Court Opinion

ID: 9950333
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-13 19:04:47.004682+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:36:37.272659
License: Public Domain

Filed 3/13/24 Backcountry Against Dumps v. San Diego County Bd. of Supervisors CA4/1
                 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
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                COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

                                                 DIVISION ONE

                                         STATE OF CALIFORNIA

BACKCOUNTRY AGAINST DUMPS et                                         D081530
al.,
         Plaintiffs and Appellants,
         v.                                                          (Super. Ct. No. 37-2021-
                                                                     00017245- CU-TT-CTL)
SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS,
         Defendant and Respondent;
BOULDER BRUSH, LLC,
     Real Party in Interest and
Respondent;
CAMPO BAND OF DIEGUENO
MISSION INDIANS,
         Intervener and Respondent.

         APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County,
Ronald F. Frazier, Judge. Reversed and remanded with instructions.
         Law Offices of Stephen C. Volker, Stephen C. Volker, Stephanie L.
Clarke and Jamey M.B. Volker for Plaintiffs and Appellants.
         Claudia G. Silva, County Counsel, and Joshua M. Heinlein, Deputy
County Counsel for Defendant and Respondent.
      Cox, Castle & Nicholson, Andrew B. Sabey, Anne E. Mudge, Lisa M.
Patricio and Robbie C. Hull for Real Party in Interest.
      Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, Kendra J. Hall, Rebecca L. Reed
and David Gouzoules for Intervener and Respondent.
                            I.   INTRODUCTION
      Backcountry Against Dumps, Donna Tisdale, and Joe E. Tisdale
(Appellants) appeal from the trial court’s dismissal of their petition for writ of
mandate objecting to the approval by the San Diego County Board of
Supervisors (the Board) of the Boulder Brush Facilities (the Boulder Brush
Project). The Boulder Brush Project consists of a 3.5 mile long, 230-kilovolt
overhead transmission line, a high-voltage substation, a 500-kilovolt
switchyard, and various other improvements to a 320-acre corridor of private
land, that will be used to connect two newly planned windmill farms to San
Diego Gas & Electric’s existing transmission lines. The larger of the two
windmill installations will consist of approximately 60 windmills that will be
constructed entirely within the reservation of the Campo Band of Diegueño
Mission Indians (Campo, or the Tribe).
      Appellants named the Board as the respondent in their petition and
named Boulder Brush, LLC (Boulder Brush)—the project applicant and
recipient of approvals—as the real party in interest. They asserted the
Board’s approval of the Boulder Brush Project violated the California

                                        2
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Pub. Resource Code, § 2100 et. seq.),1
and various planning and zoning regulations. Approximately one year after
Appellants filed the petition, Campo moved to intervene for the limited
purpose of seeking a dismissal based on the tribe’s sovereign immunity. The
trial court granted both the motion to intervene and a subsequent motion to

dismiss the petition pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 389,2 and
entered a judgment of dismissal against Appellants.
      Appellants assert the trial court erred in doing so because it failed to
recognize that Public Resource Code section 21167.6.5 preempts section 389
and, regardless, Campo is not a necessary or indispensable party under
section 389, in part because its interests are adequately represented by
Boulder Brush and the Board. Appellants assert further that the trial court
erred in relying on federal authority that is inapposite because it does not
address the regulation of a proposed project on private non-reservation land.
We decline to address Appellants’ preemption argument but agree that the
cited federal authority is distinguishable and conclude that Campo is not a

1     “The term ‘CEQA Guidelines’ refers to the regulations for the
implementation of CEQA authorized by the Legislature (Pub. Resources
Code, § 21083), codified in title 14, section 15000 et seq. of the California
Code of Regulations, and ‘prescribed by the Secretary for Resources to be
followed by all state and local agencies in California in the implementation of
[CEQA].’ (CEQA Guidelines, § 15000.)” (Muzzy Ranch Co. v. Solano County
Airport Land Use Com. (2007) 41 Cal.4th 372, 380, fn. 2.) Subsequent
references to “Guidelines” are to the CEQA guidelines found in California
Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15000 et seq.

2    All further unspecified statutory references are to the Code of Civil
Procedure.

                                       3
necessary or indispensable party under section 389. We therefore reverse the
judgment of dismissal and remand the matter to the trial court for further
proceedings consistent with this opinion.
          II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
A.    The Boulder Brush Project and Associated Approvals
      The present litigation arises from the Board’s approval of the Boulder
Brush Project following a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR)
prepared in accordance with CEQA. The original notice of preparation of an
EIR described the Boulder Brush Project as follows: “Boulder Brush, LLC
proposes an overhead 230 kilovolt (kV) gen-tie transmission line, a substation
to increase the voltage to 500 kV, and a switchyard on private land under the
jurisdiction of the County of San Diego. The gen-tie line would carry wind
energy from a proposed wind energy project [(the “Campo Wind Project”)] on
the Campo Indian Reservation (“Reservation”) to the existing Sunrise
Powerlink. The portion of the gen-tie line on private land would be
approximately 3.5 miles in length, and would include 32 steel poles at a
maximum height of 150 feet. The applicant also proposes permanent and
temporary access roads, temporary staging areas, and a temporary concrete
batch plant.” However, the Board acknowledged that while “the majority of
the Campo Wind Project is not within the County’s jurisdiction and is not
subject to the County’s land use regulations, the [overall] [p]roject for CEQA

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purposes is considered to be all facilities required for the development of the

Campo Wind Project.”3
      Accordingly, the FEIR explains: “The [overall] [p]roject consists of the
Campo Wind Facilities that would be located on land leased from [Campo]
within the 16,000-acre Reservation Boundary, and the Boulder Brush
Facilities that would be located on adjacent land to the northeast of the
Reservation leased from a private landowner within the Boulder Brush
Boundary.” The FEIR uses the term “On-Reservation” to refer to portions
within the reservation boundary and “Off-Reservation” to refer to the portion
outside the reservation boundary, or, on private land, and we likewise adopt
these terms in this opinion.
      The FEIR “addresses the [p]roject as a whole,” but acknowledges “the
County’s land use jurisdiction is limited to the private lease lands within the
Boulder Brush Boundary (i.e., the Boulder Brush Facilities).” The FEIR
clarifies that “[t]he Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has jurisdiction over the
portion of the Project within the Reservation Boundary (i.e., Campo Wind
Facilities), and has prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to

3     The FEIR defines the Boulder Brush Project and the Campo Wind
Project as two separate components of a larger proposed wind energy project.
The FEIR acknowledges that the purpose of the Boulder Brush Project is to
connect the Campo Wind Project to the San Diego Gas & Electric grid, and
therefore considers the overall impact of both. However, as we explain, the
FEIR also expressly acknowledges that the Board approval is limited to the
Boulder Brush Project, because that is the only portion over which the
County has jurisdiction. We use the same terms, Boulder Brush Project and
Campo Wind Project, herein to distinguish between the different portions of
the proposed wind energy project.

                                       5
evaluate the impacts of the Project under the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA).” “The BIA is the Lead Agency for the Project under NEPA,” and
the “County is a cooperating agency for the EIS.” The EIR “adopts and
incorporates by reference the EIS.”
      The FEIR breaks the project out into separate components, beginning
with the Boulder Brush Facilities. The FEIR considers several different
impacts of the project for both the On- and Off-Reservation portions. It
concludes that the Off-Reservation Boulder Brush Facility, specifically, would
have potentially significant impacts to the community character aesthetics,
habitats of the federally protected Quino checkerspot butterfly and other
special-status plant and wildlife species, jurisdictional aquatic resources, and
wildfire hazards.
      The FEIR presents four potential alternatives to the proposed Boulder
Brush Project: 1) a no project alternative; 2) a no Boulder Brush Facilities on
private lands alternative; 3) an alternative gen-tie route within the existing
Boulder Brush boundary; and 4) an underground gen-tie within the Boulder
Brush Boundary. The second alternatives “assumes that the Boulder Brush
Facilities would not be developed and the existing conditions on lands within
the County’s land use jurisdiction would remain.” Instead, “the connection of
power generated on the Reservation by the 60 wind turbines to the grid via
the Sunrise Powerlink, via a gen-tie route that extends across the Manzanita
Band of Diegueño Mission Indians’ (Manzanita) Reservation and Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) managed lands, connecting to a substation on a
portion of the Sunrise Powerlink on BLM managed lands.” The FEIR
concludes that it is not possible to determine whether this alternative is
feasible because the County does not have any authority over the Manzanita
or BLM lands. The third alternative, an alternate orientation of the gen-tie

                                       6
route, would increase the overall length of the gen-tie line by 0.2 miles, but
would decrease the total disturbance in the area by 8 to 10 acres. The FEIR
concludes that the third alternative, the alternate route for the gen-tie line,
would be the “environmentally superior” alternative.
      Finally, the FEIR includes responses to each comment received on the
Draft EIR. The FEIR provides individual responses as well as general
responses to the following nine topics commonly raised during the comment
period: 1) socioeconomic impacts; 2) public health; 3) piecemealing; 4) noise;
5) biological resources; 6) groundwater; 7) fire protection services and wildfire
impacts; 8) visual impacts; and 9) aviation.
      After considering these concerns, and the responses, the Board
approved the Boulder Brush Project on March 17, 2021, and filed a CEQA
Notice of Determination the next day, March 18, 2021. The minutes from the
Board approval meeting note: “The [p]roject under [County] jurisdiction is a
component of the larger Campo Wind Project, which will generate 252
megawatts of wind energy, enough electricity for 70,000 homes. A total of 60
wind turbines and other supporting infrastructure will be located on land
leased from the [Tribe] within the Campo Reservation, and therefore are not
subject to any County permits. [¶] The [p]roject under the County’s land use
jurisdiction is limited to a 3.5-mile 230-kilovolt overhead transmission line, a
substation, a switchyard, and access roads in the Boulevard Subregional Plan
Area located in the Mountain Empire Subregional Plan.” (Italics added.)
B.    The Petition for Writ of Mandate
      Appellants filed their petition for writ of mandate challenging the
approvals on April 19, 2021, along with a notice that they intended to lodge
the administrative record from the CEQA proceedings with the trial court.

                                        7
      In the petition, they state, “[t]he primary purpose of the [Boulder Brush
Project] is to connect a proposed 60-turbine Campo Wind Project on the
Reservation of the Campo Band of Diegueño Mission Indians to San Diego
Gas & Electric’s . . . existing Sunrise Powerlink transmission lines.” The
[Boulder Brush Project] would be located within an approximately 320-acre
corridor on privately owned land just north of the community of
Boulevard . . . and would include (1) an approximately 3.5-mile-long, 230-
kilovolt (‘kV’) overhead gen-tie line, supported by 32 steel pole structures up
to 150 feet tall, (2) a high-voltage substation, (3) a 500-kV switchyard, (4)
access roads, (5) three 10,000-gallon water tanks, and (6) additional cleared
space around the facilities.” The petition acknowledges that the Board did
not approve either the Campo Wind Project or the other proposed windmill
farm in its approvals.
      Appellants allege in the petition that the Board’s statement of
overriding considerations is not supported by substantial evidence and that
the EIR violates CEQA on numerous grounds, including because it fails to
adequately analyze impacts to golden eagles, bats, local groundwater
resources, and wildfires. They allege further that the approval was improper
because the project as a whole would violate the County General Plan and
zoning ordinances. Based on those allegations, Appellants seek injunctive
relief and a peremptory writ of mandate directing the Board “to set aside and
vacate its certification of the FEIR and adoption of the Project Approvals.”
C.    The Motions to Intervene and Dismiss
      The parties submitted a stipulation regarding a joint briefing and
hearing schedule on March 24, 2022—after Appellants had compiled the
administrative record and submitted it to the County for certification. The

                                        8
stipulation did not mention Campo or contain any suggestion that Campo
would be moving to intervene or dismiss.
      Approximately two weeks later, on April 7, 2022, Campo filed its
motion to intervene for the limited purpose of dismissing the petition on
sovereign immunity grounds. Campo defined the project at issue more
broadly—as the “construction and operation of a $400 million renewable
energy project”—and argued that it had a material interest in the project
that would not be adequately represented by any other party in its absence.
It asserted, further, that if Appellants succeeded in their petition, the project
would be halted, “threatening tens of millions of dollars of tribal revenue, jobs
for Tribe [m]embers, and the Tribe’s sovereign right to control tribal
resources on its property.”
      Appellants disputed this assertion in their opposition and argued:
“Compliance with CEQA, as sought in this lawsuit, is of course merely
procedural, and thus it will not permanently block this [p]roject. Instead, the
County’s compliance will make it a better [p]roject by identifying ways to
reduce its impacts. Compliance with CEQA will improve the [p]roject’s
siting, design, construction and operation, and more fully mitigate its effects,
and thus better serve both the Campo Band on whose Reservation the
[Campo Wind Project portion] would be built, and the surrounding
community that will share its impacts.”
      The trial court granted Campo’s motion to intervene and, as expected,
the Tribe filed a motion to dismiss on sovereign immunity grounds. Once
again, Campo asserted the petition sought to prevent construction of the
Boulder Brush Facility, that the windmills on the Campo reservation “ ‘could
not operate—and indeed would not be built—without the Boulder Brush
Facilities,’ ” and that Campo was thus an indispensable party under section

                                        9
389, subdivision (a). However, Campo argued further, the Tribe could not be
made a party on account of their sovereign immunity and so, the petition
must be dismissed.
      Appellants countered that Campo was not an indispensable party,
because its interests in the Boulder Brush Facility portion of the project are
adequately represented by Boulder Brush and the Board. They asserted
further that Public Resource Code section 21167.6.5, subdivision (d), which
provides that “[f]ailure to name potential persons, other than those real
parties in interest described in subdivision (a), is not grounds for dismissal
pursuant to [s]ection 389,” pre-empted Campo’s argument under section 389,
since the Tribe was not named in the notice of determination, and therefore
did not need to be named as a real party in interest in the underlying

petition.4
      The trial court rejected both arguments, granted Campo’s motion to
dismiss, and entered a judgment of dismissal.
      Appellants filed a timely notice of appeal.
                             III.   DISCUSSION
      Appellants raise the same issues as they did in the trial court, and
assert that Campo is not a necessary party because its interests are

4     Public Resource Code section 21167.6.5, subdivision (a) requires a party
challenging a public agency’s notice of determination under CEQA to name,
as a real party in interest in the petition, “the person or persons identified by
the public agency in its notice filed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) of
Section 21108 or Section 21152,” and Public Resource Code section 21152
requires the Board to file a notice of determination when approving a project
following the preparation of a FEIR.

                                       10
adequately represented by another existing party; that the trial court erred
in relying on inapposite federal authority to conclude the factors set forth in
Code of Civil Procedure section 339, subdivision (b) weighed in favor of
dismissal; and that Public Resource Code section 21167.6.5, subdivision (d)
pre-empts Code of Civil Procedure section 339, subdivision (b).
A.    Statutory Law Governing Intervention and Joinder
      Code of Civil Procedure section 387 governs intervention of nonparties
to an action or proceeding. Section 387, subdivision (d)(1) requires the trial
court to permit a nonparty to intervene if “[a] provision of law confers an
unconditional right to intervene,” or the party “seeking intervention claims
an interest relating to the property or transaction that is the subject of the
action and that person is so situated that the disposition of the action may
impair or impede that person’s ability to protect that interest, unless that
person’s interest is adequately represented by one or more of the existing
parties.” (§ 387, subd. (d)(1)(A), (B).) In addition, section 387, subdivision
(d)(2) provides the trial court discretion to “permit a nonparty to intervene in
the action or proceeding if the person has an interest in the matter in
litigation, or in the success of either of the parties, or an interest against
both,” but does not qualify for mandatory intervention under section 387,
subdivision (d)(1).
      Likewise, section 389 governs joinder of parties. “ ‘[S]ection 389
subdivision (a) defines persons who should be joined in a lawsuit if possible,
sometimes referred to as “necessary” parties.’ ” (Dreamweaver Andalusians,
LLC v. Prudential Ins. Co. of America (2015) 234 Cal.App.4th 1168, 1173
(Dreamweaver).) Section 389, subdivision (a) provides: “A person who is
subject to service of process and whose joinder will not deprive the court of
jurisdiction over the subject matter of the action shall be joined as a party in

                                        11
the action if (1) in his absence complete relief cannot be accorded among
those already parties or (2) he claims an interest relating to the subject of the
action and is so situated that the disposition of the action in his absence may
(i) as a practical matter impair or impede his ability to protect that interest
or (ii) leave any of the persons already parties subject to a substantial risk of
incurring double, multiple, or otherwise inconsistent obligations by reason of
his claimed interest. If he has not been so joined, the court shall order that
he be made a party.”
      “ ‘A determination that a person is a necessary party [under section
389, subdivision (a)] is the predicate for the determination whether he or she
is an indispensable party [under section 389, subdivision (b)] [citation] . . .
[Citation]. [¶] If a necessary party cannot be joined, [section 389, subdivision
(b) provides that] the court shall “determine whether in equity and good
conscience the action should proceed among the parties before it, or should be
dismissed without prejudice, the absent person being thus regarded as
indispensable.” ’ ” (Dreamweaver, supra, 234 Cal.App.4th at p. 1173.) To
make that determination so, the court considers the following four factors:
“(1) to what extent a judgment rendered in the person’s absence might be
prejudicial to him or those already parties; (2) the extent to which, by
protective provisions in the judgment, by the shaping of relief, or other
measures, the prejudice can be lessened or avoided; (3) whether a judgment
rendered in the person’s absence will be adequate; (4) whether the plaintiff or
cross-complainant will have an adequate remedy if the action is dismissed for
nonjoinder.” (§ 389, subd. (b).)
      Of relevance here, “[b]ecause the sovereignty of federally recognized
Indian tribes is limited primarily by federal law . . . states, including the
State of California, have limited ability to interfere with commercial activity

                                        12
on tribal land and California state courts have limited jurisdiction over tribes
and entities that are considered arms of the tribes.” (Rincon Band of Luiseño
Mission Indians v. Flynt (2021) 70 Cal.App.5th 1059, 1087.) As a general
rule, Indian tribes are immune from state court jurisdiction. (Ibid.; see also
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians v. Superior Court (2006) 40 Cal.4th
239 at pp. 247–248 [“The general rule still holds that although Indian tribes
are not immune from lawsuits filed against them by the United States, the
Indian tribes’ sovereign status affords them immunity from state
jurisdiction.”].) “ ‘[S]overeign immunity is not a discretionary doctrine that
may be applied as a remedy depending on the equities of a given situation.’ ”
(See, e.g., Warburton/Buttner v. Superior Court (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 1170,
1182.) Rather, it presents a pure jurisdictional question. (Ibid.) But, a tribe
may waive its sovereign immunity, so long as the waiver is unequivocally
expressed. (Ibid.)
      We review the trial court’s ruling determining whether a party is
necessary or indispensable under section 389 for an abuse of discretion.
(Pinto Lake MHP LLC v. County of Santa Cruz (2020) 56 Cal.App.5th 1006,
1014; Dreamweaver, supra, 234 Cal.App.4th at p. 1173.) “The abuse of
discretion standard is not a unified standard; the deference it calls for varies
according to the aspect of a trial court’s ruling under review. The trial court’s
findings of fact are reviewed for substantial evidence, its conclusions of law
are reviewed de novo, and its application of the law to the facts is reversible
only if arbitrary and capricious.” (Haraguchi v. Superior Court (2008) 43
Cal.4th 706, 711–712, fns. omitted.) “ ‘To the extent that the district court’s
determination whether a party’s interest is impaired involves a question of
law, we review de novo.’ ” (People ex rel Lungren v. Community
Redevelopment Agency (1997) 56 Cal.App.4th 868, 875 (Lungren).)

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B.    Analysis: The Trial Court Erred by Dismissing the Petition
      Under Section 389
      Section 389, “ ‘as adopted in 1971, limits compulsory joinder to those
situations where the absence of a person may result in substantial prejudice
to that person or to the parties already before the court. [Citations.] As
revised, this section conforms substantially to rule 19 of the Federal Rules of
Civil Procedure and the cases relating to the federal rule are relevant.’ ”
(Lungren, supra 56 Cal.App.4th at pp. 874–875.)
      As the court in Lungren explained: “In its comments to the 1971
amendments of section 389 the Law Revision Commission noted that under
the revised statute . . . a person is regarded as indispensable only in the
conclusory sense that in his absence, the court has decided the action should
be dismissed. Where the decision is to proceed the court has the power to
make a legally binding adjudication between the parties properly before it.
[¶] ‘Section 389 formerly attempted not only to avoid prejudice to the parties
or absent person but also to promote the general convenience of the courts by
preventing a multiplicity of suits. As revised, Section 389 takes a different
approach; it limits compulsory joinder to those situations where the absence
of a person may result in substantial prejudice to that person or to the parties
already before the court.’ (Cal. Law Revision Com. com., 14 West’s Ann. Code
Civ. Proc., supra, § 389, p. 222.)” (Lungren, supra, 234 Cal.App.4th at
p. 875.) Accordingly, the trial court has the power to make a judgment
affecting a party’s interests, even in that party’s absence, where it is
equitable to do so. (Ibid.)
      In Lungren, the Attorney General challenged a decision by the
Community Redevelopment Agency for the City of Palm Springs to transfer a
piece of real property in downtown Palm Spring to the Agua Caliente Band of
Cahuilla Indians so that they could operate a casino, in exchange for the tribe

                                       14
returning a portion of the profits to the community. (Lungren, supra, at
p. 870.) Much like the case at hand, the trial court dismissed the Attorney
General’s complaint after finding that the tribe was an indispensable party
that could not be joined because of its sovereign immunity, and the Attorney
General appealed. (Id. at p. 873.) The appellate court concluded that the
trial court abused its discretion in granting the tribe’s motion to dismiss and
reversed the judgment of dismissal. (Id. at p. 885.) Appellants argue
Lungren is controlling here. For the reasons we explain next, we agree.
      1. Campo’s Interests Are Adequately Represented by the Other
         Parties
      Appellants assert that Campo is not a necessary party under section
389 because the other joined parties—Boulder Brush and the Board—have
essentially the same interest in the litigation—upholding the approvals—

and can therefore adequately represent Campo’s interests in the litigation.5
      As in Lungren, there is little doubt here that the “Tribe can claim an
interest relating to the subject of the action.” (Lungren, supra, 234
Cal.App.4th at p. 877.) “It is less clear, however, that the absence of the
Tribe in the present action will, as a practical matter, impair or impede the

5     Campo questions whether Appellants are challenging the trial court’s
order granting intervention under section 387. Appellants frame their
arguments based on section 389 and we note that the trial court granted the
motion for intervention for the limited purpose of filing the motion to dismiss
under section 389. We therefore focus our analysis on the issue of whether
dismissal was appropriate under section 389. Regardless, an order granting
a non-party’s motion to intervene pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section
387 is not an independently appealable order and Appellants may seek
review of that order on appeal from the judgment of dismissal. (Taylor v.
Western States Land & Mortgage Co. (1944) 63 Cal.App.2d 401, 403.)

                                       15
Tribe’s ability to protect its interests.” (Ibid.) In Lungren, the appellate
court acknowledged that the project—a casino on non-tribal land in Palm
Springs—would “either proceed or not proceed depending on the outcome of
the suit.” (Ibid.) Campo asserts that the same is true here, but in our view,
the ability of the Tribe to go forward with the Campo Wind Project is not so
closely tied to the present litigation. The FEIR itself sets fourth four
alternatives, only one of which is a “no [Boulder Brush Facility] project”
alternative. The other three contemplate the overall project proceeding in a
different manner. Notably, the second option expressly contemplates
completing the Campo Wind Project without the use or development of any
land over which the County has jurisdiction. Thus, while it is apparent that
approval of the Boulder Brush Facilities under the current proposal would
allow Campo to monetize the proposed Campo Wind Facilities in a relatively
expedient manner, the record before us at least suggests that it is not the
only viable path. Even if Appellants prevail in the present litigation, it would
not necessarily be a death knell for the On-Reservation portion of the Campo
Wind Project.
      It is also important to note that, as in Lungren, “[t]he Tribe’s ability to
look after its own interests in this setting would be limited to the opportunity
to argue that the [Board’s] actions were permitted by California law.”
(Lungren, supra, 234 Cal.App.4th at p. 877.) Here, the petition for writ of
mandate challenges the Board’s approval of the Off-Reservation Boulder
Brush Facility based on CEQA and various planning and zoning regulations.
As the FEIR makes clear, the Board considered the whole project, as they
were required to do under CEQA, but the approvals that are the subject of
the litigation impact only the Off-Reservation Boulder Brush Facility portion
of the project, over which the County has jurisdiction. Although the Tribe’s

                                       16
overall interest in the project as a whole may vary to some degree from the
interests of Boulder Brush and the Board, when viewed through the lens of
the petition, which defines the pending litigation, both the named parties and
the Tribe share a nearly identical interest in the outcome of the litigation:
upholding the Board’s approval of the Boulder Bush Facility. (Lungren, at
p. 877.)
      As the FEIR explains, the primary purpose of the Boulder Brush
Facility is to connect the Campo Wind Project, and one other smaller project,
to the existing Sunrise Powerlink. Thus, while we acknowledge that the
Tribe has a significant interest in whether the Boulder Brush Facility is
allowed to proceed, we conclude that the contractor, Boulder Brush, has
essentially the same interest in seeing that the approvals for that particular
facility are upheld. Campo asserts that Boulder Brush’s interests diverge
from those of the Tribe because Boulder Brush could simply put their
resources towards some other project. Notably, though, they do not identify
any such alternate project. To the contrary, it is apparent that Boulder
Brush has already invested in this project and the record reveals no
indication that it has any intention of abandoning the project solely based on
the present litigation. Indeed, any other similar project on non-tribal land in
the state of California would likewise be subject to CEQA and would
therefore at least run the risk of facing similar litigation hurdles.
      At oral argument, Campo pressed this point, arguing that the interests
in this case are different because Backcountry is primarily if not exclusively
challenging the environmental effects of the wind turbine project on tribal
land rather than those of the electrical facilities and transmission line on
private land subject to the Country’s jurisdiction. Backcountry disagrees,
saying “it is indisputable that the [Boulder Brush p]roject is an enormous

                                        17
industrial complex whose degradation of scenic resources on prominent ride
lines visible for miles has ‘significant’ environmental impacts independent
and apart from those of the Campo Wind Project.”
      To the extent Backcountry challenges the Bounder Brush project itself,
the Tribe’s interests are entirely derivative of and adequately represented by
Boulder Brush. Again, as in Lungren, “a ruling in the present case would
primarily address the scope of the [Board’s] authority [over Off-Reservation
land use] and only incidentally would adjudicate the interests of the Tribe in
the [Boulder Brush Facility]. ‘At the threshold, tribal immunity does not
extend to barring suit against a third, non-immune party solely because the
effect of a judgment against the third party will be felt by the tribe.’ ”
(Lungren, supra, 234 Cal.App.4th at p. 879.) If we were to hold otherwise, a
contractor proposing a project purely on private land under the jurisdiction of
the County or the state could avoid CEQA, and other applicable state or local
regulations, by simply involving a tribe in, for example, a nominal profit-
sharing regime. We decline to create such a rule here and instead follow the
court’s analysis in Lungren. For these reasons, we conclude that the Tribe’s
contingent interest in the Boulder Brush Facility—which, as planned, will be
entirely on Off-Reservation land under the jurisdiction of the County—is not
sufficient on its own to make the Tribe a necessary party.
      To the extent Backcountry will argue that the substation, switchyard
and transmission line facilitates the Campo Wind Project, which itself has
significant environmental impacts that should inform the County’s decision
whether to approve the Bounder Brush project, we likewise fail to see how
the Tribe’s interests are not at this juncture adequately represented by
Boulder Brush. The purpose of the Boulder Brush project is to transmit
energy generated by the Campo Wind Project. The economic interests of

                                        18
Campo and Boulder Brush are firmly aligned. If at some point the Tribe
believes the circumstances have changed such that its interests are no longer
adequately represented by Boulder Brush, it can always renew its
intervention request for the purpose of asserting that it has become an

indispensable party.6
      Campo asserts that neither the Board nor Boulder Brush are similarly
situated because neither can claim sovereign immunity but, if that were the
case, any time a tribe is a party to a contract or project, they would
necessarily be an indispensable party, in contradiction to the holding in
Lungren. (See Lungren, supra, 56 Cal.App.4th at p. 879; cf. Southwest Center
for Biological Diversity v. Babbitt (9th Cir. 1998) 150 F.3d 1152, 1154
[declining to conclude that “a non-party is ‘necessary’ even though its
interests are adequately represented on the underlying merits by an existing
party, simply because that existing party has correctly concluded that it is an
adequate representative of the non-party, and therefore opposes the non-
party’s preliminary motion to dismiss”].) Regardless, even if Campo’s
interests were not adequately represented by the Board or Boulder Brush, we
would also conclude, as we explain next, that the factors set forth in section
389, subdivision (b) weigh against dismissal.

6     The Tribe asserts that Boulder Brush is solely motivated by business
judgment and its profit motive, whereas for Campo this is a matter of
economic necessity. It suggests that at some point, Boulder Brush may lose
interest in fighting a battle that the Tribe considers essential to its survival.
Of course, nothing prevents the Tribe from assisting Boulder Brush,
financially or otherwise, if it chooses to do so. In any event, such speculation
about what might happen in the future cannot dictate the result on the
present record.

                                       19
      2. The Factors Set Forth in Section 389 Weigh Against
         Dismissal
      Appellants assert next that Lungren and other state law authorities
“uniformly hold that where, as here, existing parties adequately represent
the absent party’s interest in defending the challenged approvals, dismissal
on indispensability grounds will be denied.” (See, e.g., Lungren, supra, 56
Cal.App.4th at pp. 884−885; Deltakeeper v. Oakdale Irrigation Dist. (2001) 94
Cal.App.4th 1092, 1109 [applying Lungren and concluding it would be
inequitable to dismiss an action based on the inability to join a party with
overlapping interests where doing so would allow the EIR to escape scrutiny];
Citizens Assn. for Sensible Development of Bishop Area v. County of Inyo
(1985) 172 Cal.App.3d 151, 162, 161 [“Even if the owner of the subject
property was impaired in his ability to protect that interest, the owner was
not indispensable” “because as a practical matter his ability to protect his
interest was not impaired or impeded”].) Again, we agree.
      The first factor to be considered when determining whether a party is
not just necessary but indispensable, such that dismissal is appropriate
under section 389, subdivision (b) is “to what extent a judgment rendered in
the person’s absence might be prejudicial to him or those already parties.”
“This is essentially the same assessment that must be made under
subdivision (a) in determining whether a party’s absence would impair or
impede that party’s ability to protect his or her interests, and determining
whether proceeding to judgment would subject existing parties to
inconsistent obligations.” (Lungren, supra, 56 Cal.App.4th at p. 880.) For
the reasons already articulated ante, we “conclude in the present case that
the interest the public has in obtaining some level of review of the actions of
the [Board] in [approving the Off-Reservation portion of the project under
County land use jurisdiction] is sufficiently important that it provides an

                                       20
exception to the general application of the rule, under section 389, that an
action challenging a contract should be dismissed if a party to the contract
cannot be joined as a party.” (Lungren, at p. 882.)
      The second factor is “the extent to which, by protective provisions in the
judgment, by the shaping of relief, or other measures, the prejudice can be
lessened or avoided.” (§ 389, subd. (b).) Here, Appellants seek injunctive
relief and a peremptory writ of mandate directing the Board “to set aside and
vacate its certification of the FEIR and adoption of the Project Approvals.”
This relief would necessarily impact Campo’s ability to go forward with the
Campo Wind Project as currently contemplated and we see no feasible way to
lessen or avoid that impact. However, because the approval at issue is
limited to the Boulder Brush Project, which is entirely Off-Reservation and
on private land under the jurisdiction of the County, the impact is already

limited by the scope of the Board and County’s jurisdiction.7 As discussed,
ante, the Board has no jurisdiction over the On-Reservation portion of the
project—the Campo Wind Project—and Campo may have available
alternatives for proceeding even without the Boulder Brush Facility,

7      At oral argument, counsel for Boulder Brush analogized the Boulder
Brush facility to an extension cord, allowing the Tribe to plug the windmills
on the reservation into the grid. That argument illustrates the fundamental
point that neither the benefits nor the potential environmental impacts of the
project are contained within the reservation. If the project were entirely on
Tribal land for the sole benefit of the Tribe, there would be no need to plug
the windmills into the grid off the reservation, and the remedy petitioners
seek—review of the approvals for the Off-reservation Boulder Brush
facility—would have no impact on the Tribe.

                                      21
including, for example, “via a gen-tie route that extends across the
[Manzanita] Reservation and [BLM] managed lands.”
      The third factor is “whether a judgment rendered in the person’s
absence will be adequate.” (§ 389, subd. (b).) As in Lungren, here, “the
judgment that could be rendered in the absence of the Tribe would be
completely adequate.” (Lungren, supra, 56 Cal.App.4th at p. 883.) The issue
in the litigation is whether the Board’s approval violated CEQA and other
zoning and land use regulations. “Although it is undeniable that the Tribe
would be affected by the outcome of the court’s decision on the issue, the
presence or absence of the Tribe would not appear to have any direct impact
on resolution of the legal issues themselves.” (Lungren, at p. 883.) Campo
does not contend that a judgment rendered in its absence would be
inadequate.
      The fourth and final factor is “whether [Appellants] will have an
adequate remedy if the action is dismissed for nonjoinder.” (§ 389, subd. (b).)
This factor weighs strongly in favor of allowing the litigation to proceed. If
the petition is dismissed based solely on the inability to join the Tribe, there
would be no avenue for Appellants, or any other interested party, to seek
environmental review of the construction of a significant substation and
associated gen-tie line and facilities on private, non-tribal land. And, of
course, if Campo wants to participate in the litigation, they can do so by
waiving their claim to sovereign immunity and seeking intervention not just
for the purpose of dismissal.
      “A court must consider fairness and equity in deciding whether a party
is indispensable. A court has the power to proceed with a case even if
indispensable parties are not joined. Courts must be careful to avoid
converting a discretionary power or rule of fairness into an arbitrary and

                                       22
burdensome requirement that may thwart rather than further justice.”
(County of Imperial v. Superior Court (2007) 152 Cal.App.4th 13, 26.) “In the
CEQA context, ‘[t]he public has a right to insist on the adequacy of the
environmental document upon which the agency makes its decision,’ and
courts should avoid thwarting this purpose through the harsh application of
indispensable party rules.” (Ibid.) On the record before us, it does not
appear that the trial court adequately considered these equities when
rendering its decision to dismiss Appellants’ petition. For the reasons we
have articulated, we conclude that although the outcome of the litigation
necessarily impacts the Tribe, equity dictates that the trial court allow the
petition to proceed, to ensure that the Off-Reservation portion of the project
complies with California state environmental standards.
      In reaching the opposite conclusion, the trial court relied almost
exclusively on federal authority, and specifically one case, Dine Citizens
Against Ruining Our Environment v. Bureau of Indian Affairs (9th Cir. 2019)
932 F.3d 843. That case—and the others that Campo refers to as a “wall of
circuit authority” supporting dismissal—are readily distinguishable. In Dine
Citizens, a “coalition of tribal, regional, and national conservation
organizations (‘Plaintiffs’) sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, its
Secretary, and several bureaus within the agency, challenging a variety of
agency actions that reauthorized coal mining activities on land reserved to the
Navajo Nation.” (Dine Citizens, at p. 847, italics added.) There was no
dispute that both the mine and the power plant at issue were entirely “on
tribal land of the Navajo Nation,” and therefore the court concluded that it
was a matter of federal law, for Congress to address if it so chooses, that only
the tribe “ ‘could seek review of an environmental impact statement covering
significant federal action relating to leases or agreements for development of

                                       23
natural resources on [that tribe’s] lands.’ ” (Id. at pp. 848, 860−861.)8 The
equities, and scope of jurisdiction, are undeniably different here, where the
approvals concern a substation, switchyard and transmission line facilities
that would be entirely on private land under the jurisdiction of the County

and the Board.9

8     Although Campo does not develop its argument as to the other federal
authorities it cites, they likewise address operations on tribal land. (See
Kescoli v. Babbitt (9th Cir. 1996) 101 F.3d 1304, 1307 [concerning mine
complexes “located on the Navajo Nation’s reservation”]; Deschutes River
Alliance v. Portland General Electric Company (9th Cir. 2021) 1 F.4th 1153,
1156 [challenging approvals for a co-owned, co-operated hydroelectric project
“partly within the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Oregon”]; Klamath
Irrigation District v. United States Bureau of Reclamation (9th Cir. 2022)
48 F.4th 934, 940 [concerning water rights to a the Klamath Basin subject to
a treaty with the Klamath Tribes under which the tribes ceded their interest
in millions of acres of land but retained rights to the basin and several
tributaries].)

9     Because we reverse the judgment of dismissal based on section 389, we
need not, and expressly do not address Appellants’ argument that Public
Resource Code section 21167.6.5, subdivision (d) pre-empts CEQA in this
case. (See, e.g., Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. v. Doe (2006) 138 Cal.App.4th 872,
881 [“ ‘In an emerging area of the law, we do well to tread carefully and
exercise judicial restraint, deciding novel issues only when the circumstances
require.’ ”])

                                       24
                            IV. DISPOSITION
      The judgment of dismissal is reversed and the matter is remanded to
the superior court with directions to vacate the judgment of dismissal and the
underlying order granting Campo’s motion to dismiss, and to enter a new
order denying the motion to dismiss. Appellants are entitled to their costs on
appeal.

                                                                  KELETY, J.

WE CONCUR:

DATO, Acting P. J.

CASTILLO, J.

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