3 credits. The purpose of this Foundations course is to provide a survey of public policy theory and practice, as related to development and implementation of environmental and natural resource policy. The course examines theories of policy formation; the intricacies of the policy-making process; the history of natural resource and environmental policy; and applied techniques in policy analysis and evaluation. The course has been specifically designed to provide both a theoretical and practical introduction to natural resource and environmental public policy. Upon completion of the course, the student will understand the political environment within which public policy is formulated, including the role of ideas, science, and learning. Students also will be able to demonstrate basic technical competence in environmental public policy development and the implementation process. The course has been developed to accommodate biologists and other natural scientists and assumes no prior knowledge of political science or the policy-making process.