RACHEL MANSFIELD-HOWLETT

Practice Areas

Environmental Law
Preservation Law
Land Use Law
Mediation in above listed practice areas

Education

California State University, Chico CA
B.A., cum laude, Environmental Horticulture 1978

Empire College School of Law, Santa Rosa CA
J.D., cum laude, 2005

Pacific Zen Institute, Santa Rosa CA
Roshi, 2009

Friedman-Bettinelli Mediation Training,
Gary Friedman, J.D., Hon. William Bettinelli 2010

Membership

State Bar of California, environmental section member

Sonoma County Bar Association, environmental section member

Sonoma County Superior Court Civil Mediation Panel

Experience

Ms. Mansfield-Howlett joined Provencher & Flatt as of counsel in 2007. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked for many years in environmental horticulture which included the design of native gardens. Ms. Mansfield-Howlett worked as a law clerk and attorney with Susan Brandt-Hawley, a renowned California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) expert and public interest attorney who trail blazed CEQA litigation.

Services Offered

Ms. Mansfield-Howlett litigates and offers pre litigation counsel on environmental, preservation, and land use cases. She has represented environmental organizations and community groups from diverse areas of California in cases involving public interest environmental issues arising under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with special focus on the preservation of natural resources and adaptive reuse of historic and cultural resources.

In addition to providing traditional legal services, Ms. Mansfield-Howlett guides citizen groups through the often complex city and county administrative processes prior to taking legal action, including:

consultation regarding the application of CEQA
review of exemptions, initial studies, negative declarations, and environmental impact reports (EIRs)
consultation regarding the development of mitigation measures and project alternatives which reduce environmental impacts including conservation easements
appearance at administrative hearings
writing letters to state and local agencies

Clients include: Sierra Club, Committee for Green Foothills, Friends of the North Fork of the American River, Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions, Save San Juan Valley, Citizens for Adequate Review, Guiding Sustainability, Latinos Unidos, Martinez Fair and Responsible Growth Coalition, Maacama Watershed Alliance, Ross Creek Neighbors, Friends of Markleeville, Citizens for Preservation of Marysville Parks, Santa Rosa Creek Coalition, and Fountaingrove Ranch Master Association.

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Successful CEQA actions

Healdsburg resort project EIR overturned. Court required analysis of ridgeline development and consideration of alternatives that would reduce project impacts.
(Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions v. City of Healdsburg, 2010)
Ms. Mansfield-Howlett, lead counsel, and Ms. Janis H. Grattan represented petitioners Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions, which successfully challenged the EIR for the Saggio Hills luxury resort and residential project, the largest project ever proposed for Healdsburg. The writ required the City to set aside the EIR and project approvals, review the aesthetic impact of hillside development on an adjacent public park, analyze omitted water demand, and to consider a reasonable range of feasible alternatives.
"The environmental community is heartened by the Court's decision in Saggio. Protection of scenic public vistas is an important public benefit, and the Court's decision ensures a Fountaingrove-style omission will not occur in Healdsburg. The decision also requires a consideration of alternatives that reduce the project's environmental impacts."
-- Bill Kortum, supporter of Citizens' group

Court required EIR for Streamside development in Los Gatos
(Committee for Green Foothills, Ross Creek Neighbors v. Town of Los Gatos, 2009)
Ms. Mansfield-Howlett, lead counsel, represented petitioners Committee for Green Foothills and Ross Creek Neighbors, which successfully challenged the environmental review conducted for a development project proposed adjacent to Ross Creek. The trial court ruled the review was not in compliance with CEQA by failing to properly consider impacts to biology, riparian habitat, and hydrology and flooding. The court set aside the project approvals and required preparation of an EIR.
"Prevailing in this case has ensured the preparation of an EIR for the project, established the applicability of the Guidelines and Standards for Land Use Near Streams, recognized the validity of expert opinion, and revealed data about the extent of the Ross Creek flood plain that was previously withheld from the public."
-- Ross Creek Neighbors

EIR for San Benito highway expansion overturned. Court required further consideration of farmland mitigation and flooding impacts in the San Juan Valley.
(Save San Juan Valley v. Caltrans, 2009)
Ms. Mansfield-Howlett together with co-counsel Ms. Rose M. Zoia represented petitioners Save San Juan Valley, a citizens group in San Juan Bautista, which prevailed in a CEQA action challenging the adequacy of environmental review for the highway expansion project. The trial court set aside the EIR for the project, stating Caltrans failed to adequately analyze hydrology and flooding impacts; it also required further analysis of special status species and mitigation to farmland loss. Caltrans was enjoined from all activities related to this expansion until CEQA compliance is met.
"As a result of the counsels' skill and expertise, the Court overturned the certification of the EIR and required Caltrans to correct the flaws in its environmental review. That process will allow the public its own further review in order to safeguard against any adverse effect of such a project upon our community and its natural environment. The win was particularly beneficial since our citizen's group had previously exhausted all informal avenues of communication and dialogue. We therefore turned to the court as our last hope for avoiding such damage to our county's quality of life and economic health."
-- Save San Juan Valley

EIR required for former Masonite Plant site in Ukiah prior to further development of Mendocino Crossings Mall project.
(Citizens of Adequate Review v. County of Mendocino, 2008)
Ms. Mansfield-Howlett represented petitioners Citizens for Adequate Review in a CEQA action challenging a major development project. The parties reached a settlement requiring the County of Mendocino to conduct an environmental review prior to the onset of construction and approval of a commercial mall project.
"As a result of Ms Mansfield-Howlett's skill and expertise, the County and Real Parties agreed to enter into a settlement agreement that required the preparation of an EIR for the project prior to any further construction, thus fully obtaining the benefits of the litigation without having to expend the costs of a full trial. The settlement ensured and established the need for environmental review prior to further construction."
--Citizens for Adequate Review