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 public land laws, 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: the approval of large-scale renewable energy projects, offshore oil and gas leasing; approval of numerous habitat conservation plans under the Endangered Species Act; water resource project development; tribal/local government intergovernmental agreements for Indian trust lands; endangered species translocation for recovery purposes; federal land exchanges; geothermal power project siting and royalty fee settlement.

Professional Recognition

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Natural Resources Law, 2008 - Present
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law, 2010 - Present

Professional Leadership

• Transition Team Advisor Obama Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/ocean policy issues
• 1872 Award for Service to National Parks, Coalition of National park Service Retirees
• 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
• Keystone Center Working Group on Endangered Species Act Reform
• Coastal Marine and Spatial Planning Working Group

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
• U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, Washington, D.C., General Counsel, 1984 - 1987
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Division of Conservation and Wildlife, Office of the Solicitor, Washington, D.C., Attorney, 1980 - 1984, Honors Program, 1979 - 1980