Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-06523/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-06523-15/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 05:702 Administrative Procedure Act

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STIP. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND [PROPOSED] ORDER 

REGARDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS 1

RONALD J. TENPAS

Assistant Attorney General

BEVERLY F. LI (WSBA # 33267)

Trial Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

P.O. Box 663

Washington, DC 20044-0663

Tel: (202) 353-9213

Fax: (202) 514-8865

SCOTT N. SCHOOLS

United States Attorney

CHARLES O’CONNOR (SBN 56320)

Assistant United States Attorney

Northern District of California

450 Golden Gate Avenue, 10th Floor

P.O. Box 36055

San Francisco, California 94102-3495

Tel: (415) 436-7180

Attorneys for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL )

DIVERSITY, et al., ) CASE NO. C 06-6523-WHA

)

Plaintiffs, ) STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 

 ) AGREEMENT AND

v. ) [PROPOSED] ORDER REGARDING

) ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS

ABIGAIL R. KIMBELL, Chief, )

United States Forest Service, et al., )

)

Defendants. )

___________________________________ )

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs Center for Biological Diversity, California Native Plant Society,

California Wilderness Coalition, Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Los

Padres Forest Watch, and Natural Resources Defense Council challenged under the

Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 701 et seq., the United States Forest Service’s decision

to dismiss as untimely Plaintiffs’ administrative appeals of the four Records of Decision

Case 3:06-cv-06523-WHA Document 93 Filed 03/12/08 Page 1 of 5
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STIP. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND [PROPOSED] ORDER 

REGARDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS 2

approving the revised Land Management Plans for the four southern California National Forests

(Cleveland, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Los Padres National Forests);

WHEREAS, this Court in its Order dated March 23, 2007 (Doc. No. 39), upheld the

United States Forest Service’s dismissal of Plaintiffs’ appeals as untimely;

WHEREAS, this Court in its Order dated October 23, 2007 (Doc. No. 65), held 

that the United States Department of Agriculture’s decision to deny discretionary review of

Plaintiffs’ untimely administrative appeals was arbitrary and capricious under the APA;

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs have filed a Motion for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs (Doc. No. 77)

for their prosecution of this litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of

California; 

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs and Defendants (collectively, “the Parties”) believe that it is in the 

interests of judicial economy to avoid litigating a request for attorneys’ fees and costs and to

avoid diverting Agency resources; 

THEREFORE, in the interests of the public, the Parties, and judicial economy, the Parties 

hereby stipulate and agree to the following:

1. Defendants agree to pay the lump sum total of twenty-six thousand, eighty-three dollars

and seventy-eight cents ($26,083.78) in full and complete satisfaction of any and all

claims, demands, rights, and causes of action pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act,

28 U.S.C. § 2412(d), and/or any other statute and/or common law theory, for all

attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Plaintiffs, individually and/or severally, in this

litigation. 

2. Defendants agree to submit all necessary paperwork to the appropriate office either

within thirty (30) business days of receipt of the signed Court order approving this

Stipulated Agreement, or within thirty (30) business days of receipt of the withdrawal,

dismissal, grant, or denial of the appeals of this matter that are currently pending before

the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Cause Nos. 07-17384, 08-

15028, whichever is later. 

Case 3:06-cv-06523-WHA Document 93 Filed 03/12/08 Page 2 of 5
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STIP. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND [PROPOSED] ORDER 

REGARDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS 3

3. Plaintiffs agree that receipt of this payment from Defendants shall operate as a release of

any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs that Plaintiffs may seek to pursue in this

matter relating to the litigation or settlement.

4. Defendants’ payment, as identified in Paragraph 1 above, shall be accomplished by

Defendants sending a check in the settlement amount of $26,083.78 to Plaintiff the

Center for Biological Diversity, 1095 Market Street, Suite 511, San Francisco, CA

94153.

5. Plaintiffs agree to hold harmless Defendants in any litigation, further suit, or claim

arising from the payment of the agreed-upon $26,083.78 settlement amount to Plaintiff

the Center for Biological Diversity at the address identified in Paragraph 4 above.

6. Nothing in the terms of this Stipulated Agreement shall be construed to limit or deny the

power of a federal official to promulgate or amend regulations.

7. No provision in this Stipulated Agreement shall be interpreted as a commitment or

requirement that Defendants obligate or pay funds in violation of the Anti-Deficiency

Act, or any other law or regulation. In the event, however, Defendants contend in the

future that compliance with this Stipulated Agreement would violate the Anti-Deficiency

Act, Plaintiffs reserve the right to claim that the Anti-Deficiency Act does not excuse

compliance with this Agreement.

8. This Stipulated Agreement does not represent an admission by any Party to any fact,

claim, or defense in any issue in this lawsuit. This Stipulated Agreement has no

precedential value and shall not be used as evidence of such in any litigation. 

9. The undersigned representatives of the Parties certify that they are fully authorized by the

party or parties whom they represent to enter into the terms and conditions of this

Stipulated Agreement and to legally bind the Parties to it.

Case 3:06-cv-06523-WHA Document 93 Filed 03/12/08 Page 3 of 5
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STIP. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND [PROPOSED] ORDER 

REGARDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS 4

IT IS HEREBY AGREED.

Date: March 12, 2008

 /s/ Justin Augustine (by email permission) 

Justin Augustine

Center for Biological Diversity

1095 Market St., Suite 511

San Francisco, CA 94103

Tel: 415-436-9682

Fax: 415-436-9683

Attorney for Plaintiffs

Date: March 12, 2008

RONALD J. TENPAS

Assistant Attorney General

/s/ Beverly F. Li 

BEVERLY F. LI 

Trial Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources

Division-NRS

P.O. Box 663

Washington, DC 20044-0663

Tel: 202-353-9213

Fax: 202-514-8865

Attorney for Defendants

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Date: , 2008

 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge William Alsup

March 12

Case 3:06-cv-06523-WHA Document 93 Filed 03/12/08 Page 4 of 5
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STIP. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND [PROPOSED] ORDER 

REGARDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS 5

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on March 12, 2008, the foregoing STIPULATED SETTLEMENT

AGREEMENT AND [PROPOSED] ORDER REGARDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS was filed with

the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system, which will send notification of such filing to

the following:

Justin Augustine

Center for Biological Diversity

1095 Market St., Suite 511

San Francisco, CA 94103

Tel: 415-436-9682

Fax: 415-436-9683

jaugustine@biologicaldiversity.org

John Buse 

Center for Biological Diversity 

5656 S. Dorchester #3 

Chicago, IL 60637 

Tel: 323-533-4416 

jbuse@biologicaldiversity.org 

Counsel for Plaintiffs

 /s/ Beverly F. Li 

Beverly F. Li

Counsel for Defendants

Case 3:06-cv-06523-WHA Document 93 Filed 03/12/08 Page 5 of 5