Free Declaration - District Court of Federal Claims - federal

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-36

Filed 08/15/2008

Page 1 of 8

EXHIBIT 32

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-36

Filed 08/15/2008

Page 2 of 8

EXHIBIT 32

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB
F;ROM :Jimmy Goss

FAX NO. : 505673648

Document 42-36

Filed 08/15/2008

Aug_ 13 2008 07: 36PM P2

Page 3 of 8

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FOREST GUARDIANS

Honorable Dirk Kempihome, SecClar

Honorale Mike

Johans, Scciai

U.S. Dcp:mcnt ofihc Interor
1849 C. 5"..1, N.W.
Washingon, D.C. 20240
Via Cerified Ma.i1 No.

U.S.' DcpmC1t of Agrculture
1400 Indence Avenu. S.W. Washin&ioii. Ö.C. 20250
Via Catific: Mail No.

700 OJ 00 00$ 0639 1246

700010000506391253

RE: ILLEGAL TAKE OF MEXICAN SPOTTED OWLS AND

i

FAILURE TO CONSERVE ON THE SACRAMENTO GRAZING ALLOTMENT

Dea Secrares Kcmplhome and Johanns,

Forest Or.diwi is writing 10 rcqu~l that you take immeliale action to teedy the
United Siates Forest Serice's (USFS's) ongoing '\ioialion" onhc Endge Spees Aci (ESA), 16 U.S.C. § 1531 ei seq.; reuJtng frm the iake oflhe ihreaiencd Mex.icw Spotted Owl (MSO) direcl1y arising. cUI ofihe USFS's authoriulion of liveSock. grazng on the SacramcJlo Allotment in thcSacrc:to Ranger DiSlricl oftJc LincOln National Foiesi. The MSO is a federlly-lisred Ihroter00 species, whicli is fully ptOlectfi under
the ESA. Depite Uiis fact, Uie USFS has failed 10 moc Ihe reanable and prud.nt meaures and conditions speificd in Biological OpinioiL (Bas) issued by tlic United

Slôtes Fish an Wildlife: Serce (USFWS) to proteciihe MSO fr the negative Impacts of gring. The USFS has also coniinued to allow ihc SiicrBmcnlO Graing Association
(SGA). the sole p.ittce on the Sacrameto-Allotment,; (0 gre ibis allotMen in a way

that is-known lo po a Wei ofhan 10 the MSO, a: has actually injure. and is continuing 10 injure. th speies. Th~ aeiions cODstirute the ilegal (ale of proteced
speies wiihin Ihe meaing ofihe ESA; and un Qyerching (a;lure oflOO ÚSFS to "ca

aul progrs ror the conscf\otlon of enanger spees and i.bretentd species."
By failing (0 mE:lhc resonable nid pruent measure and coditions se forh in the USFWS's BOs, and by auLhorizingaetivities that reult in actual injury 10 the MSO. the USFS is in violation ofESA § 9. which prohibiis ihe lakng oflisted speies. We ar hopeful thai Ihe USfS wil take immediate action (0 .confomi 10 the fedcral mandate of the ESA by removins all cailie frm the Sacrento Alloimet unless and unlil it ca

insre thai gring on Ihe al10lmetl po no ihiat of rutiJrc ha to ihc MSO. This
letter is provided as offcial 60.day ooiicc under ihe ESA cilÎzcn .:uii provision, i 6 U.S.C.

§ 1 S40(g), of our intent to sue yoi. 10 enforce the law if you do not act wiüiin ihe ned 60

days to remedy thes legal \ljal:iions.

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-36

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1-"

shrub, tre, form an gras cover, all of

which are importMt to the MSO or ¡IS prey.

Morever. high.inlClilY grazing aliers meadow habilats iUd rcuces ihe dense grs

cover require by small mium'als, such as tbe: Mcx.iQU vole. which ar an importanl pa of the owl's diet.
Because lhc 'Presertin of habitat is ke to the: :Jrvivai aDd rever of

the MSOt the:

USFWS issued a final rule designating criical habitat for ihe MSO on August 31, 200. 69 F.R. 53182. Porions ofthe MSO crtical habitBt Br 16ctti on thc Sacraenio Alloimcnt. Signifiçatly, the allotment oontains appro"'imaicly:38.889 ucrcs orlan "on
which aJ louiid ihose physical or biological féalures esselial to the conseration of thc 532(5)(A)(i)(I). Thererore, con'inued livcsiock gring throughou. speces." 16 U.S.C. 1

ihe allotment must be cacd out in a way that repets this crtica habitat designation iid 'promote boih the surival Qnd rever ofthespees.

Curre' Pn1ll T.mtl." .
Th current pennit for ihe Sacrfinto Allolmcnt was issed to the SOA in 200. In

analyzng Iho deejs;on to issu. tho grng pei~ IhoUSFS prared a droll
Environmental 1m"".. Statement (DEIS) daied November 2002, Enviroiuentallmpilcl Statement (FEIS) an Recrd of

and 0 Final

Decision (ROD) d:lIcd July 20,

Collecively, thes documents adopted a prefCl aliemive dese:ribe as reducjng
"Iivesoçk usc ro blJlan with c:PaCiIY and maintain wildlife at pn:t levels," FE/S. át

S-3.

Th 200 peimit~ which was issued by the USFS for Ihe Sacraento Allotment,
aUlhorizes yea round grin& prviding for

200 .. 412 catlh~ and 5 horses from May 15

ihrgh Oçtob~ 3) 011 IhC! summer r.ge. and 200 - 335 cattle and 5 hors from
November I Ihrough May 14 on the winler range. Howevçr, SOA's permit exprcS!dy forbids grazing in riparan exciosure QI all times; ID its decision dcxoments. the USFS
detennined that peit itncwil wau,ld improve 'oveill rage conditíoiis over the duntion
of

the .IO-yea grir'g ~il.

USFWSBOs
Jnfom1al consltation wiih lhe USFWS reialng the impacts of giing to MSOs

resulted in lJ finding of"likeJy to afeç" ihe MSO anor ils çrlicl habitat. Upon fonnl tOllulralion, the USFWS issue I\10 80s on the USFS's prosal to issue u IO-year grazing penni' on the Sacrento Allotment: one daied Fcbruar 4, 200. and a second
dated Ocober IS. 200. The Februry 80 WDS U response to the USFS's rcquesl far

eonsullation on ¡Is May 12, 2003, biological asesment (BA). The Qcobcr 80 was a mpons to thc.USFS.s reuc:t for ~¡níliati(Jn of ron31 çónsultatlon .b"Ìven the intervening, designtion of MSO i;ritical h;bÎ18t.
_.. "

awar, that grazing ca adverly impatl MSús on the USFS is fUlly ihe Sacramento AlIolMent. T,is is beuse grng ca desroy rip~an areas and denude; the landsçpe, m:iing it uninhabitable ror Mexica voles- il jmponani componen1 oflhe
The 80s state, and. I

J

/'

£d Wd¿£ :¿0 B00G £t '6n~

Bv9£¿B9S0S: .ON ~~

5509 nww J f: WO~~

FROM ;Jimm~ Goss

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

FAX NO. : 505673648

Document 42-36

Filed 08/15/2008

Aug. 13 2008 07: 37PM P4

Page 5 of 8

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BACKGROUND
MSOs on The SØCrteil()' tfltol/~nt

Totaling i i 1.484 acr in size, the Sacrento AlIalment ¡sane ofthe larget grng
allotments in USFS Ilegon 3. Altbug. ovenll mrge condilions on the aJlobnent ue
very por, the USFS bas ideiiified approximately 28.00 acr oftlis allOhnent as

suitale for liveslOl:k grzing. The.Sacrento Allotment contains one half of all ripaan
ar in the Sacrento Rage Distci, with 40 mUe9 of strS' an the Uppe Rio

Penascoaler Canyon Wild aDd Scenc River cadidate The: allotment contans hairai

for seenlspeç:ics liSied wier the. ESA, incuding the MSO. ..
The fWS lisred the MSO (Str ocitenlfolis ludda) as 11 theoed speie pursuant to
the ESA on April is. 1993. The MSO inhabits the foR:s an rocky cayons of5lutc:

Uiah, AriZO, Colorao, ard New Meiiico, an it:uange extends 50uthward inio Mexico. See SB: Fed: Reg. 14248. Aø:rding 10 the USFWS. at the tie of listing, approximately
20% of suitable MSQ habitat had be desyed, an Utc speie was losing habjuit øt a
raie,of 1% each yea. &.e id.. al 14253. Nealyliairoflhc loss to date had occurred in

tf1e"dece prior 10 Iisiing. See ¡d.
. In Deber i 995, the USFWS published ihe Finai

Recver Plan for the MSO (Recver Plan) to promote
the ~ver 'Oflhe spees. According to the Rtcove:ry .

PLan th Sacento Mounains supp the sed
lares known pOpulaiion ofMS05 in the,United Staes

The Sacreniò Allotment is. lQC in Lhc Sacto
Mountairu.

The Recver Plii provides for lhc levcls ofhabilfl

mangeenl, inclUd.ng protecled ar knwn as MSO
Proteted Aotvity Ceniei(PAC.). PAC, ar

area

dc:igated specificaly" for proeclion cifihe ~SOI and
include identified nesng and" iooUrig siles and

surrWidin habil.L The Sacnenlo AIlótmenl

46 MSO PA~ an support more MSO than any other single grn8 .aouenr on the Lincoln
COntains

National Forèt. Thus proiecon oflhe Sacraento
Al10iment i, crtica to thc survival an recver of

Sfr occitkrialis lucldQ

the

PIiOlobyPal War

MSO.

Th Recve Plan indicates ihailivestoc gring po a major ~t l~.lhc MSO.
Accorig to the PLan !he prmar theals to MSOs frm live gnn~ ar Ibe

altertion of habitat nid reuction in roo availabilit)' an diverity. Grarig ca alier
riparian ,habitats over time by ret!ri1hc develop.meni o~the O'lor i~ stct
. iieeoo by the owl for nesting, ros1inS, an olhi: bre reu,rec:ts i~~ifi~)'. the
Reve Plan indicates tlui gring

in ripaan areS. can reuce oreliminate'unpoant

,

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-36

Filed 08/15/2008

Page 6 of 8

ToIlol

riø ,.- i_~r_.._i.""-._.. --..lo.. --,,- '" . i_i.i-iir_""io pI_ 1li._...... "",,ob $I"... '..,J-.rca.._i.-._ .,- -..""-"" :.~..-~=Il l..l...i....i._ ii ~_..-_.. ___"'........ii_.."" .,- _""--~Il-.1"1o _.. ~.- ...._...... Si___ _.Sill.ol:

"",......,.. lIi._.... ,,- __.._i._op l¡'~_",~ '"- .. ioi. Il _ "" -.. ,- 1...."-...._-...... ~'=fm~..':., ..laB" _... _., -- Io om.."".._ ~- Od_s.in _.... "",,j
~.

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,-

..-...

'lIrr~I__ ~:.t;~=:.~s.- ~"r.._ ..,i.OC~....i.__..~1
fI lSi.AQ .....i~ lk wa

---

~i110.... "'..llIf....

___"".._"'~'''ni'' ...... i.M".~tld.. -.i""........-io..ii ~,..__-._tw_dla .$ii~'_..r.....¿"1 ....i-iolo...._..r..ii_OCil

.........i-ciu..tls... "".' .....~~-_._-,-_..,~~~..

idoo diCl H..,lIhrripali.. tn IdSQpn halilli.. II fci~ i.

'"SO liFo binc "Pocn.. di., i.h ~f.hld.. ci rø
rni.nlri _ocioibc MS ;o1.ii., (Fob WG 80, "2r¡ .. ih

..iun¡ ib di ~ -."" ..bpon ofMS irii..iI

.Uvø ..~ ,rrlC.ilnwiui diri:ybyliii ti ciPlin ..il

..

ii .."& for roo '" i roiry by .i.,¡ di I/ Of op o;m¡i,iin 0 f

ilva~kiln ._ihlin_lwblLlI..ko by..I!Iiq~ Fdi

200 80." .1. wi MO piJWi.. i. dq¡ by ijv",1Q pWs. i/ rai ii
kn 1l~"" Irln.. laW II ~ MSO ~i"" on ".iCili

'\oan¡iø ih Fcb 20 DO, di iJ "" md.. ilii il MSO i:KU

hoilà aala¡ to ØI dièv &a Yo1e an f.. ii or __

ii ofllSxcM A11_en~ MS.. dm II..I daon lt_

.. riporidi '" ~ riok"l i, pi of_in pu .... 14 jtd ormu"" rfl' 1i¡;.. IaIl bew..
"~"","~"¡Uinlll"" r"'2O80,II12.

H.., lib in Ml MSo. QI. on ih S.... Aliø coo in ii

u..illl. loMei. YO Wii' 0I øI li ldiuio lI nclI""

.....ole..'" fou. ia ii 1uim1 ,\u,p21).!ft kio....,~~.. beih

kI bd.. ~_ il MAki ar kiiii vo", ...li ii low

M.i ..~"" "" "' s.id bi doln (liJIIyr ptøi

hm 1W41D200,on ~okriin..I.."'bc~ D6 ""
COvu. "CCIy.dol)ø1Mw. wI IOU '5% 101f., In:loo "" ID
II 8l%doc ii _.ß\iOl\Dli¡l ofha pi.... on 51% &dIM In pi

dtiyofM..Jcom; 100IlcdYolc:_sn io." W.ilOO,..is.

19' iiii"" "' lø.. ob in 1l1)' rado '! i:bd bí .

pcii;w ofld""ni aiul ~io hc u.. i:1niil m"".. cr.. ~ 4-1: ..1.. ..ihn ih oJ bnt.. lJ""""
nila &J1i lizt be",. ind YIIi "" !idr.. ool..¡ MSO .

Won in ""j"""' wiib,he USfS Wud --lh in ""II ..W.,. Yibfo

..i.Jo¡i Ul rMh In Pi for SIGRln¡ ii l!lillns lIl!jii i:ei of
1i Vol. SRS (Wci 20). Il-.'" ii i/.. &f iul1 ii

Allo ii e:~ ~ '" ir.i l".. in lhe". ~ b)
Wud. ib imvl! m: ro.. .r1l MSO .. pi.o.ii rili

..ji!l. \iul. li ICll. H...... ibinll of l/nion ii Slc:o

ll olib kn.. ih 10 MS.. fu U~""~. il USFS "",,Ited 10 i:.. rnniii ii acl on ii oIli ..Iii icCÙ fo ¡rft¡ ripa..ln SO,\'1 ~l lm I: pi cr ~iii.. iii pi-. l... ~ "" e, S__lo .w",i In 200.

,_lIOWriJ..tl....ii....IVlI.....~-.... _Jo~....=Df.I_r'"s,IYRi"4-..
.; "d:LO tI (1 .,'"

..

eol.: 'I))OJ

..O)..'c: ~

Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB
FROM : J i mm~ Goss

Filed 08/15/2008 Page 7 of 8 FAX NO. : 5056873648 Aug. 13 2008 08: 00PM P1

Document 42-36

commiimei lO foltow and enon: the ter iud conditins tbai led the USfWS to adopt
i1S "not likely (0 affec finding... it is now caiiing actual. injury 10 lle MSO in diri
violation of ESA § 9..
The USfS's recet decision to reoinitiate eon5UltalioD regng th grg rotition

schedules on the Sacmenio AUotmenlÎn-no way affec or remelies its-Setin 9

violalions.. Anyovelap tli...!ESAl § 7 may hJ"" wiiJ § 9...is unexceli_ii (citaons omitted), an merly_refkts the broad pwpe oflh Act se aut in § 2 and
acknowledge in TVA v. Hill (437 U.s. 153 (1978))." Babblii, ,"703. Given ihe USFS's consisent history of moniroring and maníee indiffrenCt .along wÎth,SGA's blatant disrega for either Ihe alloenls reurces or the ter ofit" pennit,'pla.nning for
future rev~ without iicdiatc: action is insuffcient to .remedy this vioLation. So long

as the USFS allows SGA or any other pèrmiuee to gre the Sacrenlo Allotent in a
way (hat falls outsde of

th agr upn te an conditions as se for above, th

USFS win act to foreeebly pr.eIt an possibly retad MSO reve.
SOA's unUS18inable and Inapproprate-gringpraliccs on Ihe Sacramcnto Allotment

are not expec to change under culllSFS ma.nageent. irtlie USFS fails to.
elinûnaLe all caltle grng on the allotment unless and until the ripa are are
protecte anor revered, and the 4~inch gras.

forb height threshold is consstently

mainiained. it is sure to further vioJQte ESA § 9 by comittng addiTional takes in th.e
funi. uOnce a finding oflw ha bee made, the Act leaves no mom for mixed use or

other mamigment strtegies or policies." Paülq, at 1081. As such, the USFS mus now

cacel or 3uspciid SGA's pmnllo enure thlt all cale ar rmoved from the
Sacramto Allotment unles and unlil gring ca,be: mai: diere in a way Lhal
prootes tbe 5utval and recvery ofUieMSO. See DOW: 668 F',Supp. at 13~13S7,
sticfine until it a:uld do so wilhout jJagiUy tang protec speces of Sierra 'Club, 926 F.2d at 433 (enjoined evn~aged lumberng in th

ajJd by DOW, 882 F.3d 1294 (enjoining th. EPA fr conil_uing ilS regist..!;on of wildlfe);
Texas naonal fores

within 1.200 meter of active woodpeker colonies); PolitJ \I. Hawa;; Dep'l of f.d and
NlJrurlJJ RøsQurcn, 639 F.2d 495 (91b Cir.J981) (hoJding Ibat the :mtc's feral shee an
scats must be remove from lbe enaner pidila'& babita beous they dcgdcd the

bird's luitat, thereby imposing an injur); Tawil c/Plyaulh. 6 F.Supp.2d at 91
(enjoining any fuer off-road vehicle drvig on the bea tl was incomrislet with the
protection or piping plovers).

Forest Guarian is dedica to preening the MSO within the $aento Allotmeni
and thughOU! the SlIcrento Mount8inS. - We are hopeful that lhe USPS wjlJ reedy
the ongoing iak of

this Ihreatened speci_es which reults frm grng pmice

auihoried by 1h USFS, and enure tht no similar taes occ in the future. We as lhai

the USFS remove all cattle fr -the Sacrenio 'Allolmenc unles ii, until grog ca

be conducted in .i way ihai doe not adveely modify the MSO'a habitat anor har the speces. Plea coniaet us if yo beieve that any oflhe above analysis of r8. or law is

incorr or if you wis to discus this leter fuhff.

'4

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Fi; 'Jo~ lin Case 1:04-cv-00786-SGB

Document 42-36

FttIl.'~

A.,. 13 08/15/2008 Filed aw W'1l PO

Page 8 of 8

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