Opinion
21-cv-096-wmc 21-cv-306-wmc
03-01-2022
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REGUGE ASSOCIATION, DRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY, WISCONSIN WILDLIFE FEDERATION, and DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE Plaintiffs, v. RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, CHRISTOPHER MCLEAN, Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, CHARLES WOOLEY, Midwest Regional Director, and SABRINA CHANDLER, Manager, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, LIEUTENANT GENERAL SCOTT A SPELLMON, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, COLONEL STEVEN SATTINGER, Commander And District Engineer, Rock Island District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and COLONEL KARL JANSEN, Commander and District Engineer, St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Defendants, and AMERICAN TRANSMISSION COMPANY, LLC, DAIRYLAND POWER COOPERATIVE, & ITC MIDWEST LLC, Intervenor-Defendants.
FINAL JUDGMENT
William M. Conley, District Judge.
IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that
In Case No. 21-cv-96, the court enters judgment in favor of plaintiffs and against federal defendants and intervenor-defendants as follows:
1. The Record of Decision issued by the Rural Utilities Service effective January 16, 2020, is VACATED AND REMANDED to the Rural Utilities Service for further proceedings consistent with the court's January 12, 2022, Opinion and Order on summary judgment (dkt. #175).
2. The court DECLARES that the compatibility determination precludes the CHC transmission line as currently proposed from crossing the refuge by right of way or land transfer.
3. The court VACATES AND REMANDS the defendants' Environmental Impact Statement and Records of Decision consistent with the court's January 12, 2022, Opinion and Order on summary judgment (dkt. #175).
In Case No. 21-cv-306, judgment is entered in favor of federal defendants and intervenor-defendants and against plaintiffs on Counts 1, 2, 3, and 5, which are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE. Judgment is entered in favor of plaintiffs and against federal defendants and intervenor-defendants on Count 4 as set forth above.