Greg D. Corbin

Experience

Greg Corbin leads the firm's Forest Industries Initiative and represents forest products clients in a variety of transactional and regulatory matters, including all aspects of timberland sales and acquisitions, 1031 exchanges, easements and other real property deals, timber harvest and timberland management contractual matters, log export restrictions and import regulations, regulatory compliance and permitting, and many of the day-to-day operational issues faced by the forest products industry. Greg also represents clients in major project permitting efforts with a special emphasis on federal public lands, fish and wildlife laws, water rights, and land use. Greg holds a masters of forest science degree, is a professional member of the Society of American Foresters, and is an active member of many forest products industry trade associations. He also frequently writes and speaks on issues affecting the forest products industry, water rights, and endangered species issues.

Greg's experience prior to joining Stoel Rives includes: judicial clerk to the Honorable Susan M. Leeson, Oregon Supreme Court, 1999-2001; summer associate, Stoel Rives LLP, 1999; judicial externship with the Honorable Robert E. Jones, U.S. District Court, 1998-1999; associate editor, Environmental Law; and law clerk, Oregon Department of Justice Appellate Division and Natural Resources Section of General Counsel Division, 1997-1999. Greg was a research scientist before attending law school.

Representative Work

Forest Products Industry Work

• Counsel to multiple timberland owners concerning Clean Water Act requirements for stormwater runoff from forest roads.
• Represented public timber REIT in the sale of approximately 25,000 acres of timberlands in Wisconsin and Arkansas (2010).
• Represented timberland owner negotiating biomass fuel supply agreement (2010).
• Represented private timberland company in sale of approximately 16,000 acres of timberland in Oregon (2009).
• Represented public timber REIT in the sale of timber, via timber deeds, in Arkansas (2009).
• Represented private timberland company in bid process, negotiation and sale of approximately 115,000 acres of timberland in Oregon (2008).
• Counsel to consortium of landowners in litigation and administrative challenges concerning revisions to U.S. bureau of Land Management Resource Management Plans (2008-2009).
• Counsel to forest industry trade group in protests and negotiations concerning U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service timber sales programs (2006-2011).
• Represented REIT in acquisition of approximately 179,000 acres of timberland in multiple Idaho counties, sale of approximately 25,000 acres in Arkansas, and other timberland real property matters in corporate reorganization (2007-2008).
• Represented private timberland and mill owner concerning real estate aspects of a $150 million secured loan facility (2008).
• Represented private timber REIT in real property and timberland management aspects for a $1.0 billion secured loan facility (2007-2008).
• Represented foreign asset management company in due diligence, financing, and acquisition of a public timberland REIT comprising over 650,000 acres of timberlands in Oregon and Washington and numerous mill and manufacturing facilities (2006-2007).
• Represented private forest products company in sale of approximately 10,000 acres of timberland in Washington (2006).
• Represented private timberland owner in sale of approximately 82,000 acres of timberlands in Washington (2006).
• Represented private timberland owner in sale of approximately 147,000 acres of timberlands in Washington to multiple buyers (2005).
• Represented private forest products company in multiple sales of approximately 130,000 acres of timberland in Northern California (2004-2006).

Permitting & Compliance Work

• Counsel to natural gas pipeline developer regarding public lands issues and compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (2010).
• Counsel to wind energy developer in negotiations with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and state game and wildlife agencies (2009-present).
• Counsel to multiple parties in administrative litigation seeking certification of water rights in the Klamath Basin General Stream Adjudication (2001-present).
• Counsel to non-profit association of landowners in negotiations with the Klamath Tribes and irrigation districts concerning the multiparty Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (2007-2010).
• Counsel to mineral sands developer in acquiring permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Oregon's wetland fill-removal law, and ESA Section 7 consultation (2007-2009).
• Counsel to destination golf course developer in acquiring permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Oregon's wetland fill-removal law, ESA Section 7 consultation, and land use approvals (2007-2009).
• Counsel to wind energy developer in obtaining Section 404 Clean Water Act permit and associated Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation (2006-2009).
• Counsel to municipal water utility concerning acquiring and transferring water rights, obtaining limited licenses, and obtaining an exemption from the Oregon Water Resources Commission's basin plan (2005-2009).
• Represented landowner in negotiations with U.S. Forest Service concerning water rights and point of diversion transfer on National Forest land (2007).
• Represented energy developer seeking a site certificate from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council for a gas-fired power plant (2004-2007).
• Represented landowners in multiple filings for compensation under Oregon Measure 37 (2005-2007).
• Negotiation of agreements with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and private landowners on behalf of non-profit land and water trust organization (2005-2007).
• Represented landowner in opposition to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Critical Habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act (2006).
• Represented landowner before Oregon Water Resources Department and Oregon Water Resources Commission in opposition to agreement affecting client's property (2006-2007).
• Represented multiple wind energy developers seeking site certificates from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council to construct and operate commercial wind farms in Oregon (2001-2006).

Selected Presentations & Publications

• "Forest Roads Case: NEDC v. Brown, Ruling, status and Implications", National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Western Regional Meeting, Sept. 2011
• "Timber, Water & Owls, Will the Fun Never Stop?", Annual Meeting, Oregon and Washington Societies of CPAs, June 2011
• "Timberlands & Water Quality, Lessons from Clean Water Act Case Law," National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Northern Regional Meeting, May 2011
• "Timberlands & Water Quality, Lessons from the Pacific Northwest and Beyond," University of Georgia, 2011 Timberland Investment Conference, Mar. 2011
• "Environmental and Energy Issues Relevant to US Timberlands Owners and Investors," Who Will Own the Forest?, Sept. 22, 2010
• Co-chair and presenter, "Pacific Northwest Timberlands: Illegal Logging and the Lacey Act Amendments," Seminar Group, Feb. 25 & 26, 2010
• Organizer and presenter, "Managing a Dynamic Legal Landscape: The Lacey Act & Illegal Logging," Stoel Rives LLP Seminar Series, World Forestry Center, Oct. 27, 2009
• Organizer and presenter, "What's a Tree Worth?: The Business of Forest Carbon," Stoel Rives LLP Seminar Series, Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters, Oct. 24, 2008
• Co-chair and presenter, "Pacific Northwest Timberlands: A Changing Industry," Seminar Group, Feb. 28 & 29, 2008
• "Business Opportunities: Initiating Dialog Between the Forestry and Renewable Energy Industries," Stoel Rives LLP Seminar Series, World Forestry Center, June 28, 2007
• "The Oregon Forest Practices Act" (author), Environmental and Natural Resources Law, Oregon State Bar, 2006 Supp.
• "The Federal and Oregon Endangered Species Act" (coauthor), Environmental and Natural Resources Law, Oregon State Bar, 2002 & 2006 Supp.

Professional Honors & Activities

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America® (currently: Natural Resources Law, Timber Law), 2012-2013
• Professional Member, Society of American Foresters and Executive Committee Chair for Policy and Legislation, Portland Chapter
• Member, American Bar Association (Forestry and Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Sections)
• Member, Oregon State Bar Association (Administrative Law and Environmental and Natural Resources Sections)

Civic Activities

• Member, Board of Directors, Sustainable Northwest
• Mentor, Law Student Mentor Program of Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College

Education

• Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, J.D., 1999, cum laude
  Natural Resource and Environmental Law Certificate
• Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, M.F.S., 1994
• Xavier University, B.S., Biology, 1990, cum laude

Admissions

• Oregon
• U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

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