Opinion
CASE NO. 1:09-cv-407-OWW-DLB CASE NO. 1:09-cv-422-OWW-DLB CASE NO. 1:09-cv-631-OWW-DLB CASE NO. 1:09-cv-892-OWW-GSA 1:09-cv-480-OWW-GSA 1:09-cv-1201-OWW-DLB
09-30-2011
THE DELTA SMELT CASES SAN LUIS & DELTA-MENDOTA WATER AUTHORITY, et al. v. SALAZAR, et al. (Case No. 1:09-cv-407) STATE WATER CONTRACTORS v. SALAZAR, et al. (Case No. 1:09-cv-422) COALITION FOR A SUSTAINABLE DELTA, et al. v. UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, et al. (Case No. 1:09-cv-480) METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT v UNITED STATES FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE, et al. (Case No. 1:09-cv-631) STEWART & JASPER ORCHARDS, et al. v. UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, et al. (Case No. 1:09-cv-892) FAMILY FARM ALLIANCE v. SALAZAR, et al. (Case No. 09-cv-1201)
H. CRAIG MANSON Westlands Water District DIEPENBROCK ELKIN, LLP KRONICK, MOSKOVITZ, TIEDEMANN & GIRARD A Professional Corporation DANIEL J. O'HANLON EILEEN M. DIEPENBROCK Attorneys for Plaintiffs SAN LUIS & DELTA-MENDOTA WATER AUTHORITY and WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK LLP STEVE O. SIMS MICHELLE C. KALES Attorneys for Plaintiff WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP GREGORY K. WILKINSON STEVEN M. ANDERSON PAETER E. GARCIA MELISSA R. CUSHMAN Attorneys for Plaintiff STATE WATER CONTRACTORS NOSSAMAN LLP ROBERT D. THORNTON PAUL S. WEILAND AUDREY HUANG Attorneys for Plaintiffs COALITION FOR A SUSTAINABLE DELTA and KERN COUNTY WATER AGENCY MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP CHRISTOPHER J. CARR WILLIAM M. SLOAN Attorneys for Plaintiff THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION M. REED HOPPER DAMIEN M. SCHIFF BRANDON M. MIDDLETON Attorneys for Plaintiffs STEWART & JASPER ORCHARDS; ARROYO FARMS, LLC; and KING PISTACHIO GROVE THE BRENDA DAVIS LAW GROUP BRENDA W. DAVIS LESLIE R. WAGLEY Attorneys For Plaintiff FAMILY FARM ALLIANCE KAMALA D. HARRIS, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CLIFFORD T. LEE CECILIA L. DENNIS MICHAEL M. EDSON ALLISON GOLDSMITH Deputies Attorney General Attorneys for Plaintiff-In-Intervention CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES IGNACIA S. MORENO, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL United States Department of Justice, Environmental & Natural Resources Division SETH M. BARSKY, CHIEF S. JAY GOVINDAN Wildlife & Marine Resources Section Attorneys for FEDERAL DEFENDANTS KATHERINE POOLE (SBN 195010) DOUG OBEGI (SBN 246127) NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenor NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL TRENT W. ORR (SBN 77656) GEORGE M. TORGUN (SBN 222085) EARTHJUSTICE Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenors NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; THE BAY INSTITUTE
COUNSEL IDENTIFICATION ON FINAL PAGE
JOINT STIPULATION AND ORDER
AMENDING SCHEDULE FOR
TRANSMITTAL OF DRAFT SMELT
BIOLOGICAL OPINION
Judge: Honorable
RECITALS
1. On May 19, 2011, this Court entered its Amended Judgment in these Delta Smelt Consolidated Cases requiring the United States Fish and Wildlife Service ("FWS") to "transmit to [the Bureau of] Reclamation by October 1, 2011 a draft delta smelt Biological Opinion ("BiOp") consistent with the requirements of law." (Amended Judgment, Doc. 884 at 3:18-19.)
2. On September 20, 2011, the Court entered its Memorandum Decision re Cross Motions for Summary Judgment (Doc. 633) in the Consolidated Salmonid Cases, Case No. 1:09-cv-01053-OWW-DLB regarding the 2009 Salmonid Biological Opinion ("2009 Salmonid BiOp"). This decision found the 2009 Salmonid BiOp and its RPA arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful, and remanded the 2009 Salmonid BiOp to the National Marine Fisheries Service for further consideration in accordance with the Court's decision and the requirements of law.
3. In light of the recent ruling in the Consolidated Salmonid Cases, described above, the United States Bureau of Reclamation ("Reclamation") must reevaluate the project description that will serve as the basis for the Section 7 consultation for the draft delta smelt BiOp.
4. In light of the Court's decision regarding the 2009 Salmonid BiOp, each of the undersigned parties agrees that the current deadline for completion of the draft delta smelt BiOp should be extended to enable Reclamation to reevaluate and potentially modify the current project description.
5. Furthermore, Federal Defendants and some of the parties have discussed greater participation in the consultation process for a new delta smelt BiOp. In order to fully explore whether discussions among the parties may result in a restructuring of the consultation process, and whether additional time may be required to complete a restructured consultation on the draft delta smelt BiOp, all parties believe that the modification below to the draft BiOp schedule is appropriate, and will be mutually beneficial.
Good cause exists for the granting of the below requested schedule change for transmittal of the draft delta smelt BiOp, and the parties respectfully request that the date set by this Court be modified as shown below.
STIPULATION
Plaintiffs San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Westlands Water District, State Water Contractors, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, Kern County Water Agency, Stewart & Jasper Orchards, Arroyo Farms, LLC, King Pistachio Grove, and Family Farm Alliance ("Plaintiffs"), Plaintiff-Intervenor California Department of Water Resources ("DWR"), Federal Defendants, and Defendant-Intervenors Natural Resources Defense Council and The Bay Institute, by and through their respective counsel, hereby stipulate and agree as follows:
1. The October 1, 2011 deadline in the Amended Judgment for transmittal of the draft delta smelt Biological Opinion is hereby vacated.
2. By October 31, 2011, the parties shall file with the Court a written report, preferably a joint report, stating whether the parties have jointly agreed upon a revised completion date for the draft delta smelt BiOp.
3. If there is not agreement among all parties on any completion date for the draft BiOp, then the draft BiOp shall be transmitted no later than November 11, 2011.
H. CRAIG MANSON
Westlands Water District
DIEPENBROCK ELKIN, LLP
KRONICK, MOSKOVITZ, TIEDEMANN &
GIRARD
A Professional Corporation
DANIEL J. O'HANLON
EILEEN M. DIEPENBROCK
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
SAN LUIS & DELTA-MENDOTA WATER
AUTHORITY and WESTLANDS WATER
DISTRICT
BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK LLP
STEVE O. SIMS
MICHELLE C. KALES
Attorneys for Plaintiff
WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT
BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP
GREGORY K. WILKINSON
STEVEN M. ANDERSON
PAETER E. GARCIA
MELISSA R. CUSHMAN
Attorneys for Plaintiff
STATE WATER CONTRACTORS
NOSSAMAN LLP
ROBERT D. THORNTON
PAUL S. WEILAND
AUDREY HUANG
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
COALITION FOR A SUSTAINABLE DELTA
and KERN COUNTY WATER AGENCY
MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP
CHRISTOPHER J. CARR
WILLIAM M. SLOAN
Attorneys for Plaintiff
THE METROPOLITAN WATER
DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION
M. REED HOPPER
DAMIEN M. SCHIFF
BRANDON M. MIDDLETON
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
STEWART & JASPER ORCHARDS;
ARROYO FARMS, LLC; and KING
PISTACHIO GROVE
THE BRENDA DAVIS LAW GROUP
BRENDA W. DAVIS
LESLIE R. WAGLEY
Attorneys For Plaintiff
FAMILY FARM ALLIANCE
KAMALA D. HARRIS, ATTORNEY GENERAL
OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
CLIFFORD T. LEE
CECILIA L. DENNIS
MICHAEL M. EDSON
ALLISON GOLDSMITH
Deputies Attorney General
Attorneys for Plaintiff-In-Intervention
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER
RESOURCES
IGNACIA S. MORENO, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY
GENERAL
United States Department of Justice, Environmental & Natural Resources Division SETH M. BARSKY, CHIEF
S. JAY GOVINDAN
Wildlife & Marine Resources Section
Attorneys for FEDERAL DEFENDANTS
KATHERINE POOLE (SBN 195010)
DOUG OBEGI (SBN 246127)
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenor
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
TRENT W. ORR (SBN 77656)
GEORGE M. TORGUN (SBN 222085)
EARTHJUSTICE
Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenors
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL;
THE BAY INSTITUTE
ORDER
Based on the stipulation of the above parties, the Court hereby vacates the October 1, 2011 deadline in the Amended Judgment (Doc. 884), for transmittal of the draft delta smelt Biological Opinion ("BiOp"). By October 31, 2011, the parties shall file with the Court a written report, preferably a joint report, stating whether the parties have jointly agreed upon a revised completion date for the draft delta smelt BiOp. If there is not agreement among all parties on any completion date for the draft BiOp, then the draft BiOp shall be transmitted no later than November 11, 2011.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Oliver W. Wanger
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE