Natural Resources Law & Environmental Law

Messner Reeves Partner Laura Chartrand is the former Regional Solicitor of the Rocky Mountain Region with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the former Deputy Attorney General for the Natural Resources and Environment Section at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.


Natural Resources

Natural resources law and environmental law are inherently complex and ever-evolving. Our firm provides high-level guidance from a blended perspective that includes years of experience in state, federal, and administrative law. Messner Reeves Partner Laura Chartrand, Former Regional Solicitor of the Rocky Mountain Region with the U.S. Department of the Interior, heads this practice area with representative experience covering water law, land use rights, and wildlife law.

Messner Reeves lawyers work closely with our clients to protect their interests in water, lands, energy, and climate change-related matters, navigating the regulations and policies that impact environmental & land use permitting, wildlife management, water supply, and corporate governance. Messner Reeves attorneys work with our renewable and fossil-fuel energy industry clients to provide legal services ranging from corporate law to land use and developing their interests.

Messner Reeves is a top choice for representation in all aspects of natural resources law and environmental law.

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Messner Reeves Environmental & Natural Resources Services


Water Law

Water Law

Water law expertise includes proceedings related to water resources, water quality, and water quantity. Assisted clients with ownership, control, and use of surface water and groundwater and regulations governing the release of pollutants into surface water, groundwater, and drinking water.

Realty and Land

Land Use

Experience in land use rights, including easements, right to exclude others from lands, Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and U.S. Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land use planning processes and special use permitting.

Fish Wildlife

Fish & Wildlife

Fish and Wildlife legal services include management, protected species law and recovery/conservation programs, including mitigation banking, habitat protection, and candidate conservation agreements.

Administrative Law

Administrative Law

Experience in all aspects of the laws governing the rulemaking, adjudication and enforcement activities of federal and state administrative agencies.

Energy & Mining

Representation in litigation and permitting through the various renewable and fossil-fuel energy federal, state and local laws. Production of water & land use solutions, reclamation, bonding/financial assurances, corporate governance, and small hydropower projects.

Climate

Climate

Experience in climate and extreme weather regulations and policies that impact environmental permitting, wildlife management, water supply, and corporate governance.

Insights

Representative Advocacy Experience


Water Law

Waters of the United States, Good Samaritan legislation, U.S. Forest Service Groundwater Directive, Basin Implementation Plan and Colorado Water Plan, water rights applications, diligence proceedings, grants & loans, Gold King Mine claims, and hydrologically connected groundwater.

Realty & Land

Grazing on public lands, conservation easements, RS 2477 rights-of-way, forest health, access, condemnation, eminent domain, water infrastructure O&M on public lands, and EIS/EA challenges.

Fish & Wildlife

ESA critical habitat rules, Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse, Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Polar Bear Special Rule (ESA Section 4(d)), engagement with Recovery Program staff, and Big Horn Sheep Data Quality Act challenge.

Administrative Law

Constitutional and statutory rule analysis, Federal Advisory Committee Act, Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, Regulatory Flexibility Act, and federal & state Administrative Procedure Act (APA) challenges.

Energy & Mining

Stream Protection Rule, CERCLA 108(b), Good Samaritan (abandoned mines) legislation, methane regulations, lease of power privilege, preemption, and NEPA “cumulative effects.”

Climate

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) “cumulative effects,” Endangered Species Act (ESA) “foreseeable future,” forest health, water supply, methane regulations, and fuel switching.

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Find your Natural Resources Law & Environmental Law Attorney

Laura Chartrand

Laura Chartrand

Partner
Denver

Phone: 303.623.1800
Email: lchartrand@messner.com

Image of Attorney Spence

Rebecca E. Spence

Associate
Denver

Phone: 720.279.1470
Email: rspence@messner.com

Learn More About Our Capabilities

We’ve built a team we are proud of.
Learn how we’ve grown over the past 25 years.

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Messner Reeves LLP
1550 Wewatta St. Suite 710
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 623-1800.