TrendWatch: Navigating 2025's Shifting Environmental Permitting Landscape

Partner Sarah Stauffer Curtiss discusses how 2025's rapid federal regulatory changes are reshaping the environmental permitting landscape, with states stepping in to fill voids left by relaxed federal rules. She explains how clients can navigate this dual-layer uncertainty by working closely with counsel early in the project development process to identify flexible compliance strategies and avoid risks that might not surface until appeals or interventions arise. The key insight: even in uncertain times, detailed project analysis often reveals more options than clients initially expect.