As the leader of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program, Mark oversaw the Corps’ response to two monumental Supreme Court decisions impacting federal environmental permitting. The Court’s Rapanos and Northern Cook County decisions necessitated substantial federal permitting changes toward waters of the U.S.  Mark’s department oversaw drafting of “significant nexus” guidance and policies from these decisions involving navigable waters and disputes on the definition of WOTUS.

 

Mark also served as Acting Director for the Operations and Regulatory Program at Corps Headquarters.  With a $300 billion portfolio covering all 38 Corps Civil Works Districts, Mark enabled national policy and budget decisions for water navigation, hydropower, recreation, and regulatory programs. While at the Corps, he also led development of the Mitigation and Monitoring Rule governing wetlands restoration in projects with wetlands impact.

 

Mark advises clients on permitting strategies informed by government and private sector experience navigating the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit processes.  His broad institutional knowledge of jurisdictional determinations provides an invaluable foundation for permitting efficiency in both cost and time.

 

With his extensive federal permitting expertise, Mark is a recognized authority on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including Environmental Impact Statements, Environmental Assessments, and Endangered Species Act regulations.