T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T PI NE BAR R AN CH LL C; OW EN T OR R E Y, P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s, v. I NT E R I ORB OA R D O F I ND I AN A P P E A L S , D epartm entof Int er i or; A CTI N G REG I O N A L D I RECTO R, U ni t e d S t a t e s of

A m e r i c a , B ur e au of Indi an A ff

ai rs , R ocky M ou nt ai n R egi on al Of f i c e ; EDW ARD LON E F I GH T, S u p eri n t en d en t , B u reau o f In d i an A ffai rs, D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees. N o. 11- 35564 D . C. N o . 1 : 1 0 - c v - 0 0 0 8 8 - RFC ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe D i s tr i c tof

M ont a na R i c ha r d F . C e bul l , C hi e f D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d N ove m be r8, 2012

S e a tt l e , W a s hi ngt on 

# FI LED DE C 13 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALST he H onor abl e J os e phi ne S t a t on T uc ke r , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge ** f orthe C e ntr a l D i s tr i c tof C a l i f orni a , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on.

2 B e f o r e : W . F L E T C H E R a n d F I S H E R , C ir c u it J u d g e s , a n d T U C K E R , D i stri ctJudg e. ** T hi s c a s e i s the l a t e s ti ns t a l l m e nti n al e ngthy di s put e aboutthe s t a tus of S urre l l C re ek R oad, an un paved road i n W yom i ng thatcr osse s an Ind i an re se rvat i on . In an ear l i erpo i nti n thi s di sput e, P i ne B arl i t i gat ed i n st at e c ou rt un der the W yom i ng P ri vat e R oad S t atut e. T he W yom i ng S up re m e C ou rt c o n c lu d e d th a t S u rr e ll C r e e kR o a d is an o n - p u b lic r o a d f o rp u rp o s e s o f

th a t s ta tu te . P i ne B arthen sou gh ta det erm i nat i on by the B ureau o f I nd i an A ff ai rs (“ B IA ”) that S urre l l C re ek i s apu bl i c r oad. P i ne B arfa i l ed t o i nform the agency of the earl i er d e c is io n o f

th e W y o m in g S u p r e m e C o u rt. T h e I n te r io rB o a r d o f I n d ia n A p p e a ls (“ IB IA ”) di sm i ss ed the appeal fr om a det erm i nat i on by the B ureau o f I nd i an A f f a ir s R e g io n a l D ir e c to rth a t th e r o a d w a s n o n - p u b lic . P in e B a rth e n s u e d in fe dera l di stri ctcourtse eki ng a dec l ar at i on thatS urre l l C re ek R oad i s apu bl i c r oad because i tw as bu i l tpu rs uantt o the C i vi l i an C on se rvat i on C orps (“ C C C ”) A ctas w el l as re vers al of the IB IA ’ s dec i si on un der the A dm i ni stra t i ve P roce du re A ct ( “ A P A ” ) . T he di s tr i c tc ourtgr a nt e d s um m a ry j udgm e ntt o de f e nda nt s , c onc l udi ng tha ti tl a c ke d j ur i s di c t i on be c aus e the r e w a s no va l i d w a i ve rof s ove r e i gn i m m uni ty . P i ne B a rappe a l e d.3 I. Q ui etT i t l e A ct T he Q ui e tT i t l e A c t( “ Q T A ” ) , 28 U . S . C . § 2409a , doe s notappl y a nd the r e f or e doe s notpr e c l ude aw a i ve rof s ove r e i gn i m m uni ty . W e r e vi e w de novo a g r a n t o f s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t f

o rs o v e r e ig n im m u n ity . H ol zv . N e nana C i t

y P ub. Sc h . D is t. , 34 7 F . 3d 11 76 , 11 79 (9th C i r. 20 03 ). T he U ni t ed S t at es go vernm enthas s o v e r e ig n im m u n ity u n le s s w a iv e d . B loc k v . N or th D akota, 461 U . S . 273, 280 ( 1 9 8 3 ) . W h e r e th e Q T A ap p lie s , it is th e e x c lu s iv e m e a n s o f w a iv e r . I

d. I f the Q T A ap p lie s , th is s u it c a n n o t p r o c e e d b e c au s e th e Q T A p r o v id e s ac a rv e - o u t to its g r a n t o f ju r is d ic tio n f

o rq u ie t title a c tio n s r e la tin g to I n d ia n la n d s . M atch-E -B eN as h- She - W

is h B and of

P ot taw atom iI

ndi ans v . P atc hak , 132 S . C t . 2199, 2205 ( 2 0 1 2 ) . T h e la n d o v e rw h ic h S u rr e ll C r e e kR o a d p a s s e s is I n d ia n la n d . T h e S u p r e m e C o u rt h a s r e c e n tly c la r if ie d th a t th e Q T A ap p lie s o n ly to a c tio n s in w h ic h th e p la in tif f c la im s ap r o p e rty in te r e s t in th e la n d . I d. a t 2 2 0 6 - 0 8 . H e r e , P i ne B a ra s s e rt s onl y as t a tut ory r i ghtt o us e S urr e l l C r e e k R oa d, ar i ght a lle g e d ly a r is in g f

r o m th e C C C A c t, n o t ap r o p e rty r ig h t. A t m o s t, P in e B a ra s s e rts ar i ghtof a c c e s s a ki n t o the r i ghtof the publ i c , w hi c h W y om i ng l a w doe s not r e c o g n iz e a s ap r o p e rty r ig h t. Se e T hom as v . J

ul tak , 231 P . 2d 974, 982- 83 ( W y o. 1 9 5 1 ). T h e Q T A i s i n ap p l i cab l e an d th u s d o es n o tb ar P i n e B ar’ s cl ai m s. II . A dm i ni stra t i ve P roce du re A ct4

T h e A P A p ro v id es a v alidw aiv ero f s o v er eig n im m u n ity f o r P in e B ar ’s c l a i m s . T he di s tr i c tc ourte rr e d i n f i ndi ng othe rw i s e . W e r e vi e w de novo a d e te rm in a tio n o f

w h e th e rth e A P A ap p lie s , se e L i no z v . H ec kler , 800 F . 2d 871, 875 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 8 6 ) , a s w e ll a s d e n o v o ad is m is s a l f o rs o v e r e ig n im m u n ity . Se e H o lz , 3 4 7 F .3 d a t 1 1 7 9 . T he A P A w a i ve s i m m uni ty br oa dl y i n s ui t s a ga i ns tthe g o v e rn m e n t o ro f

f ic ia ls s e e k in g r e v ie w o f f in a l a g e n c y a c tio n o ru n r e a s o n ab ly w ith h e ld a g e n c y a c tio n . See Sa c ke t t v . EP A , 13 2 S . C t . 13 67 , 13 71 -72 (20 12 ); EE O Cv . P e abody W

. C oal C o. , 6 1 0 F .3 d 1 0 7 0 , 1 0 8 5 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) , ce rt. deni ed , 13 2 S . C t . 91 (201 1). T he IB IA ’ s di sm i ss al of P i ne B ar ’ s app ea l const i tut es fi nal a g e n c y a c tio n f

o rp u rp o s e s o f

s o v e r e ig n im m u n ity a n d ju r is d ic tio n u n d e rth e A P A . 43 C . F . R . § 4 . 31 4(b); see a l so 13 2 S . C t . at13 72 . E ven i f the IB IA ’ s di sm i ss al w as no tfi nal agencyac t i on , the R egi on al B IA ’ s dec i si on ce rt ai nl y w as . W e there fore h o l d th atso v erei g n i m m u n i ty d o es n o tb ar P i n e B ar’ s cl ai m s. I I I . M e r its I s s ue pr e c l us i on ba r s r e l i e f f orP i ne B a r . T hough the di s tr i c tc ourtdi d not re ac h thi s i ss ue, w e nee d n otre m and b ec ause the det erm i nat i on of w hether p r e c lu s io n is a v a ilab le is aq u e s tio n o f la w . Mi l le rv . Cnt

y . of Santa Cr uz , 39 F . 3d 10 30 , 10 32 (9th C i r. 19 94 ).5

W e m u s t “g iv e to as ta te - c o u rt ju d g m e n t th e s a m e p r e c lu s iv e e f f e c t a s w o u ld be gi ven thatj ud gm entun der the l aw of the S t at e i n w hi ch the j ud gm entw as re nd er ed. ” Migr a v . W

a r r e n C ity Sc h . D is t. B d. o f E du c ., 465 U . S . 75, 81 ( 1984) ( c i t i ng 28 U . S . C . § 1738) . U nde rW y om i ng l a w , the r e a r e f ourr e qui r e m e nt s f

or is s u e p r e c lu s io n . U

ni v. of W yom i ngv. G ress ley , 978 P . 2d 1146, 1153 ( W y o. 1999) . T he onl yge nui ne di s put e i n thi s c a s e i s w he the rthe i s s ue s de c i de d by the W y o m in g S u p r e m e C o u rt a r e id e n tic a l to th o s e b e f o r e th e B I A . P in e B a rs ta te s in i t s c o m p l a i n tth a ti ts e e k s r e v i e w o f th e a g e n c y a c t i o n a n d d e c l a r a t o ry r e l i e f f o rtwo r e a s o n s : to a v o id th e e a s e m e n t a c r o s s its p r o p e rty u n d e rth e W y o m in g P r iv a te R oa d S t a tut e a nd t o f

i nd r e l i e f f r om c ons t i tut i ona l vi ol a t i ons . T he W y om i ng S up re m e C ou rtfoun d thatS urre l l C re ek R oad w as no ta pub l i c r oad; thu s any re l i ef P i ne B a rs e e ks thr ough the de f e nda nt s t o de c l a r e the r oa d publ i c f orpurpos e s of avoi di ng i t s obl i gat i on t o p rovi de a r i gh tof w ayun der the W yom i ng P ri vat e R oad s ta tu te is b a rr e d . P i ne B ar R an ch, L L Cv. L uther , 152 P . 3d 1062, 1066 ( W y o. 2 0 0 7 ). T h e W yo m in g S u p re m e C o u rt’s d ec isio n also p re clu d es P in e B ar ’s const i tut i on al cl ai m s, because i tconsi dere d w hether the C C C A ct , un der w hi ch P i ne B arno w bri ng s i t s c l ai m , m ade the road a pub l i c r oad and hel d thatthe road w as pri vat e. 15 2 P . 3d at10 66 & n. 5, 10 68 . T o sust ai n P i ne B ar ’ s c on st i tut i on al c l a i ms w e w o u l d n e e d t o h o l d th a tth e r o a d w a s p u b l i c . Th e W y o mi n g Su p r e me6

C ou rt ’ s det erm i nat i on t o the contrarythere fore prec l ud es P i ne B ar ’ s c on st i tut i on al cl ai m s. E ve n i f i s s ue pr e c l us i on doe s notba rP i ne B a r ’ s c l a i m s , the a ge nc y di d not ab u s e i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n f

i n d i n g th a tth e r o a dwa s n o tap u b l i c r o a d . Un d e rth e AP A, thi s c ourtm a y s e ta s i de a ge nc y de c i s i ons onl y i f “ a rbi tr a ry , c apr i c i ous , a n abus e of d is c r e tio n , o ro th e rw is e n o t in a c c o r d a n c e w ith la w .” 5 U .S .C . § 7 0 6 ( 2 ) ( A ) ; L at i no I s s u e s Fo r u m v . EP

A , 5 5 8 F .3 d 9 3 6 , 9 4 1 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 9 ). T h e I B IA an d B IA ’s deci si on s w er e non e of these . AF F I RME D.