PANEL 4 – Presented by the Environmental Law Society "Lessons from the California Wildfires: Legal Implications of the Expanding Urban-Wildland Interface" 2017 marked one of the most catastrophic and devastating fire seasons in California state history. Moving forward, these tragic events serve as a valuable tool for the future. As a changing climate and urban growth increase the occurrence and impact of wildfires, communities must find ways to avoid and ameliorate the destruction. This panel will discuss regulatory requirements and enforcement actions by CAL FIRE, policy-based solutions to potentially dangerous energy infrastructure, and ecological efforts to minimize risk to communities. Finally, the panel will cover legal remedies available to those whose property has fallen victim to wildfire. Kenneth Holbrook, Executive Director, Maidu Summit Consortium & Conservancy Toby McCartt, Staff Counsel, CAL-FIRE Kristine Meredith, Attorney, NorCal Fire Lawyers Steven Weismann, Lecturer, Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley; Senior Policy Advisor, Center for Sustainable Energy Moderator: Ellen Simmons, UC Davis School of Law (‘19) 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SYMPOSIUM | March 9, 2018 | UC Davis School of Law "Humans & Their Environment: Protecting Our Planet and Its Inhabitants" The 2018 UC Davis Environmental Law Symposium will explore the growing intersection between humans and the world around them, and how the lines between the anthropocene and natural world become increasingly blurred. This event will examine the inherent challenges in ensuring equitable access to environmental resources and the undue burdens many communities face. In bringing together legal and policy authorities from the government, nonprofit, academia, community, and private sectors, the event will discuss the evolution and current state of environmental justice law and policy in California, along with solutions for the future. The day-long event will feature panels addressing: the disproportionate public health effects of climate change; the tragic impact of the 2017 wildfires on Northern California communities; the dichotomy between industry and community interests in the Central Valley; and the efforts dedicated to tribal sovereignty and Native American land restoration. Within this range of topics, panelists will discuss regulatory responses and enforcement actions, private litigation, academic and scientific discourse, and the activist movements that have shaped today’s environmental equality landscape.