About Our Firm

Craig Douglas has been practicing environmental and land use law for 27 years, serving regulated parties in Texas and throughout the United States. He has represented major corporations, governmental entities, private businesses and landowners across the spectrum of the economy, including energy, transportation, coastal development, traditional land development, resort development, the petrochemical industry, and agriculture.

Craig’s primary focus is permitting, enforcement, and litigation involving several federal and state regulatory systems, chiefly those involving wetlands and waterways, endangered species and other wildlife, historic and cultural resources, water quality, use of public lands, and broad-based environmental reviews and planning. Craig has also worked on several legislative projects in the Texas Legislature and the U.S. Congress, and rulemaking initiatives with federal and state agencies.

More particularly, the bulk of Craig’s experience includes:

• Clean Water Act (“CWA”) Section 404 jurisdiction, permitting and enforcement (wetlands and Waters of the United States).
• Rivers and Harbors Act (“RHA”) Sections 9 and 10.
• National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) reviews, including environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, and categorical exclusions.
• Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) permitting and enforcement, including Section 7 consultations, Section 9 “take” avoidance plans, and Section 10 habitat conservation plans.
• National Historic Preservation Act programs for historic and cultural resources.
• Statewide, regional, and local land use regulatory systems.

These efforts involve representation before numerous federal and state agencies, including:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
• Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
• Texas Historical Commission (THC)
• Various local land use regulatory agencies

Craig is licensed by the State Bar of Texas, most federal district courts in Texas, and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits. He received a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law. Prior to his legal career, Craig was a sportswriter covering major league baseball and college football for major dailies, and was a legislative aide in the Texas Senate.

Writing remains a lifelong “affliction” for Craig, and he is presently working on his first full-length novel.

Craig lives in Austin, Texas with his son.