Publications

NEPA – A Comprehensive Guide and Resource

This new, practitioner-focused electronic publication is a compilation of over 200 articles and materials on NEPA organized within the structure of an intuitive and user-friendly outline. It was published by The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, formerly RMMLF, and peer-reviewed by Foundation NEPA experts.

Compiled by Rebecca W. Watson and Temple Steollinger, October 19, 2022.

Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Issues Under the 1930 Right-of-Way Leasing Act – The Impact of Horizontal Drilling, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute (2018) | (PDF)
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the manual of the Annual Institute (2018).

Denver Association of Oil and Gas Title Lawyers (“DAOGTL”)
Sheryl Howe
Sheryl Howe provides quarterly reports for DAOGTL. Read the March 2017 report here, June 2016 report here, and October 2016 report here. You can read the Wyoming report for March 2017 here and October 2016 report here | March 2017

A Lawyer’s Guide to Ethical Issues in Enforcement Proceedings  |   (PDF)
Mary Viviano, Heidi K. Ruckriegle

Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Journal Volume 53 | No. 2 | 2016
A version of this paper was presented at the RMMLF’s April 2016 special institute entitled “Water Acquisition and Management for Oil & Gas Development: Legal and Regulatory Requirements” and appeared in the institute manual as Paper 10B

Overview of Complicating Factors Affecting Title, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation: Nuts and Bolts of Mineral Title Examination (April 2015) | (PDF)
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the manual of the Special Institute on Nuts & Bolts of Mineral Title Examination (2015).

Toward Planning 2.0: The New Landscape of BLM Planning   |   (PDF)
Rebecca Watson, Joshua Cannon
93 Denv. U. L. Rev. Online 49 | November 2015

©Hot Energy Topics on Public Lands at the end of the Obama Administration  |   (PDF)
Rebecca Watson
Presented at the Energy Mineral Law Foundation Annual Institute | June 2015

Advanced Mineral Conveyancing and Title Issues, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation: Advanced Mineral Title Examination – Oil, Gas and Mining (April 2014) | (PDF)
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the manual of the Special Institute on Advanced Mineral Title Examination (2014).

Citizen Initiatives: Power to the People or More of the Same?   |   (PDF)
Rebecca Watson, Jennifer Cadena
This paper was published in the November/December issue of GPSolo, a publication of the American Bar Association, Volume 31 | Number 6. It is an abridged and edited version of one that originally appeared on page 44 of Natural Resources & Environment, Spring 2014 (28:4)

©Top Ten Things Your Friends and Family Need to Know About Fracking   |   (PDF)
Rebecca Watson
Presented at the 15th National Oil & Gas Royalty Conference sponsored by Professional Development Institute (PDI) | Fall 2014

Frontier Flaring: Science & Economics, Politics & Regulation – The Future of Flaring   |   (PDF)
Kelly Williams, Joshua Cannon
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the Proceedings of the 60th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute (2014)

Anti-Fracking Initiatives: Power to the People or More of the Same?   |   (PDF)
Rebecca Watson, Jennifer Cadena
This paper was originally published in Natural Resources & Environment, Volume 28 | Number 4 | Spring 2014

Court of Appeals Rules That Return on Investment May Not Be Deducted in Calculating Severance Taxes and New COGCC Spill and Release Reporting Requirements Under Rules 337 and 906   |   (PDF)
Sheryl Howe, Joseph Pierzchala, Chelsey Russell
This paper was originally published in the Mineral Law Newsletter Vol. XXXI, No. 1 (Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Fdn. 2014)

Oil & Gas Development is Key to US Future. Don’t Ban It. Regulate It.   |   (PDF)
Rebecca W. Watson, WSMT Shareholder, and Don Smith, Director of University of Denver Sturm College of Law’s Environmental and Natural Resources Program
This paper was originally published in The Christian Science Monitor® | October 23, 2013

The Sequester’s Effect on Mineral Payments to Colorado on Public Lands   |   (PDF)
Rebecca W. Watson, Jennifer Cadena
This paper was originally published in Law Week Colorado Vol. 11 | No. 18 | May 6, 2013

Is The Oil and Gas Industry Exempt From Major Environmental Laws and What About That “Fracking” Loophole?   |   (Link to video and power point presentations)
Rebecca W. Watson
Presented at The Center of the American West on March 18, 2014 in conjunction with the AirWaterGas Sustainability Network and Boulder County’s Spring Edition of FrackingSENSE 2.0.

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Supply Protection – Federal Regulatory Developments   |   (PDF)
Rebecca W. Watson, Nora R. Pincus
A prior version of this paper was presented at The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Special Institute entitled “The Water-Energy Nexus: Acquisition, Use and Disposal of Water for Energy and Mineral Development” and appeared in the Institute manual as Paper 6 (Rocky Mt. Min, L. Fdn. 2012).

Water: The Fuel for Colorado Energy   |   (PDF)
Carolyn F. Burr, Rebecca W. Watson
This paper was originally published by the University of Denver Water Law Review, Volume 15/Issue2/Spring 2012.

Something Old, Something New: The Evolving Farmout Agreement   |   (PDF)
Kendor P. Jones
This paper was originally published by the RMMLF in the manual of the Special Institute on Oil and Gas Agreements: The Exploration Phase (2010).

City, County, and Special District Construction Projects   |   (PDF)
Ed Blieszner
Author, the Local Government Contracting chapter of Colorado Construction Law published by CLE in Colorado, Inc. (2010)

Renewable Power Projects on Federal Lands: Wind and Sun and the FLPMA Right-of-Way—is it Working?   |   (PDF)
Maria Garton, Wylie Levone, Rebecca W. Watson
This paper was originally published by the RMMLF in the manual of the Special Institute on Energy Development: Access, Siting, Permitting, and Delivery on Public Lands (2009).

Keeping Your Lease Alive in Good Times and in Bad   |   (PDF)
Kendor P. Jones, Jennifer L. McDowell
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the Proceedings of the 55th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 23-1 (2009).

Uranium Exploration and Development – United States   |   (PDF)
John F. Meck
This paper was originally published by the RMMLF in the manual of the Special Institute on International Mining and Oil & Gas Law, Development and Investment (2009).

State Surface Owner Protection Laws: Tales of Preemption, Federalism and a Changing West   |   (PDF)
Rebecca W. Watson
This paper was originally published by the RMMLF in the manual of the Special Institute on Surface Use for Mineral Development in the New West (2008), and was reprinted in Vol. 45, No. 1 of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Journal (2008).

Update on the Hatfields and McCoys: Did the Tax Collectors and Producer-Processors’ Collaboration Solve Wyoming’s Gas Valuation Problem?
Jennifer McDowell
This professional paper represents the work product of its presenter/author, who is solely responsible for its content.  This paper is reproduced herein with the permission of the National Association of Division Order Analysts.

Produced Water: Water Rights and Water Quality – A Meeting of the Waters?   |   (PDF)
Rebecca W. Watson, Holly J. Franz
This paper was originally published in the proceedings of the 52nd Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute (2006)

Your CEO Must Sign on the Dotted Line! The Louisiana Department of Revenue Defines Who Can Validly Sign Agreements
Jennifer McDowell
Louisiana State and Local Tax Report, Volume 15, No. 4, State Tax Press (April 2006)

Wyoming Disallows Deductions for Transportation Between Wellhead and Market Pipeline: Cabot Oil & gas Corp. v. Followill   |   (PDF)
Amy Seneshen, Co-Author
This professional paper represents the work product of its presenter/author, who is solely responsible for its content.  This paper is reproduced herein with the permission of the National Association of Division Order Analysts.

Chained Gates and No Trespassing Signs: Dealing with Wary Landowners in a Brave New World   |   (PDF)
Kendor P. Jones, Co-Author
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the Proceedings of the 51st Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 7-1 (2005).

Lessee and Transferee Qualifications
Amy Seneshen
Law of Federal Oil & Gas Leases (2005)

Management of Solid and Hazardous Waste
Jim Noble
Author, Management of Solid and Hazardous Waste, in The Most Frequently Asked Questions in Environmental Law (Maricopa County Bar Association 2005 ed.) (co-authored with Michael T. Kafka)

An Overview of Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Law   |   (PDF)
Amy Seneshen
This professional paper represents the work product of its presenter/author, who is solely responsible for its content.  This paper is reproduced herein with the permission of the National Association of Division Order Analysts.

Confidentiality of Juvenile Information Since the Public Information Act   |   (PDF)
Jennifer McDowell
Texas State Bar Juvenile Section Report, Volume 17, No. 2 (June 2003)

Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw and the increasingly Broad Standard for Citizen Standing to Sue in Environmental Litigation
Jim Noble
Author, Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw and the Increasingly Broad Standard for Citizen Standing to Sue in Environmental Litigation, 42 Natural Resources Journal 415 (2002)

The Marketable Product Approach in the Natural Gas Royalty Case
Brian S. Tooley, Co-Author
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the Proceedings of the 44th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 21-1 (1998).

Due Diligence and Closing Issues   |   (PDF)
Kendor P. Jones
This paper was originally published by the RMMLF in the manual of the Special Institute on Oil & Gas Acquisitions (1995).

Restrictions on Access and Surface/Subsurface Trespass Involving Exploration and Production Technologies   |   (PDF)
Kendor P. Jones
This paper was originally published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in the Proceedings of the 40th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 20-1 (1994).