The Utton Transboundary Resources Center, in the University of New Mexico School of Law, supports collaborative natural resource management using multidisciplinary expertise and inclusive, diverse stakeholder involvement. The Center develops processes that help parties with differing views of resource use come together in an environment of respect and learning to work on management options and solutions. The Center’s transboundary work crosses political, disciplinary and cultural boundaries in fulfilling its mission to promote equitable and sustainable management and utilization of transboundary resources using impartial expertise.

Vision

The Utton Center’s vision is for a world where sustainable transboundary resource plans and policies are implemented by stakeholders working collaboratively to use the best multidisciplinary expertise. Within our world vision, we see the Utton Center as a resource for innovative tools for managing water resource disputes. The Utton Center's Strategic Plan incorporates the vision: Strategic Plan ( PDF document )

Partnerships and Collaborations

Besides supporting collaborative resource management, the Utton Center collaborates with other disciplines, such as economics, hydrology, biology, and social science. We partner with other universities, national labs, community groups, tribes and diverse political entities. We believe that collaborative approaches among non-traditional partners are needed to reduce conflict and resolve management issues.

Advisory Board - The Utton Center has a board of local and national experts in water and other resource management that gives advice and support on the direction of the Center. List of Advisory Board Members ( PDF document )

Staff - The Utton Center has a small staff and works with contractors and partners to develop projects that support transboundary resource management, promote models of cooperation, and respond to the expressed needs of a community. Sanford E. Gaines is the Director. Susan Kelly is the Associate Director. Darcy S. Bushnell is the Program Director of The Joe M Stell Water Ombudsman Program. Pamela Phelan is the Administrator and Torild Kristiansen is the Center's Administrative Assistant.

The Utton Center Process

• Transboundary focus
• Preventive diplomacy
• Collaborative approach
• Multidisciplinary fieldwork
• Environmental scholarship
• Sustainable management
  

Center History

The Utton Transboundary Resources Center was established at the University of New Mexico School of Law to carry on the work of the late Professor Albert E. Utton related to transboundary resource issues. Professor Utton, a visionary and man of diplomacy, was co-founder of The International Transboundary Resources Center (CIRT) and the Natural Resources Center (NRC) at the University of New Mexico School of Law.

A Rhodes Scholar who received a law degree from Oxford University, Utton returned to New Mexico and became a faculty member at the School of Law in 1962. Utton received his undergraduate degree in geology from UNM. At the UNM School of Law he focused his considerable talents and energies on international transboundary resource issues.

In January of 1999, a group of Professor Utton’s colleagues met and determined to continue his work. Senator Pete Domenici obtained funding. The University of New Mexico Board of Regents voted to rename CIRT in honor of Al Utton’s memory.

The Utton Center, in carrying out its mission to promote equitable and sustainable management and utilization of transboundary resources through impartial expertise, multi-disciplinary scholarship, and preventive diplomacy brings together multidisciplinary teams for academic research and field work projects. Solutions for complex transboundary resource issues are reached using preventive diplomacy and fact-based analysis. The Utton Center examines and analyzes the problems, develops teams to collaborate on solutions, and helps avoid costly litigation while fostering sustainable resource management plans.