With more than 640 million acres of land onshore and 1.76 billion acres in the Outer Continental Shelf owned by the federal government, many large scale energy, infrastructure and other development projects are located on or must cross public lands. As a result, project developers require assistance navigating the multitude of regulations from state and federal agencies to secure project permits for development and defend permits in administrative appeals and litigation. Our team assists with onshore and offshore oil, gas and renewable energy projects, mineral extraction, timber harvest, large-scale recreation projects, pipelines, electric utilities and transmission lines, water facilities, among others.

Our team provides regulatory and litigation counsel, as well as policy advice, including:

• Planning policies and decisions under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Forest Management Act, and the National Park Service Organic Act, as well as assisting clients with acquiring access to resources by sale, lease, permit, or land exchange under the General Mining Law, the Mineral Leasing Act, the Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, among others.
• Obtaining essential leases and permits, meeting compliance requirements, reclamation and remediation, and when required, defending clients against enforcement actions or challenges to projects brought by third-parties.
• Meeting environmental assessment and environmental impact statement requirements.
• Addressing the various processes associated with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, Endangered Species Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as National Historic Preservation Act section 106 regulations.
• Providing consultations and analyses necessary for permitting, rulemaking, habitat conservation plans, and issues related to tribal consultation and visual impacts, including Federal right-of-way and leasing requirements.

Our attorneys have experience working with the myriad of agencies responsible for regulations impacting federal lands, such as the:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• Office of Natural Resources Revenue
• Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
• National Park Service
• US Forest Service
• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of the Interior
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Department of Justice
• Department of Energy
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Defense
• Council on Environmental Quality
• US Coast Guard

Hunton’s public lands practice provides clients with legal representation across the nation, including in California, Texas, and Washington, DC. As a testament to our work, the Hunton environmental team has been named the Law360 Practice Group of the Year for eleven years since 2012 and our environmental practice—and many of our lawyers—is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA and Chambers Global.