Douglas MacDougal, a shareholder in the Portland office of regional law firm Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, was recently appointed by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski to the Governing Board of the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). He was confirmed to the position by the Oregon Senate.

“Doug’s acumen and skills in water rights and natural resources law is well known throughout the state,” said Mark Long, Schwabe’s managing partner. “It is quite the honor to be appointed to this board and I am very excited for Doug to lend his extensive expertise to this state agency.”

MacDougal has broad experience in water rights law and natural resources law. His experience has included representation of clients in water rights, adjudications, permitting, contested cases and regulatory matters, and extensive involvement in natural resource policy issues. He represents ports, water users, ranches, and municipalities in the region, and is lead counsel on a number of complex water negotiations in water basins throughout the state of Oregon.

MacDougal is licensed to practice law in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, where he is an active member in each state bar association. He is a member of the Oregon Water Resources Congress and serves in leadership positions in the Water Resources Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy and Resources. MacDougal graduated with honors from Washington and Lee University Law School with a juris doctor degree.

DOGAMI was created in 1937 as an independent state agency and has evolved from its early focus on mining to become Oregon’s major source of information to help Oregonians understand and prepare for the vast array of natural hazards that accompany the state’s geology. The primary function of the agency is the regulation of mineral, oil and gas, and geothermal energy development; mapping the state’s varied geology and natural hazards, which include earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and coastal erosion; and public education and outreach related to these risks.