Tim is a leading expert on land use law in California, where the complex intersection of federal, state, and local law often results in lengthy and litigious land use decisions. He has taught city and regional planning as well as environmental planning and policy at UC-Berkeley, land use regulation at Vermont Law School and the University of San Diego School of Law, and environmental law (including the California Environmental Quality Act) at UC-Berkeley, UC-Santa Cruz, and the University of San Diego School of Law. He is also the author of the award-winning book Shaping the Sierra: Nature, Culture, and Conflict in the Changing West (University of California Press, 1999) and has worked with land trusts on agricultural conservation and wildlife conservation easements. Tim served on the California Spotted Owl Federal Advisory Committee and has advised the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management as well as the California Resources Agency on public land use. He has taught public lands and natural resources law and policy at the University of San Diego School of Law.
Tim is also a leading expert on the impact of sea level rise on coastal land use conflicts on the California coast, publishing the seminal article on the issue for practitioners (available for downloading in the “Publications” tab) and presenting the keynote address on the topic at the annual retreat of Real Property Law Section of the California State Bar.