This event, previously scheduled for July 29, has been rescheduled to August 12.
Each summer, ELI convenes a complimentary seminar series that offers an introduction to the legal and policy foundations of environmental protection in the United States. ELI's Summer School is a series of seminars taught by experts in their fields, introducing the audience to important areas of environmental law. Faculty will also incorporate major regulatory and judicial updates to the laws.
Disaster and Mitigation Law
This year’s Summer School series will wrap up with a brand new session! Join us for a primer on hazard mitigation law and updates on new developments. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which amended the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, establishes a national framework for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments to engage in pre-disaster hazard mitigation planning. Under the Act, states and local jurisdictions must develop and maintain FEMA-approved mitigation plans to be eligible to participate in certain federal disaster assistance programs. These plans help communities identify risks, prioritize actions to reduce vulnerabilities, and increase long-term resilience to natural hazards.
A panel of leading scholars and practitioners will:
- Demystify the federal foundations of mitigation law by outlining the basics of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and describing how the regulatory framework enables state and local hazard mitigation planning;
- Explain how federal mandates, state statutes, and local planning processes interact to shape effective risk reduction strategies (as well as provide examples of these strategies, including nature-based risk reduction strategies); and
- Describe new developments in federal hazard mitigation regulations.
Panelists:
Rebecca L. Kihslinger, Senior Science and Policy Analyst; Director, Wetlands Program, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Steve Ferryman, Mitigation Branch Chief, Ohio Emergency Management Agency
Alessandra Jerolleman, Director of Research, Center on Environment, Land, and Law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Gerald Murphy, State Specialized Program Agent, Center for Land Use Efficiency, University of Florida
Materials:
Materials will be posted as they are received.
A recording of this session will be posted to this page, usually within 3-5 business days of the live event.
**Check out the entire Summer School 2025 schedule.**