Based in the firm’s Bend, Oregon office, Ms. Desmond has developed a broad water, natural resources, and environmental law practice advising local irrigation, drainage, and water districts, municipalities, private landowners, and rural water users.
Ms. Desmond counsels clients in Oregon, California, and Utah on a variety of water quality and water rights administration matters, including but not limited to issues involving water rights transfers, chain of title reports, adjudications, land use planning, wetlands regulations, groundwater mitigation planning, water conservation planning, and compliance with state and federal regulations like the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. In the recent era of drought, her practice has focused on adaptive water management and natural resource conflict resolution. For three years, Ms. Desmond was an adjunct professor teaching “Environmental Policy and Politics” at Oregon State University – Cascades.