Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-06406/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-06406-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Center for Biological Diversity
Plaintiff
Dirk Kempthorne
Defendant
Natural Resources Defense Council
Plaintiff
Pacific Environment
Plaintiff
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Defendant

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STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 07-cv-06406-MHP -1-

RONALD J. TENPAS, Assistant Attorney General

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Chief

LISA L. RUSSELL, Assistant Chief

RICKEY D. TURNER, JR., Trial Attorney

CO Bar No. 38353

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

Ben Franklin Station, P.O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

(202) 305-0229 (tel)

(202) 305-0275 (fax)

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA )

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, )

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, ) Case No. 3:07-cv-06406-MHP

and PACIFIC ENVIRONMENT, non-profit )

corporations, ) 

)

Plaintiffs, )

) STIPULATED SETTLEMENT AND

) [PROPOSED] ORDER

v. )

)

)

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary of the Interior )

and U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, )

)

)

Defendants. ) )

Plaintiffs, the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, and

Pacific Environment, and Defendants, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Dirk Kempthorne,

Secretary of the Interior (“Secretary”), by and through their undersigned counsel, state as follows:

WHEREAS, on April 5, 2004, Plaintiffs submitted a petition to list the yellow-billed loon

as “threatened” or “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”).

WHEREAS, on June 6, 2007, the Secretary published a finding under 16 U.S.C. §

1533(b)(3)(A) that the petition presented substantial information that listing may be warranted. 72

Case 3:07-cv-06406-MHP Document 19 Filed 04/11/08 Page 1 of 6
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STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 07-cv-06406-MHP -2-

Fed. Reg. 31,256 (June 6, 2007).

WHEREAS, under the ESA, the Service had one year from the date it received the Petition

to make a “12-month finding” that listing the yellow-billed loon as threatened or endangered was

warranted, warranted but precluded, or not warranted. 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b)(3)(B). 

WHEREAS, the Secretary has not issued a 12-month finding.

WHEREAS, on December 19, 2007, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint for declaratory and

injunctive relief, pursuant to the ESA, 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g)(1)(C), and the Administrative Procedure

Act (“APA”), 5 U.S.C. § 706.

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs and Defendants, through their authorized representatives, and without

any admission or final adjudication of the issues of fact or law with respect to Plaintiffs’ claims,

have reached a settlement that they consider to be a just, fair, adequate, and equitable resolution of

the disputes set forth in Plaintiffs’ Complaint.

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs and Defendants agree that settlement of this action in this manner is

in the public interest and is an appropriate way to resolve the dispute between them.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS STIPULATED BY AND BETWEEN THE PARTIES AS

FOLLOWS:

1. The Service shall submit for publication to the Federal Register a 12-month finding on

Plaintiff’s petition to list the yellow-billed loon by February 15, 2009. After issuance of the 12-

month finding, the Service’s obligations, other than the obligation to pay Plaintiffs’ fees and costs

as described in Paragraph 6, under this agreement shall terminate. 

2. In consideration of Defendants’ agreement to meet the deadline in paragraph 1, Plaintiffs

agree to dismiss this action. Notwithstanding the dismissal of this action, the parties hereby stipulate

and respectfully request that the Court retain jurisdiction to oversee compliance with the terms of

Case 3:07-cv-06406-MHP Document 19 Filed 04/11/08 Page 2 of 6
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STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 07-cv-06406-MHP -3-

this Agreement and to resolve any motions to modify such terms. See Kokkonen v. Guardian Life

Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375 (1994).

3. Either party may seek to modify the deadline specified in Paragraph 1 for good cause

shown. In that event, or in the event that either party believes that the other party has failed to

comply with any term or condition of this Agreement, the parties shall use the dispute resolution

procedures specified in Paragraph 4. 

4. The Order entering this Settlement Agreement (“Agreement”) may be modified by the

Court upon good cause shown by written stipulation between the parties, filed with and approved

by the Court, or upon written motion filed by one of the parties and granted by the Court. In the

event that either party seeks to modify the terms of this Agreement, including the deadline specified

in Paragraph 1, or in the event of a dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or in the

event that either party believes that the other party has failed to comply with any term or condition

of this Agreement, the party seeking the modification, raising the dispute, or seeking enforcement

shall provide the other party with written notice of the matter. The parties agree that they will meet

and confer (in-person not required) at the earliest possible time in a good-faith effort to resolve the

matter before seeking relief from the Court. If the parties are unable to resolve the claim within a

reasonable time, either party may seek relief from the Court.

5. No party shall use this Agreement or the terms herein as evidence of what does or does

not constitute a reasonable time line for issuing a 12-month finding under 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b)(3)(B)

in any other proceeding regarding the Service’s implementation of the ESA.

6. Defendants agree that Plaintiffs are the “prevailing party” in this action, and agrees to pay

Plaintiffs reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, pursuant to Section 11(g) of the ESA, 16 U.S.C. §

1540 (g). Therefore, Defendants agree to settle all of Plaintiffs’ claims for costs and attorneys’ fees

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STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 07-cv-06406-MHP -4-

in the above-captioned litigation for a total of $6,410.18. The check will be made payable in the

amount of $6,410.18 to Plaintiffs’ undersigned counsel, Andrea Treece of the Center for Biological

Diversity. 

7. Defendant agrees to submit all necessary paperwork to the Department of the Treasury’s

Judgment Fund Office, pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g)(4), within ten (10) business days of receipt

of the signed court order approving this stipulation.

8. Plaintiffs agree to accept payment of $6,410.18 in full satisfaction of any and all claims

for attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation to which Plaintiffs are entitled in the above-captioned

litigation, through and including the date of this agreement. Plaintiffs agree that receipt of this

payment from Defendant shall operate as a release of Plaintiffs’ claims for attorneys’ fees and costs

in this matter, through and including the date of this agreement.

9. The parties agree that Plaintiffs reserve the right to seek additional fees and costs incurred

subsequent to this agreement arising from a need to enforce or defend against efforts to modify the

underlying schedule outlined in Paragraph 1, or for any other unforseen continuation of this action.

10. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted as, or constitute, a commitment or

requirement that Defendants take action in contravention of the Endangered Species Act, the

Administrative Procedure Act, or any other law or regulation, either substantive or procedural.

Nothing in this Settlement Agreement shall be construed to limit or modify the discretion accorded

to the Service by the ESA, the APA, or general principles of administrative law with respect to the

procedures to be followed in making any determination required herein, or as to the substance of any

final determination. 

11. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted as, or constitute, a commitment or

requirement that Defendants are obligated to spend funds in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act,

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STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 07-cv-06406-MHP -5-

31 U.S.C. § 1341. Plaintiffs assert that this Agreement does not create a conflict with the AntiDeficiency Act because the duty to make petition findings is required in non-discretionary terms by

the ESA and because the Anti-Deficiency Act would not excuse compliance with a pre-existing

court-approved Agreement. Plaintiffs intend to assert this position if the Service fails to comply

with the terms of this Agreement for reasons of insufficient appropriations. Defendants reserve all

legal and equitable defenses to such a claim. 

12. The parties agree that this Settlement Agreement was negotiated in good faith and it

constitutes a settlement of claims that were vigorously contested, denied, and disputed by the parties.

By entering into this Agreement the parties do not waive any claim or defense.

13. 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.

14. The terms of this Agreement shall become effective upon entry of an order by the Court

ratifying the Agreement and upon approval of this Agreement by the Court, all counts of Plaintiffs’

Complaint shall be dismissed with prejudice, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1).

Respectfully submitted this 9th day of April 2008 , 

RONALD J. TENPAS, Assistant Attorney General

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Section Chief

LISA L. RUSSELL, Assistant Section Chief

/s/ Rickey Doyle Turner Jr. 

RICKEY DOYLE TURNER JR.

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment & Natural Resources Division

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

P.O. Box. 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

(202) 305-0229

rickey.turner@usdoj.gov

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STIPULATED SETTLEMENT 07-cv-06406-MHP -6-

Attorneys for Defendants

/s/ Andrea A. Treece (w/ permission by RDT)

______________________________________

ANDREA A. TREECE (CA Bar No. 237639) 

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

1095 Market St., Suite 511

San Francisco, CA 94103

Telephone: (415) 436-9682 x 306

Facsimile: (415) 436-9683

Email: atreece@biologicaldiversity.org

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

ORDER

The terms and conditions of this Stipulated Settlement Agreement are hereby adopted as

an ORDER of this Court, and this matter is hereby DISMISSED with prejudice.

Dated: this ______ day of ______________, 2008.

__________________________________

United States District Court Judge

10th April

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Marilyn H. Patel

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