Matt Love

Cascadia Law Group

Wyatt Golding
Ziontz Chestnut

Chris Fontecchio
NOAA

Richard Roos Collins
Water and Power Law Group PC

DESCRIPTION

The hydropower industry is facing monumental changes that impact not only the FERC licensing process but also project operations. Through a lighting round approach, this session will focus on the hot topics that are driving these changes that are currently impacting NWHA members. The session will include experts in the field from the hydropower industry as well as federal resource agencies and tribal representatives. Through a quickly-paced question-and-answer session, these experts in the field will provide their opinions and perspectives on the changing landscape. 

Who should attend:
Natural Resource Managers, Utility Leaders, Community Engagement, and Government Relations Specialists.

Why you should attend:
The monumental changes facing Northwest Hydropower create risks and opportunities for our industry. Understanding these changes and how they impact you is a key to successfully navigating these changes.

Moderator:
Matthew Love, Partner, Cascadia Law Group LLP

Panelists:

• Amy Trainer, Environmental Policy Director, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
• Wyatt Golding, Attorney, Ziontz Chestnut
• Chris Fontecchio, Attorney-Advisor, NOAA General Counsel
• Richard Roos Collins, Principal, Water and Power Law Group PC
• Rick Agnew, Partner, Van Ness Feldman, LLP

Panelists Bios:

• Matt Love is a partner in the Olympia office of Cascadia Law Group. Matt's practice focuses on permitting and litigation matters involving federal and state natural resource and environmental law.
• Amy Trainer serves as Environmental Policy Director for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community where she provides strategic policy advice to the Tribe’s elected Senators and leads inter-governmental affairs on natural resource matters to advance habitat restoration and protection priorities that are key to salmon recovery. A former practicing environmental and land use attorney, Amy works at the intersection of law, public policy and science to collaboratively and strategically engage diverse stakeholders to achieve the Tribe's conservation goals.
• Wyatt Golding is a partner at Ziontz Chestnut, with expertise in environmental and natural resources law and federal Indian law. Wyatt graduated from Yale University for his undergraduate degree. Wyatt graduated Order of the Coif from the University of Washington School of Law with a certificate in Environmental Law and was the recipient of a Gates Public Service Law Program scholarship. Among other topics, Wyatt assists Tribes in environmental litigation, FERC relicensing, and development of renewable energy, including implementation of grants and negotiations with developers and utilities.
• Chris has been an attorney in the NOAA General Counsel's Northwest Section for 20 years, covering hydropower and other topics related to fisheries. He was previously a hydro attorney in private practice in Washington, D.C.
• Richard Roos-Collins is co-founder and Principal of the Water and Power Law Group PC based in Berkeley, California. He represents water districts and other public agencies, tribes, conservation groups, and renewable power generators in cases to enhance the sustainability of our resources. He specializes in multi-party settlements. He is general counsel for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, which is undertaking the largest dam removal in history. He serves on advisory boards for UC Berkeley Law and UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Policy. He is an Adjunct Professor at University of San Francisco Law School.
• Rick Agnew is a partner with the law and policy firm of Van Ness Feldman. Previously he served as Staff Counsel and Staff Director in the US House of Representatives, and has worked on major federal policy issues with respect to the Columbia River Operations for several decades now. Currently, Rick serves as outside counsel to the Columbia River Treaty Power Group, which is a major stakeholder group seeking revisions to the Columbia River Treaty.