DOI

Senior Counsel

Peter has been an environmental, land use, and consumer attorney and advocate since 1983. He has held various roles in Washington, DC including Of Counsel at the Center for Food Safety; Vice President for U.S. Government Policy at Conservation International; Director of International Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife; and Staff Attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Additionally, he worked as a contracted consultant on endangered species recovery efforts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Turner Endangered Species Fund in New Mexico. Prior to that, he served as an Attorney and Policy Analyst for the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, and was also in private law practice. His career has centered on bringing the best science to bear in environmental protection efforts; he has specialized in working with scientists so their findings can inform good policy, as well as in federal litigation. Most of his work has been in aid of wildlife conservation in the fields of pesticides, genetically modified organisms, invasive species, wildlife disease prevention, international trade, land use conflicts, and other areas. Peter received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law and also has a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, with a focus on conservation biology.

PETITION | Plastic Free Parks

by PEER | June 23, 2021
Petition to Sec of Interior to outlaw sales of plastic water bottles in national parks, setting a green example and decreasing plastic waste in parks by 75 ...

COMMENTARY | Haaland’s Bold Move Forward at Interior

by Chandra Rosenthal | April 29, 2021
Structural changes within the Department of Interior will further Secretary Haaland’s goals of tackling the climate crisis and conservation ...

COMMENTARY | Biden Administration Choices will Determine the Future of the Federal Workforce

by Guest Contributor | March 30, 2021
Guest Contributor: John Martin - Department of Interior leadership and missions have been severely compromised and highly polarized over the past four years ...

Letter to Department of Interior – Suspension of Delegated Authority

by PEER | March 18, 2021
DESCRIPTION: Letter to Department of Interior to extend the Suspension of Delegated Authority from January 20, 2021, regarding easements and rights-of-way TO: Secretary Deb Haaland, Department of Interior FROM: PEER DATE: March 17, 2021 TAGS: cell towers, NPS, DOI ...

Statement | Ten Steps to Ensure that Proper Leaders Run the Department of the Interior

by Peter Jenkins | December 22, 2020
A guide for the Biden administration to avoid repeating the Trump administration's unlawful actions in making appointments in the Interior Department ...
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