Donald (Don) Baur

Don Baur provides counseling, legislative and litigation assistance in a wide range of environmental and natural resources areas with a special emphasis on water law, wildlife and endangered species, public land and energy resources, protected areas, coastal/ocean law, and Indian law.  Don regularly counsels his clients on various land management transactions and regulatory proceedings arising under the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Environmental Policy Act, coastal/ocean and public land laws.  A significant portion of Don's practice is also devoted to various Indian law issues including trust land and gaming transactions, tribal acknowledgment, and development of contracts between the private sector, local and state governments and tribes.

Don has negotiated and achieved approval of legal transactions involving: transfer of Elwha River dams to federal ownership for removal; approval of numerous habitat conservation plans under the Endangered Species Act; tribal/local government intergovernmental agreements for Indian trust lands; permitting and licensing of oil and gas, mining and hydropower projects on federal lands; endangered species translocation for recovery purposes; international and domestic transfer and release to the wild of Keiko (Free Willy); federal land exchanges; geothermal power project siting and royalty fee settlement; offshore wind energy renewable energy program development and siting. 

Professional Recognition

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Professional Leadership

• American Bar Association, Section on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, Vice Chair, Book Committee
• American Bar Association, Section on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources 
• District of Columbia Bar Association, Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Division
• Society for Marine Mammalogy
• Co-Chair and Moderator, American Law Institute and American Bar Association, Endangered Species Act Program (April 2005, November 2006)
• Keystone Center Working Group on Endangered Species Act Reform

Related Employment

• Vermont Law School, Adjunct Professor, Environmental Law Center, 1998 - Present
• Environmental Law Institute, Instructor, Environmental Law Boot Camp, 2002 - Present
• Golden Gate School of Law, Adjunct Professor, Natural Resources and Wildlife Law, 1997
• United States Marine Mammal Commission, Washington, D.C., General Counsel, 1984 - 1987
• United States Department of the Interior, Division of Conservation and Wildlife, Office of the Solicitor, Washington, D.C., Attorney, 1980 - 1984, Honors Program, 1979 - 1980