Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_01-cv-00421/USCOURTS-cand-3_01-cv-00421-19/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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U.S. Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section Telephone (202) 305-0210

P.O. Box 7369 Facsimile (202) 305-0275

Ben Franklin Station

Washington, DC 20044-7369

December 31, 2009

Chief Magistrate Judge Maria Elena-James

c/o Brenda Tolbert, Courtroom Deputy

United States District Court

Northern District of California

450 Golden Gate Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94102

Re: Natural Resources Defense Council v. Gary Locke, et al., Civ-01-0421-JL

Dear Judge James:

After further discussion, Plaintiff and the Federal Defendants do not believe that it will be 

possible to settle any of the claims in the above-captioned case. Although the parties had 

productive discussions during the settlement conference before you on December 1, 2009, and 

followed up with phone calls and emails with each other, we ultimately could not agree on a 

settlement that would be acceptable to both sides. In particular, while we made progress on 

settling the NEPA claim, we eventually discovered that we could not agree on the form of a 

settlement. This discovery obviated the need to continue discussions on settling the other claims, 

which were less advanced and less likely to succeed in any event.

For the reasons discussed above, we ask that you remove the settlement conference 

scheduled for January 6, 2010, from the Court’s calendar. If you have any questions, please 

contact me at 202-305-0339.

Best regards,

/s/ Erik Petersen

Erik E. Petersen

Trial Attorney

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

GRANTED

Judge Maria-Elena James

Case 3:01-cv-00421-JL Document 336 Filed 01/06/10 Page 1 of 2
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cc:

Magistrate Judge James Larson

United States District Court

Northern District of California

450 Golden Gate Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94102

Laura Pagano

Natural Resources Defense Council

111 Sutter Street, 20th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

Marc D. Slonim

Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley & Slonim

2101 4th Avenue, Suite 1230

Seattle, WA 98121-2331

James P. Walsh

Gwen L. Fanger

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

505 Montgomery St., Suite 800

San Francisco, CA 94111

Case 3:01-cv-00421-JL Document 336 Filed 01/06/10 Page 2 of 2