Doug Carstens – President

Doug Carstens is an environmental attorney and an activist and advocate for the protection of the environment, natural resources, and addressing climate change. He is the managing partner of the environmental plaintiff’s law firm Chatten-Brown, Carstens & Minteer, LLP which was founded by PCL past-president and longtime board member Jan Chatten-Brown. Doug has worked closely with the Planning and Conservation League to review legislation, give guidance on California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) related issues, and has been an on-the-ground advocate for an array of environmental concerns. In addition to bringing together coalitions, writing articles, and talking to the press, Doug has also facilitated CEQA workshops throughout California with the PCL Foundation to ensure communities can participate effectively in the environmental review process. Doug worked with environmental justice advocates in Los Angeles in an effort that ultimately culminated in the public acquisition of a large site in northeast Los Angeles for preservation. He is especially proud of such park advocacy and, along with Jan Chatten-Brown, his firm Chatten-Brown, Carstens & Minteer has also helped bring about the public acquisition of parklands in the Rio De Los Angeles State Park, the State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles, and additions to the Kenneth Hahn State Park in Baldwin Hills. Doug was also a board member and President of the Sierra Nevada Alliance. Doug brings experience, effectiveness, and energy to the table. In 2011, Doug was the proud recipient of PCL’s Carla Bard Award for Individual Achievement. He looks forward to working with PCL to promote environmental protection, environmental justice, and quality of life in California in the future.