Rancho Lobo, Ltd. v. Devargas

303 F.3d 1195, 2002 WL 1902885
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedAugust 20, 2002
DocketNo. 01-2196
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 303 F.3d 1195 (Rancho Lobo, Ltd. v. Devargas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rancho Lobo, Ltd. v. Devargas, 303 F.3d 1195, 2002 WL 1902885 (10th Cir. 2002).

Opinion

BRISCOE, Circuit Judge.

Defendants, all members, of the Board of Commissioners of the County of Rio Arri-ba, New Mexico (hereinafter “the County”) appeal from a decision of the district court holding that the Rio Arriba County Timber Harvest Ordinance is invalid because it is preempted by the New Mexico Forest Conservation Act, N.M.S.A.1978 §§ 68-2-1 et seq., and also holding that the ordinance’s provisions for requiring an environmental assessment are invalid because they delegate unlimited power to the county planning and zoning commission. The County contends that the Timber Harvest Ordinance is not preempted by the Act, but instead asserts there is room for concurrent jurisdiction. The County further contends that the Timber Harvest Ordinance’s provisions for environmental assessment do not improperly delegate unlimited power to the Planning and Zoning Commission. We reverse and remand.

I.

The facts in this case are undisputed. The New Mexico Forest Conservation Act establishes the State Forestry Division, which is authorized to enforce all laws, rules and regulations relating to all forested, cutover or brushlands within the state under the following circumstances:

A. prevention and suppression of fires;
B. logging and timber operations and practices;
C. trespass, waste and littering; and
D. conservation of commercial forest lands and products.

N.M.S.A 1978, § 68-2-14. The Division is authorized to make and enforce rules and regulations “for the prevention and suppression of forest or brush fires, and for the control of forest pests and for the application of commercial forest practices within the state.” Id., § 68-2-16. Section 68-2-16 also provides:

Nothing in the Forest Conservation Act [citation omitted] shall prevent a landowner hereafter from converting forest vegetative types to nonforest vegetative types for such purposes as range, wildlife habitat, farming, surface mining or subdivision development; provided, however, any slash resulting from such conversion shall be treated in a manner that will minimize the spread of forest fires and the possibility of insect epidemic.

Pursuant to its authority under the Forest Conservation Act, the Division has promulgated a series of regulations concerning tree harvesting and forest regeneration. 19 NMAC 20.2.1 The objective of this series of regulations is to “require appropriate forest resource management in order to assist in the prevention and suppression of forest fires, the control of forest pests and to maintain and enhance the economic benefits of forests and forest resources to New Mexico.” 19 NMAC 20.2.6. The regulations require a state [1199]*1199harvest permit for the harvest of commercial forest species in an area of twenty-five acres or more, and require submission of the method of harvesting and the treatment of skid trails and slash, as well as a forest regeneration plan. 19 NMAC 20.2.8-20.2.10.

In response to a threat to its watershed caused by erosion from timber harvesting on private lands, the County in 1998 enacted the Timber Harvest Ordinance under its zoning authority and power to provide for the general welfare. The purpose of the ordinance is:

to protect, maintain and restore fully functional forests and streams, rivers, watersheds and acequias while permitting the harvest of forest goods; to protect against immediate and long range threats to the quality of the Rio Arriba County’s water; to preserve local customs, culture and traditions; to preserve the bosques from harm and exploitation; to protect landowners and the property value of timberlands; to encourage the location of compatible uses of land; to promote sustainable logging practices; to encourage logging operations within Rio Arriba County; and to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Rio Arriba County.

Timber Harvest Ordinance, Article II.

The Timber Harvest Ordinance requires those who wish to harvest timber to obtain a county permit in most instances. If a permit is required, the applicant must present a timber harvest plan detailing the action, including a plan to control erosion. Id., Article VI(B)(4). In evaluating a plan, the county planning and zoning department considers: 1) the sustainability of timber production; 2) economic development and local employment; 3) water quality and availability; 4) soil protection; 5) logging roads and hauling; 6) harvest selection, techniques, old growth management and reforestation; 7) archeological, historic and cultural resources; 8) abatement of noise, dust, smoke and traffic; 9) hours of operation; 10) compatibility with adjacent land uses; and 11) the effect of existing harvests on the application. Id., Article VI(C). In some cases where the planning and zoning department finds that the proposed harvest would create a significant environmental impact, the applicant may be required to prepare an environmental assessment. Id., Article VI(H), (I).

The Timber Harvest Ordinance requires compliance with measures that are recommended but left voluntary under the state scheme. Erosion control plans, logging roads, drainage systems, buffer zones to protect riparian areas, and regeneration plans must comply with the best management practices recommended in the New Mexico Guidelines. Id., Article VI(B), (C).

In 1991, plaintiff Rancho Lobo acquired property in Rio Arriba County for the purpose of establishing a hunting preserve. In February of 2000, Rancho Lobo applied for and was granted a permit by the Forestry Division to harvest trees in order to “[rjelease understory trees,” “[i]mprove residual tree health and growth,” “[e]n-hance wildlife habitat and utilization in the areas,” “[p]romote the Englemann spruce as a stand component and/or aspen regeneration,” and “[p]repare future prescribed burn areas by removing white fir and mist-letoed Douglas fir from ponderosa pine/Douglas fir stand types and enhance their establishment.” ApltApp. at 85.

In March 2000, the County informed Rancho Lobo that it needed to apply for a county timber harvest permit under the Timber Harvest Ordinance. Rancho Lobo [1200]*1200refused to seek a permit, and instead filed an action arguing that the ordinance was invalid because it conflicted with and was preempted by the Forest Conservation Act, that enforcement of the ordinance constituted a taking in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and that the ordinance illegally deprived Ran-cho Lobo of its property.

Both parties filed motions for summary judgment on the issue of the validity of the ordinance. In its motion, Rancho Lobo alleged that the Timber Harvest Ordinance was invalid because it was preempted by the Forest Conservation Act and was not a proper use of the County’s zoning authority. In ruling on the cross-motions, the district court first determined there was sufficient controlling New Mexico law for it to decide the validity of the ordinance without certifying the question to the New Mexico Supreme Court. The district court held that the Timber Harvest Ordinance conflicted with the Forest Conservation Act because the Act allows clear-cutting while the ordinance prohibits clear-cutting without a variance being obtained.

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Rancho Lobo, Ltd v. Devargas
303 F.3d 1195 (Tenth Circuit, 2002)

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303 F.3d 1195, 2002 WL 1902885, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rancho-lobo-ltd-v-devargas-ca10-2002.