babbitt’s recently released book, Cities in the Wilderness, calls for national-level land use planning without creating a new bureaucracy. Secretary Babbitt discussed the need for such planning in South Florida and across the country based upon his extensive experience as a federal regulator, state official, and advocate for private parties. Mr. McAliley discussed South Florida’s experience with attempted resolutions to regional environmental conflicts that are rooted in competing land uses. The gathering was interesting and diverse discussion of how to accommodate sustainable growth without trampling private property rights.