Bettencourt, Danielle

Mrs. Bannan, her responsibilities encompass evaluating federal grants and historical property titles while optimizing the company’s utilization and return on real property assets. Prior to her tenure at Union Pacific, she practiced as an oil and gas title attorney, specializing in federal title and compliance matters. She continues to offer her expertise to clients and collaborates with various law firms on special projects. Mrs. Bannan holds the distinguished role of incoming president for the Energy & Natural Resource Council of the Wyoming Bar Association, reflecting her deep commitment to education, community service, and volunteering. Mrs. Bannan holds an MBA degree from Regis University and a JD degree from the University of Wyoming. She is a registered professional landman and maintains an active membership in both the AAPL (American Association of Professional Landmen) and the WAPL (Wyoming Association of Professional Landmen), where she contributes to the scholarship committee. Mrs. Bannan’s dedication to education extends to her prior role as an adjunct professor at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources. During this time, she developed and instructed two new undergraduate core courses: “Introduction to Land Management” and “Senior Registered Landman Capstone” as part of the AAPL-certified Professional Land Management/Energy Management program.

Bettencourt, director at Fairfield & Woods, P.C., is an environmental, public land use, and natural resources attorney with over a decade of experience working on federal and state land issues in various states including in Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Arizona, and Utah. She works with local governments, grazing associations, ranchers, and natural resource producers early on in the federal land use planning, permit, or project approval process to ensure clients’ interests are protected, they are building an appropriate administrative record for appeal, and that they are working cooperatively with the federal and state agencies involved in the decision-making process. She works closely with her clients to find legal, political, and practical solutions. This also includes advising clients and helping them obtain the necessary permits to graze livestock on federal land, to gain access to and across federal land, and for other special uses on federal land. When necessary, Ms. Bettencourt handles the related environmental and land use litigation involving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the Wilderness Act, and the Mineral Leasing Act. She also has experience with Quiet Title Act litigation against the United States over title disputes to County roads, R.S. 2477 rights-of-way, and mineral and royalty interest on and across federal land.

Mr. Smith has more than three decades of experience as an attorney, in which he has successfully handled a number of complex water disputes, land use disputes, takings claims, and other issues. He has argued over 30 appeals to the Utah Supreme Court. Mr. Smith has represented public and private parties in takings claims arising from land use decisions, represented numerous water users in successful settlement of instream flow claims on the San Rafael River, and won appeals for municipalities and water entities before the Utah and New Mexico Supreme Courts. His most notable projects include securing the water rights for Duchesne City through an act of Congress, successfully entitling and securing water rights for a multimillion-dollar resort in Kane County, and creating the first municipal natural gas utility in Utah. He is licensed to practice in Utah, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. Mr. Smith earned his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Bringham Young University, and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Bringham Young University.

Mr. Stump provides water rights and water resources planning and engineering expertise to public, mining, energy, and agricultural clients throughout Wyoming. Mr. Stump has led many successful teams completing diverse water infrastructure projects, meeting client needs while addressing regulatory requirements. Prior to joining HDR he served as North Platte coordinator for the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office and served with the Water Quality Division of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.

Bettencourt, director at Fairfield & Woods, P.C., is an environmental, public land use, and natural resources attorney with over a decade of experience working on federal and state land issues in various states including in Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Arizona, and Utah. She works with local governments, grazing associations, ranchers, and natural resource producers early on in the federal land use planning, permit, or project approval process to ensure clients’ interests are protected, they are building an appropriate administrative record for appeal, and that they are working cooperatively with the federal and state agencies involved in the decision-making process. She works closely with her clients to find legal, political, and practical solutions. This also includes advising clients and helping them obtain the necessary permits to graze livestock on federal land, to gain access to and across federal land, and for other special uses on federal land. When necessary, Ms. Bettencourt handles the related environmental and land use litigation involving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the Wilderness Act, and the Mineral Leasing Act. She also has experience with Quiet Title Act litigation against the United States over title disputes to County roads, R.S. 2477 rights-of-way, and mineral and royalty interest on and across federal land.

Liberty Blain is a water scientist and Land Survey Intern for Y2 Consultants with a specialty in water rights. She has over 20 years of experience working on water resource issues in Wyoming. Ms. Blain spent over a decade with the Laramie County Conservation District monitoring water quality in local streams and engaging stakeholders in watershed planning efforts.  She spent several years in the Ground Water Division of the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office processing and maintaining water rights records throughout the state. Ms. Blain served as the primary contact for permitting questions related to groundwater supplies for the oil/gas industry as well as ranching operations.  In recent years, her focus has been on the land surveying profession to complement her water resources career. 

Christopher M. Brown is a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office and supervisor of its Water Section. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office in 2011, Mr. Brown was a partner in a private Wyoming law firm. Attorneys within the Water Section represent the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, the Wyoming Board of Control, and several divisions of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Mr. Brown provides day-to-day advice and representation to the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office on all Wyoming water matters and national water issues affecting Wyoming. He provides the primary legal representation to the state on all interstate river compacts and decrees and was part of the litigation team which defended Wyoming in the United States Supreme Court original action, Montana v. Wyoming. Mr. Brown is a member of the Western States Water Council and Chair of its Legal Committee. He is also a member the Upper Colorado River Commission’s legal committee. 

Kendra A. Morrison, ensures the safety of Wyoming and Tribal public water supplies by implementing regulations for inorganic and organic chemical monitoring. She also serves as a regional coordinator for unregulated contaminant monitoring to collect occurrence data to support EPA’s decision-making processes about what contaminants to regulate in drinking water. Kendra has 29 years of professional experience serving in local, state, and federal government. Prior to joining the Safe Drinking Water Branch in 2013, Kendra worked for Region 8’s Air Program and Solid and Hazardous Waste Programs where she focused on solid waste combustion, hazardous waste minimization, hazardous waste site cleanup, resource conservation, sustainable materials management, industrial materials recycling, leaking underground storage tanks, and the regulation of fly ash disposal from coal-fired power plants. Kendra has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health from Colorado State University, and a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Environmental and Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado Denver. Her graduate work focused on multi-media contaminant fate and transport.

Scott Olson is the owner of Altitude Training Associates, LLC which he established in 1995. ATA develops and delivers health, safety and environmental training programs both in person and online.  He is an authorized OSHA instructor and teaches storm water management certification programs across the western United States. In 2020, he adapted his curriculum for instructor led, online delivery and spends much of his time leading classes online.  He chaired the Environmental & Safety Technology Department at Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) and Directed the Colorado Environmental Training Center. As faculty, Mr. Olson taught in the Environmental Compliance degree program for eight years and developed the state accredited curriculum and continues to work as adjunct faculty for community colleges in Colorado and Wyoming.  He resides in Durango, CO. 

Kelly Shaw’s practice focuses on civil litigation, appeals, and environmental and natural resource issues. Before joining Koch Law P.C., Kelly worked for the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office; she advised the Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Quality Division and Uranium Recovery Program on day-to-day legal issues including permitting, rulemaking, and enforcement. She also represented the state in federal natural resource litigation, criminal appeals, DUI hearings, workers’ compensation cases, and bankruptcy. Kelly serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Wyoming College of Law teaching legal writing. She received her J.D. and a certificate in environmental and natural resource law from the University of Colorado Law School.

Mr. Stump provides water rights and water resources planning and engineering expertise to public, mining, energy, and agricultural clients throughout Wyoming. Mr. Stump has led many successful teams completing diverse water infrastructure projects, meeting client needs while addressing regulatory requirements. Prior to joining HDR he served as North Platte coordinator for the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office and served with the Water Quality Division of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.