Jason counsels clients through complex natural resource litigation, compliance, and regulatory issues arising under a wide array of federal natural resource and energy statutes and regulations.
With over 20 years of experience in the environmental and natural resources space, Jason provides clients with strategic solutions to business and operational challenges set in motion by intricate natural resource laws. Particularly, those statutes and regulations surrounding federal public lands, extraction of mineral resources, environmental justice, and sensitive resource preservation and protection.
With a background in administrative law, as it relates to energy and mineral resource issues, Jason provides guidance on compliance with the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA), the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA), and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).
Jason’s understanding of regulations and the agencies that enforce them stems from his government experience. He served in several high-ranking positions at the Department of the Interior (DOI), including as the immediate former Chief Administrative Judge of the Interior Board of Land Appeals, former Deputy Solicitor for Energy & Mineral Resources, and former senior counselor for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Jason also served as a trial attorney at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Natural Resources Section of the Environment & Natural Resources Division for a decade, where he was lead attorney in defense of numerous challenges brought through the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), with a particular emphasis on cases brought under various natural resource and land management regulations. Jason deploys this experience when helping clients navigate federal agency programs, operations, and regulatory developments.
Jason addresses client matters in a holistic fashion while recognizing the unique factors and internal operations of federal agencies to develop strategic solutions for his clients. He is familiar with the regulatory frameworks utilized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement (OSM), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), and Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA).
After earning his Juris Doctor degree, Jason completed his Master of Laws in Environmental and Natural Resources Law at Lewis & Clark.
