Federal public lands and minerals owned by the United States make up about 26% or 640 million acres of the 2.43 billion-acre U.S. land mass. Our attorneys are recognized national experts in federal public lands law and litigation. Firm lawyers advise clients nationwide on the acquisition, sale, leasing, regulation, permitting, development, operation and defense of private interests in federal public lands. The Firm provides expert counsel on federal land management and regulation throughout the United States by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and others.
We provide federal lands counsel to public energy companies, ski areas and resorts, oil and gas development and midstream companies, trade associations, pipelines, solar and renewable energy developers, investors, lenders, developers, landowners, private equity firms, outfitters, guides, and entrepreneurs. We routinely co-counsel with other law firms to assist their clients navigate federal lands matters in due diligence, transactions, litigation, public affairs, and other settings.
Our lawyers have substantial experience with:
- Federal land use planning (BLM resource management plans, Forest plans, Fish & Wildlife Service comprehensive conservation plans)
- Energy and mineral development on federal public lands
- Federal oil and gas leasing and development
- Development of split estate federal minerals under private surface lands
- Development of private reserved and outstanding minerals under federal surface lands
- Forest Service ski area special use permits
- Forest Service special use permits and authorizations
- Forest Service resort, marina, cabin, and recreation residence permits
- Forest Service outfitter guide permits
- Forest Service special use permit fees
- Permits for helicopter skiing on Forest Service, BLM and state public lands
- Forest Service master development plans (MDPs) for ski areas and resorts
- Acquisition, sale, development, and operation of ski areas on Forest Service lands
- BLM special recreation permits
- Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service (NPS) prospectus processes to obtain permits and concession contracts to offer public recreation and services on federal lands
- Forest Service and BLM prospectus processes to obtain permits to offer public recreation and services on federal lands
- Project development on BLM, Forest Service, and other federal lands
- Wind, solar, and renewable energy development on federal lands
- BLM and Forest Service rights-of-way and easements
- Access over Forest Service lands to private lands and inholdings surrounded by federal land
- Acquisition and due diligence of leases, permits, and other private interests in federal public lands
- Land exchanges of private lands for federal lands
- Regulation of privately-owned water rights on federal lands
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) counseling, strategy, review, and litigation
- National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) counseling, strategy, review, and litigation
- Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultation process and litigation
- Counsel to private applicants for federal permits and decisions subject to NEPA, NHPA, ESA and other requirements
- Federal lands litigation against or in defense of the BLM, Forest Service, and other agencies
- Federal lands administrative appeals and litigation
- Federal lands rulemakings
