Paul Weiland on Critical Habitat

Groups Petition California Fish and Game Commission to List Western Burrowing Owl

On March 5, 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity and several other groups submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission (the Commission) to list the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea)...more

3/6/2024 / California , California Fish and Game Commission , Center for Biological Diversity , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , ESA Listings , Regulatory Agenda

Resource Optimization and Endangered Species Management

On December 21, 2023, I published a post on the Center for California Water Resources Policy and Management’s DeltaCurrents blog discussing integration of resource optimization into endangered species policy to improve...more

12/28/2023 / California , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , National Marine Fisheries Service , Regulatory Oversight , US Fish and Wildlife Service , Water , Water Conservation , Water Resources Facilities , Water Supplies , Wildlife Protection

D.C. Circuit Vacates Biological Opinion Built on Presumption in Favor of Listed Species

On June 16, 2023, in a highly anticipated decision, the United States Court of Appeal for the D.C. Circuit set aside a biological opinion regarding the effects of the federal lobster fishery on the North Atlantic right whale...more

6/21/2023 / Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , National Marine Fisheries Service , Regulatory Oversight , US Fish and Wildlife Service , Vacated

Species Status Assessments under the Endangered Species Act

On February 28, 2023, I published a post on the Center for California Water Resources Policy and Management’s DeltaCurrents blog discussing Species Status Assessments (SSAs) as a tool to facilitate implementation of the...more

3/6/2023 / Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Assessments , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , Regulatory Oversight , US Fish and Wildlife Service , Water Management

Fish and Game Commission to Consider Protections for Southern California Steelhead

In July 2021, CalTrout submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) to list a population of the fish Oncorhynchus mykiss, referred to as the Southern California Steelhead or Southern Steelhead,...more

1/25/2022 / California Fish and Game Commission , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , Rulemaking Process , State and Local Government

Assessment of Service’s Move to Rescind Definition of Habitat

This week, I published a post on the Center for California Water Resources Policy and Management’s DeltaCurrents blog discussing the Biden Administration’s proposal to rescind the definition of habitat. ...more

12/1/2021 / Biden Administration , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , Regulatory Reform , US Fish and Wildlife Service , Weyerhaeuser Company v United States Fish and Wildlife Service

USFWS Ordered to Take Another Look at Joshua Tree

On September 20, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California set aside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) negative 12-month finding (Finding) on a petition by WildEarth Guardians...more

9/24/2021 / Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , US Fish and Wildlife Service

Service Lists Franklin’s Bumble Bee as Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recently listed the Franklin’s bumble bee as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Historical records indicate that the species is endemic to southwest Oregon...more

8/31/2021 / Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , Regulatory Oversight , US Fish and Wildlife Service

An overview of the listing process under the California Endangered Species Act

The California Endangered Species Act (CESA) is one of the most important legal tools available to the Fish and Game Commission and Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect the State’s wildlife resources. The listing...more

7/14/2021 / California Endangered Species Act , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , Listing Standards

Federal Wildlife Agencies Release Final Rule Defining “Habitat”

On December 15, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively, the agencies) released a pre-publication version of a final rule providing a definition of “habitat” for the...more

12/17/2020 / Conservation , Corporate Counsel , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , National Marine Fisheries Service , Regulatory Oversight , Regulatory Reform , US Fish and Wildlife Service

California Fish and Game Commission defers Decision on Joshua tree

The California Fish and Game Commission deferred the decision on whether to make the western Joshua tree a candidate for listing to a special meeting in September 2020. In a hearing on August 20, 2020, the Commission heard a...more

8/25/2020 / California Fish and Game Commission , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , State and Local Government

Federal Wildlife Agencies Propose Rule to Define Habitat

The Departments of Commerce and the Interior (Departments) have completed a proposed rule to define the term “habitat” as that term is used in the context of designating “critical habitat” under section 7(a)(2) of the...more

8/4/2020 / Critical Habitat , Department of the Interior , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , Rulemaking Process , U.S. Commerce Department , US Fish and Wildlife Service , Weyerhaeuser Company v United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Klamath Dam Removal Now in Question

Over the past decade, proponents of an effort to remove four dams on the lower Klamath River have hit a series of roadblocks. The most recent came on July 16, 2020, when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted...more

7/21/2020 / Agricultural Land , Critical Habitat , Dams , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Farms , FERC , Inland Waterways , Native American Issues , Natural Resources , Popular , State and Local Government , Tribal Lands , Water Rights

Paul Weiland Discusses Western Dam Removal at California Water Law Symposium

Paul Weiland recently participated in the 2020 California Water Law Symposium, held at San Francisco's Golden Gate University School of Law. The theme of this year's Symposium was "Federalism & Water: Shifts in State/Federal...more

3/10/2020 / Agricultural Land , Critical Habitat , Dams , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Farms , Inland Waterways , Native American Issues , Natural Resources , Regulatory Reform , State and Local Government , Tribal Governments , Tribal Lands , Water Rights

Service Must Revisit Whether To Delist Golden-Cheeked Warbler

On January 15, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a lower court decision that upheld the determination of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) denying a petition to delist the...more

1/16/2020 / Appeals , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Delisting , Deregulation , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , ESA Listings , Habitat Conservation Plan , Regulatory Oversight , Regulatory Reform , Reversal , Rulemaking Process , US Fish and Wildlife Service

California Announces Lawsuit Over Federal Government's Biological Opinions for Central Valley Project and State Water Project

On November 21, 2019, the California Secretary for Natural Resources announced California’s decision to sue the federal government over its biological opinions for continuing operations of the California State Water Project...more

11/25/2019 / Central Valley , Critical Habitat , Department of Water Resources , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , Infrastructure , Water , Water Supplies

Environmental Groups Seek Protection for Mountain Lions in Southern California

The Center for Biological Diversity and Mountain Lion Foundation submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission (the “Commission”) to list mountain lions (Puma concolor) in southern and central California as...more

6/27/2019 / California Fish and Game Commission , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , Rulemaking Process , State and Local Government

Fish and Game Commission Adds Four Bumble Bees to Candidate List

On June 12, 2019, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) voted 3-1 that listing four subspecies of bumble bee may be warranted under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).? ...more

6/14/2019 / California Fish and Game Commission , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Endangered Species , Endangered Species Act (ESA) , Environmental Policies , Habitat Conservation Plan , Honeybees , Rulemaking Process , State and Local Government

Supreme Court Rules ESA Critical Habitat Must Be Habitat For Listed Species

On November 27, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an area is eligible to be designated as “critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) only if the area is habitat for the relevant threatened or endangered...more

11/30/2018 / Appeals , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Economic Impact Analysis , Endangered Species , ESA Listings , Judicial Review , Private Property , SCOTUS , US Fish and Wildlife Service , Weyerhaeuser Company v United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Proponents Of Dam Removal Project Seek To Skirt Protections For Endangered Species

The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (the “corporation”) recently submitted a plan for the removal of four dams on the lower Klamath River to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC). ...more

7/24/2018 / Agricultural Land , Critical Habitat , Dams , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Farms , FERC , Inland Waterways , Native American Issues , Natural Resources , State and Local Government , Tribal Lands , Water Rights

California Poised to Waive Protections for Endangered Fish as Tribes Seek to Shutdown Klamath Irrigation Project in an Effort to...

In late May 2018, the Klamath Tribes filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to shut down the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Irrigation Project, which supplies...more

6/7/2018 / Agricultural Land , California Endangered Species Act , Conservation , Critical Habitat , Dams , Deregulation , Endangered Species , Environmental Policies , Farms , Habitat Conservation Plan , Inland Waterways , Legislative Agendas , Native American Issues , Natural Resources , Proposed Legislation , Regulatory Reform , State and Local Government , Tribal Lands , Water Rights

Paul Weiland

Nossaman LLP

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