Tanner A. Johnson

Tanner has worked for more than two decades on conservation and ecosystem restoration policy at the federal, state, and local levels. After earning his law degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, Tanner developed a focus on Louisiana’s imperiled coast in public service as Legislative Director to U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu and aide to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. His work in these positions contributed to the development and unanimous adoption of Louisiana’s 2007 Coastal Master Plan, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) and the RESTORE Act.

As Policy Counsel at Van Ness Feldman, LLP, Tanner helps clients with issues related to conservation, climate change, federal energy policy, disaster resiliency, adaptation, coastal and wetlands restoration, as well as other environmental and natural resources policy issues.

Prior to joining the VNF, Tanner worked at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and managed the $2.5 billion Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, a grant fund resulting from the BP oil spill which in part funds coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana, where lead the distribution of over $1 billion of these funds to projects along the coast in Louisiana and Texas.