Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_02-cv-02006/USCOURTS-cand-4_02-cv-02006-8/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 05:551 Administrative Procedure Act

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KRISTEN L. BOYLES

EARTHJUSTICE

705 Second Avenue, Suite 203

Seattle, WA 98104-1711

(206) 343-7340 (phone) / (206) 343-1526 (fax)

kboyles@earthjustice.org

Attorney for Plaintiffs

SUE ELLEN WOOLDRIDGE, Assistant Attorney General

S. JAY GOVINDAN, Trial Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

Ben Franklin Station, P.O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

(202)305-0237 (tel) / (202)305-0275 (fax)

jay.govindan@usdoj.gov

Attorneys for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

OAKLAND DECISION

PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF

FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

and

YUROK TRIBE and HOOPA VALLEY

TRIBE, 

 Plaintiff-Intervenors,

v.

UNITED STATES BUREAU OF

RECLAMATION, and NATIONAL MARINE

FISHERIES SERVICE,

Defendants,

and

KLAMATH WATER USERS

ASSOCIATION,

 Defendant-Intervenors.

Civil No. 02-2006 SBA

JOINT STIPULATION

REGARDING PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIM

FOR ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS

AND ORDER

Case 4:02-cv-02006-SBA Document 479 Filed 08/15/06 Page 1 of 5
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Plaintiffs, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, et al., and

Defendants U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (“Reclamation”), and the National Marine

Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) (collectively “Federal Defendants”), state the following: 

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs brought this action under the Endangered Species Act and

Administrative Procedure Act to challenge the 2002 biological opinion issued by NMFS

for Reclamation’s operation of the Klamath Project;

WHEREAS, on July 14, 2003, the Court granted in part and denied in part

Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment, and held that the Phase III flows in NMFS’s

2002 biological opinion were arbitrary and capricious, but declined to require any

modification of the Phase I or Phase II flows;

WHEREAS, on October 18, 2005, the Ninth Circuit determined that NMFS had

not conducted the requisite analysis for the Phase I and Phase II flows and remanded the

matter to the district court for the issuance of an appropriate injunction; 

WHEREAS, the mandate issued on December 30, 2005; 

WHEREAS, on March 25, 2006, this Court granted Plaintiffs’ motion for

injunction following remand;

WHEREAS, on May 25, 2006, this Court granted Federal Defendants’ motion for

reconsideration pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(e); 

WHEREAS, on April 6, 2005 and Plaintiffs filed a motion for attorneys’ fees and

costs pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412, for fees and costs

incurred in litigating this action;

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants agree that it is in the interest of the

parties and judicial economy to settle Plaintiffs’ claim for attorneys’ fees and costs in this

action without further litigation; and 

WHEREAS, the parties enter this Stipulation without any admission of fact or

law, or waiver of any claims or defenses, factual or legal. 

Case 4:02-cv-02006-SBA Document 479 Filed 08/15/06 Page 2 of 5
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NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS STIPULATED BY AND BETWEEN THE PARTIES AS

FOLLOWS:

1. This motion is jointly submitted in accordance with the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Local Rules of this

Court, and the parties move this Court to approve this stipulation and sign the enclosed

order.

2. Subject to the provisions in paragraph 4 below, Federal Defendants agree

to settle all of Plaintiffs’ claims for costs and attorneys’ fees related to the challenge to

NMFS’s 2002 Klamath Project biological opinion in the above-captioned litigation for a

total of $192,000.00. Federal Defendants will issue a check in that amount or, as

appropriate, make a wire transfer to the specified account of: 

Earthjustice

705 Second Avenue, Suite 203

Seattle, WA 98104-1711

3. Plaintiffs agree to accept payment of $ 192,000.00 in full satisfaction of

any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation related to the abovecaptioned litigation, through and including the date of this agreement. 

4. This agreement does not apply to any fees that may result from work on a

future appeal of this matter to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 

The parties agree that should Plaintiffs prevail on appeal, this agreement is without

prejudice to Plaintiffs’ right to seek attorneys’ fees and costs related to any appeal

subsequent to the date of this agreement. Federal Defendants reserve all arguments and

defenses with respect to any such future fee application. 

5. Federal Defendants agree to submit all necessary paperwork to funding

authorities at the Department of the Treasury within ten (10) business days of receipt of

the signed court order approving this stipulation.

Case 4:02-cv-02006-SBA Document 479 Filed 08/15/06 Page 3 of 5
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6. This stipulation as to attorneys’ fees and costs has no precedential value

and its contents shall not be used as evidence in any other attorneys’ fees litigation. By

this agreement, Federal Defendants do not waive any right to contest fees claimed by

Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs’ counsel, including the hourly rate, in any future litigation.

7. In an e-mail dated July 19, 2006, Counsel for the Plaintiffs, Kristen

Boyles, authorized S. Jay Govindan, counsel for the Federal Defendants, to sign this joint

stipulation and enter it in the ECF system.

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

Dated: July 21, 2006 Dated: July 21, 2006

 /s/ /s/ 

KRISTEN L. BOYLES, Staff Attorney S. JAY GOVINDAN, Trial Attorney 

Earthjustice United States Department of Justice

705 Second Ave., Suite 203 Environment & Natural Resources Division

Seattle, WA 98104-1711 Wildlife & Marine Resources Section

Ben Franklin Station, P.O. Box 7369

Tel: (206) 343-7340 Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Fax: (206) 343-1526 Tel: (202) 305-0237

Fax: (202)305-0275

Attorney for Plaintiffs Attorney for Federal Defendants 

 ORDER

 The Court hereby approves and orders each and every term of this stipulated

settlement.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated this 7th day of August, 2006. 

_________________________

Hon. Saundra Brown Armstrong

United States District Judge

Case 4:02-cv-02006-SBA Document 479 Filed 08/15/06 Page 4 of 5
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Case 4:02-cv-02006-SBA Document 479 Filed 08/15/06 Page 5 of 5