Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-00656/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-00656-9/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jerry Ayers
Defendant
Charlton H. Bonham
Defendant
Environmental Protection Information Center
Plaintiff
Rowan Gould
Defendant
Stafford Lehr
Defendant
Neil Manji
Defendant
Pat Overton
Defendant
Jeff Underwood
Defendant
United States Fish And Wildlife Service
Defendant

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 1.

STIPULATION & [PROP.] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL & TO RESOLVE FEES & COSTS (No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV) 

KAMALA D. HARRIS

Attorney General of California 

GAVIN G. MCCABE

Supervising Deputy Attorney General 

DANIEL S. HARRIS (SBN 157433)

MARC N. MELNICK (SBN 168187)

Deputy Attorneys General 

1515 Clay Street, 20th Floor 

P.O. Box 70550 

Oakland, CA 94612-0550 

Telephone: (510) 622-2133 

Fax: (510) 622-2270 

E-mail: Marc.Melnick@doj.ca.gov 

Attorneys for Defendants Charlton H. Bonham, 

Stafford Lehr, and Neil Manji 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

INFORMATION CENTER, 

Plaintiff,

 v. 

JERRY AYERS; STAFFORD LEHR;

CHARLTON H. BONHAM, NEIL MANJI,

PAT OVERTON; ROWAN GOULD; JEFF

UNDERWOOD; UNITED STATES FISH

AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, 

Defendants.

Case No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV 

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] 

ORDER FOR DISMISSAL AND TO 

RESOLVE ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND 

COSTS 

Courtroom: 7 

Judge: Honorable M.M. Chesney 

Trial Date: None Set 

Action Filed: February 13, 2013 

Plaintiff Environmental Protection Information Center, Defendants Stafford Lehr, Charlton 

H. Bonham, and Neil Manji (“State Defendants”), and Defendants Daniel Ashe, Jeff Underwood, 

and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Federal Defendants”) hereby stipulate to and respectfully 

request that the Court dismiss this case and resolve Plaintiff’s claim for costs and attorneys’ fees, 

as set forth below.

ORDER APPROVING

Case 3:13-cv-00656-MMC Document 53 Filed 07/27/15 Page 1 of 6
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 2.

STIPULATION & [PROP.] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL & TO RESOLVE FEES & COSTS (No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV) 

The parties had previously stipulated to stay this case with certain conditions. A Hatchery 

and Genetic Management Plan (“HGMP”) to govern operations at the Mad River Hatchery has 

been submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS”), and enough progress has 

been made toward approval of that plan that the parties are prepared to resolve this case. Counsel 

for the parties have also engaged in good faith and confidential settlement negotiations 

concerning Plaintiff’s claims for attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses, and have reached a 

settlement of those claims. 

Therefore, Plaintiff, State Defendants, and Federal Defendants hereby stipulate and agree as 

follows: 

1. The parties request that this case be dismissed with prejudice, with the Court retaining 

jurisdiction to ensure compliance with paragraph 2 below until NMFS approves an 

HGMP for the Mad River Hatchery. 

2. Prior to NMFS’s approval of an HGMP for the Mad River Hatchery: 

a. State Defendants (and employees at the California Department of Fish and 

Wildlife) may collect, trap, and use natural-origin (Endangered Species Actlisted) steelhead trout from the Mad River for use as broodstock at the Mad 

River Hatchery, provided that: 

i. For each spawning pair of steelhead trout in that time period, the Mad 

River Hatchery will use at least one natural-origin steelhead; 

ii. The goal for the broodstock collected in a given year in that time period is 

to produce 150,000 steelhead yearlings for release in the following year, 

but if not enough natural-origin steelhead are available for use in the 

broodstock, under the terms of this stipulation, then only offspring of at 

least one natural-origin steelhead will be released in that time period; 

iii. If more natural-origin steelhead are available at the Mad River Hatchery, 

the hatchery will try to match natural-origin steelhead with natural-origin 

steelhead;

b. State Defendants (and employees at the California Department of Fish and 

Case 3:13-cv-00656-MMC Document 53 Filed 07/27/15 Page 2 of 6
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 3.

STIPULATION & [PROP.] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL & TO RESOLVE FEES & COSTS (No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV) 

Wildlife) may release steelhead trout into the main stem of the Mad River, at 

either the Mad River Hatchery or at the boat ramp located at the Mad River 

Estuary (at Mad River Beach County Park); 

c. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may fund operations at the Mad River 

Hatchery consistent with this stipulation.

2. The parties need not submit a joint case management conference statement as directed 

in the Court’s December 9, 2014 order. 

3. As to attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses: 

a. State Defendants and Federal Defendants shall pay Plaintiff’s reasonable 

attorneys’ fees and costs, pursuant to Section 11(g) of the Endangered Species 

Act, 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g), in the amount of $65,000.00, payable to the IOLTA 

client trust account of the Western Environmental Law Center. Specifically, 

Federal Defendants will pay $32,500.00 and State Defendants will pay 

$32,500.00.

b. Plaintiff agrees to provide written notice to Federal Defendants of the form in 

which it elects to receive the funds, including all information necessary for 

Defendants to process the disbursement (including the payee’s tax identification 

number), as soon as possible upon an Order of the Court approving this 

Stipulation.

c. Federal Defendants agree to submit all necessary paperwork for the processing 

of the attorneys’ fees award to the Department of the Treasury’s Judgment 

Fund Office, pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g), within ten (10) business days of 

Plaintiff providing the information in paragraph 3(b) or entry of a Court order 

approving this stipulation, whichever is later. 

d. Plaintiff agrees to provide State Defendants with a completed state standard 

form 204 (payee data record) as soon as possible upon the signing of this 

Stipulation regarding settlement. 

e. This Stipulation resolves all claims for attorneys’ fees, costs, and/or other 

Case 3:13-cv-00656-MMC Document 53 Filed 07/27/15 Page 3 of 6
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 4.

STIPULATION & [PROP.] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL & TO RESOLVE FEES & COSTS (No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV) 

expenses related to this action. 

f. Plaintiffs agrees to accept payment of $65,000.00 in full satisfaction of any and 

all claims for attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses of litigation to which 

Plaintiff is entitled in the above-captioned litigation.

g. Plaintiff agrees that receipt of this amount from State and Federal Defendants 

shall operate as a release of Plaintiff’s claims for attorneys’ fees, costs, and 

other expenses in this matter. 

h. Nothing in this agreement shall be interpreted as, or shall constitute, a 

requirement that Federal Defendants are obligated to pay any funds exceeding 

those available, or take any action in contravention of the Anti-Deficiency Act, 

31 U.S.C. § 1341, or any other appropriations law. 

i. By this agreement, State Defendants and Federal Defendants do not waive any 

right to contest fees claimed by Plaintiff or Plaintiff’s counsel, including the 

hourly rates, in any future litigation, or continuation of the present action. 

Further, this stipulation as to attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses has no 

precedential value and shall not be used as evidence in any other attorneys’ fees 

litigation. 

j. The parties agree that this Stipulation was negotiated in good faith. By entering 

into this agreement the parties do not waive any claim or defense. 

k. The undersigned representatives of each party certify that they are fully 

authorized by the party or parties they represent to agree to the Court’s entry of 

the terms and conditions of this agreement and do hereby agree to the terms 

herein.

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STIPULATION & [PROP.] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL & TO RESOLVE FEES & COSTS (No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV) 

l. The terms of this agreement shall become effective upon entry of this 

stipulation as an Order by the Court.

Dated: July 24, 2015 Respectfully submitted, 

 /s/ Peter M.K. Frost (as authorized) 

 PETER M.K. FROST, pro hac vice 

 SHARON E. DUGGAN

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

 KAMALA D. HARRIS

 Attorney General of California 

 GAVIN G. MCCABE

 Supervising Deputy Attorney General 

 /s/ Marc N. Melnick 

 MARC N. MELNICK

 Deputy Attorney General 

Attorneys for State Defendants 

 JOHN C. CRUDEN 

 Assistant Attorney General 

 U.S. Department of Justice 

 Environment & Natural Resources Division 

 S. JAY GOVINDAN, Assistant Chief 

 /s/ Trent S.W. Crable (as authorized) 

 TRENT S.W. CRABLE 

 Trial Attorney 

 Wildlife and Marine Resources Section 

 ROMNEY S. PHILPOTT 

 Trial Attorney 

 Natural Resources Section 

Attorneys for Federal Defendants 

Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 5.1(i)(3), I attest that Peter M.K. Frost and Trent S.W. Crable 

have concurred in the filing of this document and authorized me to submit their electronic 

signatures. 

 /s/ Marc N. Melnick 

 MARC N. MELNICK

 Deputy Attorney General 

Attorneys for State Defendants 

Case 3:13-cv-00656-MMC Document 53 Filed 07/27/15 Page 5 of 6
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 6.

STIPULATION & [PROP.] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL & TO RESOLVE FEES & COSTS (No. C-13-00656-MMC-NJV) 

Pursuant to the stipulation of the parties, IT IS SO ORDERED. This case is DISMISSED. 

Dated: July __, 2015 _______________________________ 

 MAXINE M. CHESNEY 

 United States District Judge 

OK2013205367 

dismissal and fees stip final.doc 

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Case 3:13-cv-00656-MMC Document 53 Filed 07/27/15 Page 6 of 6