Speaker: Gregor MacGregor, assistant teaching professor, Masters of the Environment Program, CU Boulder
Seminar:  Non-Functional Turf Replacement: Legal Movements and Results
 

Abstract
Reducing water consumption across sectors is a persistent and urgent challenge as the country’s climate and hydraulic conditions change, requiring practical conservation tools. The practice of turf removal and replacement, touted as a method to alleviate the strain on municipal water supply, has gained significant traction in the West, reshaping how water providers and communities adapt to these changes. Different states have approached mandatory outdoor conservation focused on non-functional turf through various laws. This presentation will look at the various conditions leading to their passage, the differences between them, and the likely future of legal approaches across the West.
 

Bio
Gregor MacGregor is the Environmental and Natural Resources Specialization Lead in the Masters of the Environment and teaches courses on natural resources policy and law. He is also the immediate past director of Acequia Project, a pro bono effort to provide Hispano irrigators in southern Colorado with legal services related to their land, water rights, and businesses. Prior to joining academia, Gregor worked as a water attorney in private practice and for the United States Army, where he also served as a Cavalry Officer prior to retiring. Outside of the University he owns and operates a cottage-food business, Vulcan Mine Bakery, where he bakes and provides free business consultations for rural redevelopment initiatives. Gregor received his BA degree in International Affairs from the University of Colorado and his J.D. with a certificate in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law from the University of Colorado Law School.