Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00407/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00407-33/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 42:4321 Review of Agency Action-Environment

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Order Following Nov. 25, 2009 

Status Conference Re. 706 Experts 1 Case No. 09-cv-407 OWW 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

FRESNO DIVISION

DELTA SMELT CONSOLIDATED CASES 

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Case No. 1:09-cv-407 OWW 

Order Following Nov. 25, 2009 Status 

Conference Regarding Fed. R. Evid. 706 

Experts 

Judge: Hon. Oliver W. Wanger 

On November 25, 2009, the Court held a status conference regarding the protocols, 

logistics, and manner of communication to be followed if the Court decides that the assistance of 

Court-appointed neutral experts pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 706 is necessary to resolve 

Plaintiffs’ forthcoming motion(s) for preliminary injunctive relief (due December 3, 2009) and 

the parties’ forthcoming motions for summary judgment on Plaintiffs’ Endangered Species Act 

claims (due January 29, 2010 and March 19, 2010, respectively). After considering the 

arguments presented by the parties during the status conference, and good cause appearing 

therefore, 

 

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Case 1:09-cv-00407-LJO-BAM Document 465 Filed 12/18/09 Page 1 of 5
Order Following Nov. 25, 2009 

Status Conference Re. 706 Experts 2 Case No. 09-cv-407 OWW 

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THE COURT HEREBY ORDERS: 

1. Federal Defendants shall immediately serve on Dr. André Punt and Dr. Thomas 

Quinn a copy of the Administrative Record for the December 15, 2008 Biological Opinion in the 

same searchable DVD format as Federal Defendants provided to the Court. 

2. Plaintiffs and/or Plaintiff-Intervenor the California Department of Water 

Resources shall serve on Drs. Punt and Quinn the expert declarations and attached materials 

provided by Dr. Ray Hilborn, Dr. Bryan Manly, Dr. Charles Hanson, Dr. Richard Deriso, Tara 

Smith and Aaron Miller (Docket Nos. 393, 395-98, 400-01). 

3. There shall be no communication between (1) Drs. Quinn and Punt on the one 

hand and (2) any of the parties’ expert witnesses on the other about the delta smelt, the 2008 

Biological Opinion, this matter, or any of the materials filed in this matter. The parties’ expert 

witnesses identified to date are Drs. Hilborn, Manly, Hanson, and Deriso, Ms. Smith, and Mr. 

Miller. If the opinions of any other expert witnesses are filed or relied upon by any of the 

parties, the identities of those experts shall be made known to Drs. Quinn and Punt. 

4. All parties shall serve Drs. Punt and Quinn with all materials filed with the Court 

in this matter from this date forward until further Order of the Court, to the following addresses: 

Dr. André Punt 

University of Washington 

School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences 

P.O. Box 355020 

Seattle, WA 98195 

Dr. Thomas Quinn 

University of Washington 

School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences 

P.O. Box 355020 

Seattle, WA 98195 

Materials may be served electronically at the election of Drs. Punt and Quinn. No party may 

otherwise engage in ex parte communications with Drs. Quinn or Punt unless permitted by this 

Order or by the Court. 

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Case 1:09-cv-00407-LJO-BAM Document 465 Filed 12/18/09 Page 2 of 5
Order Following Nov. 25, 2009 

Status Conference Re. 706 Experts 3 Case No. 09-cv-407 OWW 

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5. The parties shall attach to each motion, brief or other paper filed in this case a 

copy of the Administrative Record portions relied upon or cited to in that document. 

6. For their work in this case, Drs. Punt and Quinn shall not be permitted to review 

materials other than those that comprise the Administrative Record (as supplemented) or that 

have otherwise been made a part of the record of this case by Order of this Court, except as 

necessary to respond to questioning from the Court, if any, regarding whether Defendant U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (“the Service”) failed to account for the best scientific and commercial 

data available in promulgating the 2008 Biological Opinion. For purposes of this Order, “best 

scientific and commercial data available” means scientific information, dated December 15, 

2008 or earlier, that a competent practitioner of aquatic and fisheries science would rely on and 

that was reliable, credible, and that was available to the Service or otherwise generally accepted 

and known within the aquatic and fisheries science community, as of December 15, 2008. If 

Drs. Quinn or Punt review or rely upon extra-record materials, they shall make a record of those 

materials and that record shall be made available to the parties. This provision shall not be 

construed to require Drs. Punt and Quinn to undertake their own inquiries beyond the materials 

that comprise the Administrative Record (as supplemented) or that have otherwise been made a 

part of the record of this case by Order of this Court. 

7. If Drs. Quinn and Punt desire to confer about the Delta Smelt, the 2008 Biological 

Opinion, this matter, or any of the materials filed in this matter, with experts other than the 

parties’ expert witnesses, they shall first notify the Court of the expert’s identity and field of 

expertise. The Court will in turn notify the parties of the request. The parties will then have five 

days to file objections to the request. If no such objections are received, or if the Court overrules 

any such objections, then Drs. Quinn or Punt may communicate with outside experts, but only so 

long as: (1) any such communications are logged and the log made available to the parties; and 

(2) any such inquiries are limited to the issue of whether the Service failed to account for the best 

scientific and commercial data available, as it existed as of December 15, 2008, in promulgating 

the 2008 Biological Opinion. This provision shall not be construed to require Drs. Punt and 

Quinn to undertake their own inquiries beyond the materials that comprise the Administrative 

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Case 1:09-cv-00407-LJO-BAM Document 465 Filed 12/18/09 Page 3 of 5
Order Following Nov. 25, 2009 

Status Conference Re. 706 Experts 4 Case No. 09-cv-407 OWW 

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Record (as supplemented) or that have otherwise been made a part of the record of this case by 

Order of this Court. 

8. The expert opinions of Drs. Punt and Quinn shall be provided to the Court 

exclusively in the following format: 

a. First, Drs. Quinn and Punt shall confer telephonically with the Court, 

outside the presence of the parties, to discuss the areas on which each expert should focus 

and to begin developing the questions that will be posed by the Court to Drs. Punt and 

Quinn. 

b. The Court will thereafter draft written questions to Drs. Quinn and Punt 

and circulate those to the parties. The parties shall be permitted to file written responses 

with objections or suggested changes. 

c. After receiving and considering the parties’ responses, the Court will 

submit the questions, if any, as revised (if applicable), to Drs. Punt and Quinn. 

d. Drs. Quinn and Punt shall deliver to the Court written responses to the 

Court’s questions. The Court will make the experts’ responses available to the parties by 

way of the Court’s CM/ECF electronic filing system. Drs. Punt and Quinn shall not 

generate expert reports. 

e. The parties shall be permitted to file objections to the written responses of 

Drs. Punt and Quinn. 

9. Drs. Quinn and Punt shall be compensated for their work in this matter by the 

parties at the rate of $200.00 per hour each, plus reasonable expenses including travel, lodging, 

meals, postage, telephone, and printing costs. Fees and costs shall be apportioned between the 

parties as provided for in this Court’s Order Re Appointment of F. R. Evid. 706 Experts dated 

Nov. 13, 2009. See Docket No. 394. 

10. Drs. Punt and Quinn shall keep billing reports of time spent working on this 

matter and shall submit their reports to the Court either at the conclusion of their service in this 

matter, or periodically, as determined by Dr. Quinn and Dr. Punt. Each entry shall include the 

date, number of hours worked, and a description of the activity (i.e., documents reviewed, 

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Case 1:09-cv-00407-LJO-BAM Document 465 Filed 12/18/09 Page 4 of 5
Order Following Nov. 25, 2009 

Status Conference Re. 706 Experts 5 Case No. 09-cv-407 OWW 

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persons contacted). Drs. Punt and Quinn shall provide copies of all receipts for expenses along 

with their time billing reports. The Court will then transmit the invoices to the parties for 

payment directly to Drs. Quinn and Punt. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: December 17, 2009 /s/ OLIVER W. WANGER 

 Honorable Oliver W. Wanger 

 United States District Court Judge 

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