Center for Biological Diversity v. Bureau of Land Management

GDB represented the American Sand Association, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) group, in long-standing litigation over the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) for the Imperial Sand Dunes, the largest dune complex in the western hemisphere. The plaintiffs sued the BLM and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the federal Endangered Species Act, contending that the USFWS adopted a Biological Opinion for the RAMP that failed to properly address OHV-related impacts on federally-listed species, including the Peirson’s milk-vetch. The District Court for the Northern District of California ruled in favor of the BLM, the USFWS and the American Sand Association. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the trial court’s decision. (Center for Biological Diversity v. Bureau of Land Management (9th Cir. 2016) 833 F.3d 1136.)