Administrative Law, Regulation, and Permitting

Problems Hoffman Silver Gilman & Blasco have solved

A significant percentage of the firm's work involves administrative law and conflict resolution.  For many years, we have represented industry groups and local and regional governmental organizations in obtaining permits required for the execution of their development plans.  With offices both in Alaska and in the nation's capital, Hoffman Silver Gilman & Blasco helps our clients influence government agencies and accomplishes regulations change and permits issued as necessary.  In addition, we have successfully participated in numerous cases involving government agencies and regulatory bodies.  Read on for some examples of our results.

Alaska timber sales

We have worked with the Alaska timber industry for over 20 years, particularly in critiquing and publicly commenting on Environmental Impact Statements and reviewing comments from federal and state agencies.  When necessary, we appeal these decisions administratively. 

As a result, various timber sale projects have been fully permitted after the completion of Environmental Impact Statements under the National Environmental Policy Act.  This included the issuance of the federal mining plan of operations and critical permits such as the Section 404 and 402 permits under the Clean Water Act.

Izembek Land Exchange/King Cove Road

The firm worked with the Aleutians East Borough and the city of King Cove on the permitting of a major road construction project.  The project involved siting of a road and hovercraft dock to allow residents of King Cove, Alaska to reach the Coal Bay Airport.  This project was quite controversial and was in environmental planning for more than five years.  After detailed coordination with federal and state permitting agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Salas Department of Natural Resource, the project was fully permitted.  Now the project has evolved into land exchange which will allow the road to be connected to the Cold Bay Airport.  The firm is working for the borough and city to assure successful environmental permitting and the land exchange.  This project involved passage of federal legislation and now the permitting process.

Cook Inlet beluga whale litigation

In response to longstanding litigation to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species, our firm represented the Triborough—Anchorage, Matanuska–Susutna Borough, and Kenai Peninsula—in intervention.  We successfully defended, and the decision was made to list the whale as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act rather than endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Alaska Loggers pension benefit case

In this case, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) sued to take over the Alaska Loggers Association Retirement Pension Plan.  If the PBGC had prevailed, it would have cost the many employers supporting the plan hundreds of thousands of dollars.  We successfully defended, preventing the PBGC from taking over the plan, and negotiated a satisfactory settlement for the participating employers.  The case was then dismissed.

Transportation industry issues

Our firm represented domestic airlines on a variety of matters including emergency funding in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.  We also worked on the revamping of the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control system and on the Airline Deregulation Act.  On surface transportation matters, we have represented the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.