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Natural Resources and Energy Law

At Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, we simplify the process of resource development for our clients. We achieve this goal by leveraging our attorneys’ extensive experience against the issues that typically arise during the course of public and private projects. We aid our clients in funding, permitting and developing, and we protect our clients in dispute resolution when necessary.

Specialized skills are needed to maintain comprehensive natural resources and energy law practices, and we have that essential expertise in:

  • Natural resources
  • Land
  • Land exchange
  • Water
  • Wildlife
  • Environmental law
  • Energy law

Our attorneys’ in-depth understanding and extensive experience in these specialized areas give us the capability to respond rapidly and effectively to our clients’ needs. Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot can deploy sophisticated multidisciplinary teams to address a panoply of legal issues drawing on the skills of our other practice groups, including commercial transactions, litigation and bankruptcy.

Our large natural resources law practice covers the administrative, judicial and legislative arenas. We specialize in representing private landowners, assisting them in negotiating and drafting unit agreements, transportation agreements, leases, pipeline easements, surface use permits and seismic and other contracts. We ensure that they benefit from the development of their natural resources without exposing themselves to undue risk. We have also represented certain natural resources industries in their efforts to acquire permits and government approvals in conjunction with mining developments. As a result, we are intimately familiar with myriad state and federal environmental regulations.

Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot has worked with many federal and state land agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. We advise clients on environmental review requirements, and we craft strategic approaches to minimize litigation risks. We handle environmental permitting and statutory compliance issues. When necessary, we appear in state and federal courts or before regulatory bodies to compel permit and project approvals and to defend approvals against legal challenges.

Throughout Alaska, we advise clients on issues involving environmental compliance, enforcement and litigation. Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot attorneys have vast experience with federal and state laws pertaining to oil spill response prevention and pollution liability. We have represented numerous interests in connection with claims arising from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and the 1987 Glacier Bay spill in Cook Inlet.

The firm also has unparalleled experience with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), the Asian Elephant Conservation Act (AsECA), the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and many other federal and state laws, regulations, treaties, rules and procedures.

Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot is the legal firm of choice for national park concessionaires, oil and gas refining and transmission companies, electric utilities, guides and outfitters, recreational interests, entertainment corporations, mining corporations, landowners, sportsmen and aquaria in a variety of wildlife matters. Our accomplished attorneys are an established presence on Capitol Hill, representing clients before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Natural Resources and more.

Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot also represents energy clients engaged in oil and gas development, the financing and construction of energy infrastructures and power generation operations. We also represent landowners, Alaska Native Corporations and other interests that are impacted by energy project development. We assist energy clients on related business issues such as acquisitions, financing, federal government contracting, enforcement, labor and other corporate and transactional matters.

Energy utility regulation is a major practice area for the firm. We represent electric and gas utilities before state public utilities commissions in certification, rate and rate design proceedings as well as rule-makings. We handle complex appeals of state utility decisions. Our state regulatory practice includes representation of renewable energy companies that use resources as diverse as wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. We also represent clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on hydroelectric licensing and other issues.

Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot’s energy lawyers are veteran leaders in this specialized field. We offer knowledge developed from years of practicing energy law and bring extensive experience in related environmental, legislative, natural resources, public utility and financing fields.

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