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 by9th 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

PR OTEC T OUR COM M UN I TI ES FO U N D A TI O N ; BA CK CO U N TRY AG AI NST DUM PS ; EAST COUN TY C OMMUNI T Y A C T I ON C OA L I T I ON ; DO NN A TI SDALE, P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s,
v. UN I T E D S T AT E S DE P AR T ME NT OF AG RI CULT URE; UN I TE D STATE S FORE ST SE RVI CE ; UN I TE D STATE S D EPA RTM EN T O F I N TERI O R; BURE AU OF LAND M AN AG EM ENT; UN I T E D S T AT E S F I S H A ND W IL D L IF E S E R V IC E ; T H O M A S J. V IL S A C K , i n h i s off

i ci al capaci ty a s S e c r e t a ryof

the U ni t e d S t a t e s D e pa rtm e nt o f A g r ic u ltu r e ; T H O M A S T I D W E L L , in h i s o ffi ci al cap aci ty as C h i ef o f th e F o rest S e rv ic e ; K E N N E T H L E E S A L A Z A R , in hi s of f i c i a l c apa c i tya s S e c r e t a ryof the U ni t ed S t at es D epartm entof the Int er i or; B O B A B B E Y , i n h i s off i ci al capaci ty a s the D i r e c t orof

the B ur e au of

L a nd M anagem ent ; M IK E P O O L , i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i tya s the D e putyD i r e c t orof the N o. 11- 56917

D. C
. No
. 3 : 1 1
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ME MOR AN DU M * 

# FI LED
JU N 11 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS- 2-

B u r e au o f

L a n d Ma n a g e m e n t ; R OWAN G O U L D , i n hi s of

f i c i a l c apa c i ty a s A c t i ng D i r e c t orof

the U ni t e d S t a t e s F i s h a nd W ild lif e S e rv ic e ; R A N D Y M O O R E , in h is of f i c i a l c apa c i tya s R e gi ona l F or e s t e rof th e F o restS erv i ce P aci fi c S o u th w est R egi on ; JI M A B B O T T , i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i tya s C a l i f

orni aS t a t e D i r e c t orof

the Bu r e au o f

Lan d M a n a g e me n t ; RE N L O H O E F E N E R , i n h i s off i ci al capaci ty a s P a c i f i c S outhw e s tR e gi ona l D i r e c t orof the U ni t ed S t at es F i sh and W i l dl i fe S ervi ce ; W I L L I A M M E T Z , in h is o f f ic ia l c ap a c ity a s F or e s tS upe rvi s orof

the C l e ve l a nd Na t i o n a l F o r e s t ; MAR GA R E T GO OD R O, i n he rof f i c i a l c apa c i tya s F i e l d M a na ge rof the E l C e ntr o B ur e au of L a nd M a na ge m e nt F i el d O ff i ce ; JI M B A R T E L , i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i tya s F i e l d S upe rvi s orof the C ar l sbad F i sh and W i l dl i fe S ervi ce O ff i ce , D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees, S A N D IE G O G A S & E L E C T R IC C OMP AN Y, I n te rv e n o r - D e f e n d a n t - A pp el l ee .
PR OTEC T OUR COM M UN I TI ES FO U N D A TI O N ; BA CK CO U N TRY AG AI NST DUM PS ; EAST COUN TY C OMMUNI T Y A C T I ON C OA L I T I ON ; DO NN A TI SDALE, N o. 12- 55174 D. C
. No
. 3 : 1 1
- c v - 0 0 0 9 3
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P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s,
v. UN I T E D S T AT E S DE P AR T ME NT OF AG RI CULT URE; UN I TE D STATE S FORE ST SE RVI CE ; UN I TE D STATE S D EPA RTM EN T O F I N TERI O R; BURE AU OF LAND M AN AG EM ENT; UN I T E D S T AT E S F I S H A ND W IL D L IF E S E R V IC E ; T H O M A S J. V IL S A C K , i n h i s off

i ci al capaci ty a s S e c r e t a ryof

the U ni t e d S t a t e s D e pa rtm e nt o f A g r ic u ltu r e ; T H O M A S T I D W E L L , in h i s o ffi ci al cap aci ty as C h i ef o f th e F o rest S e rv ic e ; K E N N E T H L E E S A L A Z A R , in hi s of f i c i a l c apa c i tya s S e c r e t a ryof the U ni t ed S t at es D epartm entof the Int er i or; B O B A B B E Y , i n h i s off i ci al capaci ty a s the D i r e c t orof

the B ur e au of

L a nd M anagem ent ; M IK E P O O L , i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i tya s the D e putyD i r e c t orof the B u r e au o f

L a n d Ma n a g e m e n t ; R OWAN G O U L D , i n hi s of

f i c i a l c apa c i ty a s A c t i ng D i r e c t orof

the U ni t e d S t a t e s F i s h a nd W ild lif e S e rv ic e ; R A N D Y M O O R E , in h is of f i c i a l c apa c i tya s R e gi ona l F or e s t e rof th e F o restS erv i ce P aci fi c S o u th w est R egi on ; JI M A B B O T T , i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i tya s C a l i f

orni aS t a t e D i r e c t orof

the Bu r e au o f

Lan d M a n a g e me n t ; RE N L O H O E F E N E R , i n h i s off i ci al capaci ty a s P a c i f i c S outhw e s tR e gi ona l D i r e c t orof the U ni t ed S t at es F i sh and W i l dl i fe S ervi ce ; W I L L I A M M E T Z , in h is o f f ic ia l c ap a c ity a s F or e s tS upe rvi s orof

the C l e ve l a nd Na t i o n a l F o r e s t ; MAR GA R E T GO OD R O,T he H onor abl e K e vi n T hom a s D uf f y , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f or ** the S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof N e w Y ork, s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on.

- 4- i n he rof f i c i a l c apa c i tya s F i e l d M a na ge rof the E l C e ntr o B ur e au of L a nd M a na ge m e nt F i el d O ff i ce ; JI M B A R T E L , i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i tya s F i e l d S upe rvi s orof the C ar l sbad F i sh and W i l dl i fe S ervi ce O ff i ce , D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees, S A N D IE G O G A S & E L E C T R IC C OMP AN Y, I n te rv e n o r - D e f e n d a n t - A pp el l ee .
A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia R oge rT
. B e ni t e z , 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 J une 7, 2012 P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B ef ore: T R O T T and T H O M A S , C i rc ui tJudg es , and D U F F Y , D i stri ctJudg e. ** P l ai nt i ff s app ea l the di stri ctcourt ’ s deni al of thei r r equestfor pre l i m i nary i n j u n c t i v e r e l i e f

. We h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U. S
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a c tua l a nd pr oc e dur a l hi s t oryof thi s c as e, w e nee d n otre coun ti there
.- 5-

“A p la in tif

f s e e k in g ap r e lim in a ryin ju n c tio n m u s t e s tab lis h th a t h e is lik e ly t o succe ed on the m er i t s, thathe i s l i kel y t o suffe r i rr epar abl e harm i n the abse nce of prel i m i naryre l i ef

, thatthe bal ance of equi t i es t i ps i n h i s f avor, and thatan i nj un ct i on i s i n the pu bl i c i nt er es t . ” W in te rv . N a t’ l R e s . D e

f. C o u n c il , 555 U
. S
. 7, 20 (200 8). O ur sol e i nq ui ryi n thi s i nt er l ocut ory app ea l i s w hether the di stri ctcourt
ab u s e d its d is c r e tio n in d e n y in g p r e lim in a ryin ju n c tiv e r e lie f

. L an ds C ou nci l

v. McN a ir , 5 3 7 F .3 d 9 8 1 , 9 8 6 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 8 ) ( e n b a n c ) ; Sp ort s Form , Inc. v. U

ni ted P ress Int ’l

, Inc. , 686 F
. 2d 750, 752- 53 ( 9th C i r . 1982) ( e xpl a i ni ng l i m i t e d s c ope of
r e v ie w )
. A f te rath o r o u g h r e v ie w o f th e r e c o r d a n d c o n s id e r a tio n o f th e a r g u m e n ts
m a d e b yth e p a rtie s , w e c o n c lu d e th e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n in de ny i ng r e l i e f

. W e the r e f

or e a f f i rm the or de rof

the di s tr i c tc ourtde ny i ng the
m ot i on f orapr e l i m i na ryi nj unc t i on. A ll p e n d in g m o tio n s a r e d e n ie d a s m o o t. AF F I RME D.