About
The UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy produces a high quality biannual journal on cutting-edge environmental legal and policy matters. JELP is entirely run and produced by students at UCLA School of Law. Articles in JELP are written by leading scholars throughout the country and often the world, and by students focusing on environmental law at UCLA.
Volume 43, Issue 2, 2025
Front Matter
Articles
- A Silver Lining: Interpreting the Endangered Species Act to Envision Management of the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow in a Broader Cultural, Ecological, and Political Context
The Rio Grande silvery minnow, listed as an endangered species in 1994, is the subject of significant debate, litigation, and water management decisions. This article documents the history of the minnow as it related to the Endangered Species Act. Even as outcomes for the species fail to improve, the minnow plays an important role in Middle Rio Grande water management. The water supplied for the minnow also provides benefits to the human community and larger ecological community. This article posits that the next era of minnow management, beginning with the upcoming 2028 Biological Opinion, should consider a wider set of values, to provide benefits for both the Rio Grande silvery minnow and the larger Middle Rio Grande community.