Public Lands

Promoting responsible land stewardship through well grounded legal strategy
The nation’s vast expanse of public lands presents an array of challenges and opportunities. Multiple federal and state agencies have jurisdiction over the lands and resources of the public domain, and the legal structure surrounding these areas can be exceedingly complex. To guide commercial and residential interests in their dealings with public lands, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has gathered a highly experienced team of attorneys into the Public Lands Group. The group brings a focused proficiency in dealing with the complicated overlay of management statutes, environmental laws and agency regulations governing public lands to our representation of environmental groups, municipalities, government agencies and private companies.
The Public Lands Group includes attorneys with backgrounds in both the public and private sectors. Our team can effectively navigate the often confusing legal and policy framework surrounding public lands. Our experience dealing with and representing various federal and state agencies helps us achieve favorable results for our clients while maintaining the good will of the government and general public.
The Public Lands Group has worked on a broad array of advisory, administrative proceeding and litigation matters concerning ski area permitting, water project planning and operation, hydroelectric power generation, oil and gas leasing, timber sales, grazing rights, land exchanges, protective designations and land use planning on federal and state lands.
Industry-leading experience
Our experience encompasses a broad range of work on legal aspects of public lands management and activities. Attorneys in our Public Lands Group have previously worked within federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and Offices of state Attorneys General. The group includes:
  •            Two former trial attorneys in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, practicing in the western states and Washington, DC, and handling high level litigation concerning public lands and environmental compliance
  •        The former Attorney General, and Vice-Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the State Legislature, of the State of New Mexico
  •             A former environmental consultant with experience handling technical and management responsibilities for site investigation and remediation projects related to RCRA and CERCLA
 
Group members have significant experience working with numerous federal laws governing activities on public lands, including:
 
Services
Administrative Proceedings. The Public Lands Group works with the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Army Corps of Engineers and various other federal and state agencies on the full range of permitting and usage rights issues related to public lands and water.
Public Lands Litigation. The Public Lands team includes experienced litigators who have handled large-scale and high-profile cases involving energy development, mineral leasing, timber sales, grazing rights, water rights, establishment of national monuments and other issues revolving around public lands. Our work includes both defense and plaintiff representation on behalf of environmental groups, municipalities, government agencies and private companies.
Environmental and Public Lands Statutory Compliance. The Public Lands Group takes a forward-thinking approach to helping clients use public lands responsibly and legally. We bring significant experience and insight regarding application of environmental overlay statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, as well as specific federal and state laws governing public lands management and decision making.

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