USDA

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.

TAKE ACTION | Tell the USDA to Respect and Protect Forest Service Employees

by PEER | September 15, 2025
Petition urging USDA Secretary Rollins to roll back the agency's plans to eliminate or consolidate Forest Service Regional Offices and Research Stations ...

Letter to USDA Secretary Rollins – Department of Agriculture Reorganization Plan

by PEER | August 31, 2025
DESCRIPTION: Letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins re: Memorandum SM 1078-015, Department of Agriculture Reorganization Plan TO: US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins FROM: Chandra Rosenthal, PEER; Karina Mudd, California Native Seed Supply Collaborative DATE: August 31, ...

COMMENTARY | Anonymous Activism and Whistleblowing in the Age of Trump

by Colleen Zimmerman | January 24, 2025
PEER anticipates a flood of requests for our legal services during Trump 2.0. Here's an overview of our approach to anonymous activism and whistleblowing ...

Letter to U.S. House Representatives – Opposition to H.R. 615

by Elizabeth Duan | April 29, 2024
DESCRIPTION: Letter to U.S. House Representatives Regarding Opposition to H.R. 615 TO: U.S. House Representatives FROM: PEER, American Bird Conservancy, Earthjustice, Oregon Wild, Western Watersheds Project, and 17 other organizations DATE: April 29, 2024 TAGS: DOI, lead ammo, wildlife, ...

COMMENTARY | Letter to the EPA: Take Action on “Devil’s Bargain” Pesticides

by Peter Jenkins | March 27, 2023
The environment needs protection from neonic-coated seeds, which are by far the broadest pesticide/insecticide application across the country ...
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