Opinion ID: 736846
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The District of Columbia Litigation

Text: 5 In May 1994, NFRC brought suit against the BLM challenging the new Plan in the District Court for the District of Columbia. See NFRC v. Dombeck, Civ. No. 94-1031 (D.D.C. filed May 11, 1994), reprinted in J.A. 42. NFRC asserted 11 claims under various federal statutes. NFRC also filed a companion case, NFRC v. Thomas, Civ. No. 94-1032 (D.D.C. filed May 11, 1994), challenging the application of the Plan to the Forest Service lands in Oregon and Washington. 6 In June of 1994, the Government moved to transfer these two cases, along with another case challenging the Plan filed by the O & C Counties, Association of O & C Counties v. Babbitt, Civ. No. 94-1044 (D.D.C. filed May 11, 1994), reprinted in J.A. 14, to the Western District of Washington, or in the alternative, to stay the cases pending resolution of the related litigation in the State of Washington. The District Court refused to transfer Dombeck or the counties' case, finding that transfers were not permitted because these cases could not have been brought initially in the Western District of Washington. See NFRC v. Dombeck, Civ. No. 94-1031 (D.D.C. June 30, 1994) (order), reprinted in J.A. 142; Association of O & C Counties v. Babbitt, Civ. No. 94-1044 (D.D.C. June 30, 1994) (order), reprinted in J.A. 140. The District Court stayed both cases pending the conclusion of the Western District of Washington litigation. However, the District Court transferred NFRC v. Thomas, the case challenging the application of the Plan to the Forest Service lands in Oregon and Washington. See NFRC v. Thomas, Civ. No. 94-1032 (D.D.C. June 30, 1994) (order), reprinted in J.A. 144. Shortly thereafter, the plaintiffs in that case dismissed it without prejudice under FED. R. CIV. P. 41(a)(1). See J.A. 146. 7 In related litigation also brought by NFRC in the District Court for the District of Columbia, the Court found that the Forest Ecosytem Management Assessment Team(FEMAT), which wrote the report that provided the basis for the 1994 Plan, violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. app. (1994). See NFRC v. Espy, 846 F.Supp. 1009 (D.D.C.1994). But the District Court refused to issue an injunction preventing the government from using the FEMAT's report. 8