Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-02092/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-02092-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Center for Biological Diversity
Plaintiff
Ken Salazar
Defendant
The Bay Institute
Plaintiff
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Defendant

Document Text:

JUSTIN AUGUSTINE (CA Bar No. 235561)

LISA T. BELENKY (CA Bar No. 203225)

Center for Biological Diversity

351 California St., Ste. 600

San Francisco, CA 94104

Telephone: (415) 463-9682 x 307

Facsimile: (415) 463-9683

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

IGNACIA S. MORENO, Assistant Attorney General

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Section Chief

DANIEL J. POLLAK, Trial Attorney

Environment & Natural Resources Division

U.S. Department of Justice

Benjamin Franklin Station, P.O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Telephone: (202) 305-0201 

Facsimile:(202) 305-0275

Attorneys for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FRESNO DIVISION

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL

DIVERSITY, and THE BAY

INSTITUTE,

 Plaintiffs,

v.

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary of the Interior

and UNITED STATES FISH AND

WILDLIFE SERVICE,

 Defendants.

__________________________________ 

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Case No.: 1:09-CV-02092-OWW-DLB

Stipulation and Order to Dismiss Claims

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 a 90-day finding in the Federal

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

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“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 November 13, 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity and The Bay

Institute (“Plaintiffs”) filed their Complaint in the above-captioned case under the ESA citizen

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

missed a mandatory deadline to issue a finding as to whether the petitioned-for 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, Plaintiffs’ lawsuit in this action sought declaratory relief and an injunction

compelling issuance of the 12-month finding.

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 (“12-month Finding”). 

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 Finding. 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED, and agreed to by and between

Plaintiffs and Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Service

(“Defendants”) that publication of the 12-month finding renders Plaintiffs’ claims for injunctive

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

Court dismissing such claims with prejudice. 

Dated: April 19, 2010

Respectfully submitted,

Stipulation and Order to Dismiss 2 Case No. 1:09-CV-02092-OWW-DLB

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IGNACIA S. MORENO

Assistant Attorney General

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Section Chief

/s/ Daniel Pollak

 

DANIEL J. POLLAK, Trial Attorney

United States Department of Justice

Environment & Natural Resources Division

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

P.O. Box. 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Telephone: (202) 305-0201

Facsimile: (202) 305-0275

daniel.pollak@usdoj.gov

Attorneys for the Federal Defendants

/s/ Justin Augustine

(as authorized on April 17, 2010)

 

JUSTIN AUGUSTINE (CA Bar No. 235561)

LISA T. BELENKY (CA Bar No. 203225)

Center for Biological Diversity

351 California St., Ste. 600

San Francisco, CA 94104

Telephone: (415) 463-9682 x 307

Facsimile: (415) 463-9683

lbelenky@biologicaldiversity.org

jaugustine@biologicaldiversity.org

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 20, 2010 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

emm0d6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Stipulation and Order to Dismiss 3 Case No. 1:09-CV-02092-OWW-DLB

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