Danielle Bettencourt spent her childhood in Montana surrounded by the industries that would inform her legal career: oil and gas, ranching and agriculture.
Now, as an environmental and natural resources attorney at Fairfield & Woods P.C., Bettencourt represents local governments, ranchers, natural resource developers and public land users dealing with high-stakes permitting issues and environmental disputes. Much of her work focuses on federal public lands, where shifting regulations and overlapping jurisdictions require careful navigation.
Though her experience in high school debate piqued her interest in a career in law, Bettencourt only gravitated toward land-use and natural resource issues as she dug into her coursework at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. “I’ve always liked anything related to land or dealing with land,” she said.
After law school, her work at a small firm focused on public lands set her path, with Bettencourt developing a niche practice representing clients interacting with agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
She is particularly proud of her leadership in Quiet Title Act litigation against the United States involving rights-of-way, county-established roads and mineral and royalty interests on and across public lands. “I worked on some of those cases for seven or eight years,” she said. “There were wins and losses, but they’re meaningful because of the time and effort that went into them.”
She continues to advise clients on federal rule changes, assist with public comments on regulations and litigate disputes involving land rights and access.
Bettencourt is especially passionate about representing ranchers and agricultural communities that depend on federal grazing permits. “You get to know the history of their families and their connection to the land,” she said. “That’s something I take a lot of pride in.”
Outside of work, Bettencourt brings the same collaborative mindset to another passion: sports. A former college basketball player, she has coached youth, club and high school basketball for years and coaches her own children’s teams when possible.
Bettencourt is an active member of the Colorado Bar Association’s Natural Resources and Energy Law, Environmental Law and Agricultural and Rural Law sections and the Colorado Women’s Bar Association. She has been named to ColoradoBiz Power List and recognized by Colorado Super Lawyers.