Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-02091/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-02091-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 480
Nature of Suit: Consumer Credit
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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ALAN N. BICK, SBN 151452, ABick@gibsondunn.com

THOMAS A. MANAKIDES, SBN 229119, TManakides@gibsondunn.com

GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP

3161 Michelson Drive

Irvine, California 92612-4412

Tel: (949) 451-3800

Fax: (949) 451-4220

Attorneys for Plaintiff COUNCIL FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES

ACT RELIABILITY

LAWRENCE G. BROWN, United States Attorney

SYLVIA QUAST, Assistant U.S. Attorney

United States Attorney, Eastern District of California

U.S. Courthouse

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, CA 95814-2322

Tel: (916) 554-2700

Fax: (916) 554-2900

IGNACIA S. MORENO, Assistant Attorney General

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Section Chief

DANIEL J. POLLAK, Trial Attorney 

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment & Natural Resources Division

Wildlife & Marine Resources Section

Ben Franklin Station, P.O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Tel: (202) 305-0201

Fax: (202) 305-0275

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

 

)

COUNCIL FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES )

ACT RELIABILITY, )

) Case No. 1:09-CV-02091-OWW-DLB

)

Plaintiff, )

) Stipulation and Order to Dismiss 

Claims and

v. ) Set Schedule for Resolving

) Attorney’s Fees and Costs

KEN SALAZAR, as Secretary of the United )

States Department of the Interior; UNITED )

STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; )

UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE )

SERVICE; SAM HAMILTON, as Director of )

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, )

Case 1:09-cv-02091-OWW -DLB Document 19 Filed 04/23/10 Page 1 of 4
Stipulation and Order to Dismiss 2 Case No. 1:09-CV-02092-OWW-DLB

United States Department of the Interior, REN )

LOHOEFENER, as Regional Director of the )

United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific )

Southwest Region, United States Department of )

the Interior, )

)

Defendants. )

 )

WHEREAS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) listed the delta smelt as a 

threatened species on March 5, 1993. See 73 Fed. Reg. 39,639, 39,640 (July 10, 2008).

WHEREAS, on March 9, 2006, the Service received a petition, dated March 8, 2006, from 

the Center for Biological Diversity, the Bay Institute, and the Natural Resources Defense Council 

to reclassify the listing status of the delta smelt from threatened to endangered status. Id.

WHEREAS, On July 10, 2008, the Service published the 90-day finding in the Federal 

Register, as required by 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b)(3)(A), which concluded that the petition presented 

“substantial information to indicate . . . that reclassification of delta smelt from threatened to 

endangered may be warranted” and that the Service would accordingly initiate a status review of 

the species. Id. at 39,643. 

WHEREAS, on October 15, 2009, Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability 

(“CESAR”) filed its Complaint in the above-captioned case under the Endangered Species Act

citizen suit provisions at 16 U.S.C. §1540(g)(1)(C). CESAR’s Complaint alleged that the Service 

missed its mandatory deadline to issue, within 12-months, a finding as to whether the petitionedfor reclassification of the delta smelt was warranted, not warranted, or warranted but precluded by 

other listing priorities, pursuant to 16 U.S.C. §1533(b)(3)(B). 

WHEREAS, CESAR’s lawsuit in this action sought declaratory relief and an injunction 

compelling issuance of the 12-month finding, as well as reasonable costs of litigation including 

attorney’s fees.

WHEREAS, on April 7, 2010, the Service issued a 12-month finding regarding the 

petition to reclassify the delta smelt at 75 Fed. Reg. 17,667 (the “12-month Delta Smelt Finding”). 

Case 1:09-cv-02091-OWW -DLB Document 19 Filed 04/23/10 Page 2 of 4
WHEREAS, on April 12, 2010, this Court issued an Order to Show Cause re Dismissal 

ordering the parties to show cause as to why the case should not be dismissed as moot in light of 

the Service’s issuance of the 12-month Delta Smelt Finding. NOW THEREFORE, IT IS 

HEREBY STIPULATED, and agreed to by and between CESAR and Ken Salazar, the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, the Service, Sam Hamilton, and Ren Lohoefenor (“Defendants”) that 

publication of the 12-month Delta Smelt Finding renders CESAR’s claims for injunctive and 

declaratory relief in this action moot. The parties respectfully request an order from this Court 

dismissing such claims with prejudice. However, the parties agree that this dismissal is without 

prejudice to CESAR raising additional claims under the Endangered Species Act or other 

applicable law not covered by the Complaint relating to the delta smelt, including challenging the 

merits of the 12-month Delta Smelt Finding.

The parties further stipulate and agree that this dismissal on the basis of mootness is 

without prejudice to CESAR seeking and this Court awarding CESAR attorney’s fees and costs 

incurred in this action. If such fees are sought, this dismissal is without prejudice to Defendants 

raising any and all defenses to such an award including jurisdictional, entitlement, or the 

reasonableness of any amount. The parties respectfully request an order setting the following 

schedule for addressing attorney’s fees and costs:

(1) Within 30 days of the entry of the order by this Court approving this Stipulation, 

CESAR will provide to Defendants an itemization of the reasonable attorney’s fees and costs it 

seeks to recover in this action to allow Defendants to assess whether settlement of any fee claim is 

possible.

(2) Within 60 days of Defendants receiving this itemization of CESAR’s proposed fees 

and costs, the parties will notify the Court of whether they have reached a settlement as to the 

payment of CESAR’s attorney’s fees and costs by Defendants. 

(3) If the parties have not reached agreement on attorney’s fees and costs at the time they 

provide this notice to the Court, CESAR may move within 30 days of that date for the Court to 

award attorney’s fees and costs. Briefing and adjudication of CESAR’s motion for fees and costs 

Case 1:09-cv-02091-OWW -DLB Document 19 Filed 04/23/10 Page 3 of 4
and Defendant’s opposition will then proceed as provided in L.R. 230. In the event CESAR files 

such a motion, Defendants reserve any and all defenses to such an award including jurisdictional, 

entitlement, or the reasonableness of any amount. 

Dated: April 21, 2010

Respectfully submitted,

IGNACIA S. MORENO

Assistant Attorney General

Environment & Natural Resources Division

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Section Chief

 /s/ Daniel Pollak 

Trial Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice

Wildlife & Marine Resources Section

Benjamin Franklin Station, P.O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Telephone: (202) 305-0201

Fax: (202) 305-0275

Attorneys For Defendants

 /s/ Alan Bick (as authorized on April 21, 2010)

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

3161 Michelson Drive

Irvine, California 92612-4412

Telephone: (949) 451-3800

Facsimile: (949) 451-4220

Attorneys for Plaintiff

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 21, 2010 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE DEAC_Signature-END:

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Case 1:09-cv-02091-OWW -DLB Document 19 Filed 04/23/10 Page 4 of 4