Recently Van Ness Feldman represented a firm client, the Little Pine Island Partnership, in successfully closing the sale of an undeveloped tract of land, which was adjacent to the Bayou Sauvage National Urban Wildlife Refuge, to the Department of the Interior. As the largest urban wildlife refuge in the country, Bayou Sauvage, which exists entirely within the New Orleans city limits, was created to offer urban residents' convenient access to the natural beauty of the coastal wetlands that exist along the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition to expanding the valuable natural wetlands of the refuge, the Little Pine Island tract will provide easy access to the interstate, as well as room for a Welcome Center and visitor parking, enhancing accessibility for residents and tourists. The original vision for the refuge is now within reach.

The firm’s work on the representation included ensuring that complex legal requirements were met for the purchase with backing from the Department of the Interior and other key Executive Branch policy centers and that the purchase had the support of key stakeholders including local citizens and elected officials, as well as key Members of Congress.