Areas of Expertise: Wildlife habitat and conservation advocacy, environmental and natural resources law and public policy

Mariel joined Defenders of Wildlife in 2020 as Senior Federal Lands Policy Analyst. She works to defend, strengthen and expand the national wildlife refuge system for the conservation of wildlife.

Mariel has devoted her 20-year career to natural resources management and environmental law. Mariel began her career as an attorney in the Department of Interior, advising the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Park Service. She then served as Senior Counsel for Oceana’s Pacific Team, advocating for the conservation of marine resources off the West Coat and the coast of Alaska, and later litigated water law cases on behalf of the Oregon Department of Justice.