Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01862/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01862-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Dan Ashe
Defendant
Center for Environmental Science, Accuracy & Reliability
Plaintiff
Sally Jewell
Defendant
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Defendant

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Attorneys for the United States

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 

ACCURACY & RELIABILITY, a California 

public interest organization,

Plaintiff,

v.

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary , U.S. Department 

of the Interior, in her official capacity, DAN 

ASHE, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

in his official capacity; and UNITED STATES 

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE,

Defendants.

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Case No. 1:15-cv-01862 SAB

STIPULATION OF SETTLEMENT 

AND DISMISSAL; ORDER

Plaintiff Center for Environmental Science, Accuracy & Reliability (“Plaintiff”) and Defendant 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service, a component bureau of the United States Department of the 

Interior (“Defendant” or “FWS”),

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by and through their respective counsel, hereby stipulate and agree as 

follows:

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1

FOIA does not apply to Sally Jewell or Dan Ashe because they are individuals, not agencies. 

5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(B); see also Drake v. Obama, 664 F.3d 774, 785–86 (9th Cir. 2011) (A 

FOIA plaintiff may not assert a claim against an individual federal official; the proper 

defendant is the agency); Bothwell v. Brennan, 2014 WL 953500. at *5 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 6, 

2014) (dismissing the federal employee sued in an official capacity and finding the agency 

sufficiently identified in the body of the complaint). To the extent these individuals are 

named, the claims are dismissed with prejudice.

BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

JEFFREY J. LODGE

Assistant United States Attorney

2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4401

Fresno, California 93721

Telephone: (559) 497-4000

Facsimile: (559) 497-4099

Case 1:15-cv-01862-AWI-SAB Document 13 Filed 03/11/16 Page 1 of 3
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1. Plaintiff agrees to dismiss this action with prejudice;

2. Defendant shall pay $3,500.00 in attorneys’ fees and costs to Plaintiff. Payment of this 

money will be made by check or electronic funds transfer promptly after filing the fully executed copy 

of this Stipulation and after receipt of necessary information from counsel for Plaintiff in order to 

effectuate the payment.

3. This Stipulation of Settlement and Dismissal constitutes the full and complete satisfaction 

of any and all claims arising from (a) the allegations set forth in the complaint filed in this lawsuit and 

(b) any litigation or administrative proceeding that Plaintiff has brought, could bring, or could have 

brought regarding Plaintiff’s FOIA request in this case, including all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs.

4. This Stipulation of Settlement and Dismissal does not constitute an admission of liability 

or fault on the part of Defendant, the United States, its agents, servants, or employees, and is entered 

into by both parties for the sole purpose of compromising disputed claims and avoiding the expenses and 

risks of further litigation.

5. This Stipulation of Settlement and Dismissal is binding upon and inures to the benefit of 

the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

6. Execution and filing of this Stipulation of Settlement and Dismissal by counsel for 

Plaintiff and by counsel for Defendant constitutes a dismissal of this lawsuit, with prejudice, pursuant to 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(ii). Any and all remaining issues related to the FOIA request 

described in the complaint are waived.

7. The persons signing this Stipulation of Settlement and Dismissal warrant and represent 

that they possess full authority to bind the party on whose behalf they are signing to the terms of the 

Stipulation.

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8. This Stipulation of Settlement and Dismissal may be executed in two or more 

counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall be deemed 

to be one and the same document. A facsimile or other duplicate of a signature shall have the same 

effect as a manually-executed original.

 Respectfully submitted,

Dated: March 4, 2016 BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

/s/Jeffrey J. Lodge

JEFFREY J. LODGE

Assistant United States Attorney

Attorney for the United States

(As authorized 03/04/16)

Dated: March 4, 2016 /s/Leah R. Zabel

LEAH R. ZABEL

Attorney for Plaintiff

ORDER

The above stipulation is APPROVED, and this action is hereby DISMISSED WITH 

PREJUDICE. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 11, 2016 

 SENIOR DISTRICT JUDGE

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