Federal Lands
Because one-third of the land base in the United States is owned by the federal government, we assist a wide range of resource developers in obtaining access to those federal lands. We also frequently defend their interests in administrative appeals and litigation. Our efforts have included:
- Securing, negotiating, defending, and litigating access across federal lands to private inholdings under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
- Assisting a major gold mining company with the expansion of its mines on national forest and public lands, completing two federal land exchanges in the process, and then successfully defending those actions in administrative and judicial appeals.
- Negotiating the largest federal/private coal land exchange in history and then successfully defending it in Northern Plains Resource Council v. Lujan, 874 F.2d 661 (9th Cir. 1989).
- Assisting a nationwide wireless provider with locating, permitting, and installing wireless telecommunications facilities on federal lands, including in National Parks.
- Commenting on and litigating such major rulemakings as the Interior Department’s revision of its environmental regulations for hardrock mining on federal lands and the Forest Service’s roadless area protection regulations.
- Litigating with and against, and appearing before, the federal land management agencies to secure favorable resource planning policies and decisions under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, the National Forest Management Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Wilderness Act, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.