6/24/2026 - 6/24/2026
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM PST



Registration ends on 6/24/2026

Webinar: Reduce Burdens and Maximize Value: Strategies to Minimize Costs Associated with Resource Agency Entitlements
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Webinar Link will be emailed to all registrants by Monday, June 22.

The cost of doing business in California is steep and the regulatory burdens are heavy. To complicate matters, new legal requirements are frequently enacted and adopted, and courts are interpreting and at times curtailing these legal requirements. As a result of this fluid and confusing regulatory condition, state and federal resource agencies are pushing their jurisdictional bounds, and permitting fees are increasing for developers seeking entitlements such as incidental take permits for protected species, lake and streambed alteration agreements, and Clean Water Act section 404 permits and 401 certifications.

This presentation will discuss the jurisdictional reach of resource agencies and strategies for developers to reduce the burdens associated with obtaining entitlements from resource agencies.

Speakers: Ryan Thomason is a partner and land use attorney at Mitchell Chadwick LLP, where he specializes in environmental law, natural resources development, and land use entitlements. Ryan represents clients in the mining, mitigation/conservation banking, and natural resource development industries, as well as traditional developers, in all aspects of the project lifecycle, from property acquisition and initial due diligence through the environmental review and entitlement phases. He possesses specialized expertise in advising clients on mitigation and permitting requirements, mineral rights, and federal mining claims.

Hunter Watkins, Environmental Project Manager for Terracon, has worked on over 500 projects including CEQA/NEPA analyses and writing, environmental compliance and permitting, project coordination and management, GIS analyses and creating exhibits for environmental documents and technical studies, providing QA/QC for documents and exhibits, and public-agency coordination. Hunter uses data-driven approaches to systematically assess project alternatives and appropriate mitigation measures, so he is able to discuss and create solutions for his clients. He has experience communicating with regulatory agencies and others to facilitate efficiency and collaboration between parties. Hunter has experience working with the California Coastal Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Water Resource Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and various other federal, state, and local agencies.

Non-members may pay via PayPal on the registration website or check payable to AEP. Mail check to AEP c/o Janet Dallas, Treasurer, 2020 L Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95811. If those payment options don’t work for you contact Janet Dallas at janet.dallas@aecom.com, and we can work something out with you.

If you have any issues with registration, contact Janet Dallas, AEP Chapter Treasurer at janet.dallas@aecom.com.