AASCU’s American Democracy Project in partnership with the eJournal of Public Affairs seeks contributors for a special issue on the stewardship of public lands to be published Fall 2026. This issue will draw on the experiences and reflections of those who have participated in the Stewardship of Public Lands (SOPL) program whose scholarship or practice engages with questions of public land, democracy, and civic life.

Stewardship of public lands is a complex and evolving concept. It encompasses conservation and access, policy and practice, sustainability and recreation, and tensions between competing values and uses. How we define and enact stewardship speaks directly to broader democratic questions of shared responsibility, community voice, and public good.

We welcome submissions in multiple formats, including traditional scholarly research articles, multimedia contributions, and reflective essays on how the SOPL experience has shaped participants’ scholarship, teaching, or practice. Submissions might explore (but are not limited to) themes such as:

• Tensions between conservation, access, recreation, and economic interests
• Indigenous sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge
• Public lands as sites of democratic practice, community engagement, and dialogue
• Environmental justice, equity, and inclusion in land stewardship
• Climate change, sustainability, and intergenerational responsibility
• Teaching and learning through SOPL and other civic engagement initiatives

The above list is not exhaustive; we encourage authors to interpret the theme broadly and creatively.

Submit expressions of interest with topic and abstract by January 15, 2026, to knutsone@aascu.org and taylora@aascu.org

Full manuscript or multimedia submission due June 15, 2026

See more instructions for authors here: https://www.ejournalofpublicaffairs.org/instructions/

In addition to contributors, ADP and the eJournal of Public Affairs are also seeking individuals interested in serving as peer reviewers for this special issue.