Michelle Ouellette

Partner

Riverside
3750 University Avenue, Suite 400
P.O. Box 1028

TEL: (951) 826-8373
Michelle.Ouellette@bbklaw.com

Endangered Species Litigation
Environmental Law & Natural Resources

Michelle Ouellette is a Partner in the Environmental Law & Natural Resources Practice Group of Best Best & Krieger LLP, and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee.

Ms. Ouellette represents municipal, district and private clients in environmental issues arising under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), the state and federal Endangered Species Acts, and wetlands regulations. Ms. Ouellette assists public and private agency clients in all aspects of CEQA and NEPA compliance, including the preparation and review of addenda, negative declarations, environmental impact reports and environmental impact statements. She also has extensive CEQA and NEPA litigation experience and recently successfully defended many CEQA documents, including the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the Long-term Stephens’ kangaroo rat Habitat Conservation Plan.

Ms. Ouellette represents clients in endangered species matters involving listing, Section 7 consultation and habitat conservation planning including the City of Ontario, Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency, High Pointe Development, Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Lauth Properties, County of Riverside, Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority and the March Joint Powers Authority. She has assisted with consultation and conservation matters involving the Stephens’ kangaroo rat, San Bernardino kangaroo rat, Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly, Quino Checkerspot Butterfly and Peninsular Bighorn Sheep. Recently, Ms. Ouellette assisted the County of Riverside in the development of the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (“MSHCP”), its Implementing Agreement and its Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement. The MSHCP is one of the largest conservation plans in the United States.

She also provides water rights and water quality representation and represented the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District in negotiations concerning the water rights of the Soboba Band of Mission Indians on the San Jacinto River. She has represented both public and private clients in water quality and wetlands regulations, including representation before the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards.

Ms. Ouellette teaches courses in environmental law at the University of California, Riverside and Irvine. She has authored articles and frequently lectures on CEQA and the Endangered Species Acts. Ms. Ouellette was 2005 President of the Riverside County Bar Association.

Ms. Ouellette joined Best Best & Krieger LLP in 1989 as a first year associate. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1980, with honors, and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California in 1989.

Bar & Court Admissions

• California, 1989

Education

• JD, University of Southern California Law School
• BA, University of California, Santa Cruz