BILL YEATES

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Bill Yeates’ practice focuses on environmental and land use consultation and litigation involving California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Federal and California Endangered Species Acts, Public Trust, State Planning and Zoning, Elections, California Coastal Act, Williamson Act, Integrated Waste Management Act, Water Quality and Supply, Fish and Wildlife, Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Act.

Mr. Yeates has been the attorney of record in several published environmental, CEQA, and planning and zoning land use cases. Mr. Yeates and the lawyers in KenyonYeates also review and comment on public agency environmental review and land use documents, prepare clients for administrative proceedings before state and local public agencies, and represent clients in state and local administrative proceedings. Advising clients about, preparing, and defending local and statewide initiative and referendum measures is a key element of Mr. Yeates’ practice.

Mr. Yeates advises state and local governments and environmental organizations on environmental law and policy. In February 2005, California Resources Agency Secretary Mike Chrisman invited Mr. Yeates to serve on the CEQA Improvement Advisory Group. He is the author of the Community Guide to the California Environmental Quality Act, published by the Planning and Conservation League Foundation and recently updated PCLF’s CEQA Guide to include discussion of CEQA’s role in addressing global warming. For the past several years, Mr. Yeates conducts public education workshops on CEQA for the Planning and Conservation League Foundation throughout California.

As staff counsel for the California Coastal Commission in charge of the Commission’s legislative program Mr. Yeates worked with State Parks on the implementation of land acquisitions funded by the 1976 Coastal Bond Act and worked with legislative staff and State Senator Gary Hart to enact the Fish and Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Act of 1984, which provided bond funds for acquisition of wildlife habitat.

As a private lobbist representing environmental, conservation and fishing organizations he drafted the initial incorporation papers for the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and incorporated the Mountain Lion Preservation Foundation, now Mountain Lion Foundation. He continues to incorporate and advise non-profit organizations as part of his practice.

Working with a coalition of organizations led by the Planning and Conservation League and with Congressman Leon Panetta and Monterey County Supervisor Karin Strasser Kauffman, he drafted the portion of Proposition 70 that provided over $20 million to Monterey County to protect the the Big Sur area of Monterey County.

He also drafted the California Wildlife Protection Act (Proposition 117), which protected the mountain lion from trophy hunting and provided over $900 million for wildlife habitat protection and acquisition. Drawing on these experiences Mr. Yeates has written several local land use initiative and referendum petitions throughout California.

Working with Senator Byron Sher and his staff, the Planning and Conservation League and California League of Conservation Voters, Mr. Yeates drafted the master environmental impact report provisions of CEQA.

Mr. Yeates graduated from the University of Michigan in1972. In 1974, he earned a Master of Science Degree in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law in 1978.

Mr. Yeates has served as President of the Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society and Mountain Lion Foundation. Currently he serves on the boards of the Planning and Conservation League and Water for California.