Christopher J. Carr

Partner
San Francisco, (415) 268-7246

Christopher Carr is Co-Chair of the firm's Cleantech Group and Land Use and Environmental Group. Mr. Carr has focused his practice on permitting and litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and their California counterparts.

Mr. Carr frequently defends "citizen suits" brought under various federal environmental statutes and litigates challenges to environmental permits, approvals, and review documents in federal and state courts. His clients include public agencies, land developers, private individuals, nonprofits, and business concerns in the water, energy, timber, mining, agricultural, fishing, construction, manufacturing, and wine industries.

Mr. Carr advises and represents clients on permitting, investigations, and administrative proceedings by federal and state environmental, natural resource, and land management agencies. The federal agencies include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries (formerly National Marine Fisheries Service), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. The California state agencies include the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Fish and Game Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the California Board of Forestry.

Mr. Carr serves on the City of San Francisco's Clean Technology Advisory Council, the Wine Institute's Public Policy Committee, the California Forestry Association's Legal Affairs Committee, and the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association's Environment Committee.

Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council
Advise the Stewardship Council on the legal requirements for the development and implementation of a Land Conservation Plan for PG&E lands to promote beneficial public values, including California Environmental Quality Act compliance by California Public Utilities Commission, BLM, and USFS authorities to enter into land transactions, and California conservation easement and real property law. (ongoing)
Northern California River Watch v. California Department of Fish and Game
(CA USDC Northern District of California; Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals). Obtained summary judgment dismissal of a federal Endangered Species Act citizen suit alleging that Schellinger Brothers and California Department of Fish and Game violated the plant protection provisions of the Act; the case is on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.  We also advise and represent Schellinger Brothers on entitlement issues for other projects, including wetlands, water supply, and growth-control issues. (2008)
Environmental Protection Information Center v. Pacific Lumber Co.
(CA USDC, Northern District of California). Defended Pacific Lumber Company against a Clean Water Act citizen suit alleging that stormwater runoff from forest roads requires NPDES permits, notwithstanding EPA regulations defining "silviculture" as a nonpoint source. (2008)
California Sportfishing Alliance v. 7/11 Materials, Inc.
Represented 7/11 Materials in responding to a threat to sue by CSPA alleging Clean Water Act violations at ready-mix concrete plant. (2009)
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