Research Reports

ELI publishes Research Reports available for free download that present the analysis and conclusions of the policy studies ELI undertakes to improve environmental law and policy. These reports contribute to education of the profession and disseminate diverse points of view and opinions to stimulate a robust and creative exchange of ideas. Those publications, which express opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Institute, its Board of Directors, or funding organizations, exemplify ELI’s commitment to dialogue with all sectors.
NEPA Success Stories: Celebrating 40 Years of Transparency and Open Government
The Partnership Project, the Grand Canyon Trust, and the Environmental Law Institute
August 2010

This report presents 13 vignettes of how the National Environmental Policy Act helped improve government decisionmaking through public comment and vetting ideas with other agencies. This is a joint project of the Environmental Law Institute along with the Grand Canyon Trust and the Partnership Project.

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Coastal & Marine Spatial Planning: Legal Considerations
Kathryn Mengerink, Matthew Armsby, and Jordan Diamond
June 2010
Status and Trends in State Invasive Species Policy: 2002-2009
Read D. Porter, Susan Graham, and Akiva Fishman
May 2010

Status and Trends in State Invasive Species Policy: 2002-2009 reviews developments in state laws and regulations governing invasive species in eleven states. It finds that invasive species laws and regulations are often fragmented and incomplete and have developed primarily on a species-by-species basis in response to crisis. As a result, they often fail to address potential future invaders or close off known invasion pathways.

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Comparative Federalism: Best Practices Analysis of Environmental Protection Auth
Vrinda Manglik, Vikki Leitch, Catherine McLinn, John A. Pendergrass, Daniel Schramm, and Louise H. Yeung
January 2010

This report provides a comparative study of how a number of nations share or distribute responsibility for governing with respect to environmental issues, and more specifically pollution control and prevention. The principal nations studied include Brazil, China, Mexico, and the United States, while information on selected aspects of environmental governance is provided for Australia, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland.

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