United States v. Oregon

122 F.R.D. 571, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12668
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedOctober 7, 1988
DocketCiv. No. 68-513-MA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 122 F.R.D. 571 (United States v. Oregon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Oregon, 122 F.R.D. 571, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12668 (D. Or. 1988).

Opinion

AMENDED OPINION

(Intervention)

MARSH, District Judge.

The Makah Indian Tribe (hereinafter “Makah Tribe”) moves to intervene as a matter of right pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 24(a) and alternatively seeks permissive intervention pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 24(b). While its motion to intervene appears to be for the sole purpose of submitting opposition to the pending motion for an order approving the Columbia River Fish Management Plan, the Makah Tribe at oral argument conceded that it wished to intervene as a party for all purposes. The parties moving for an order approving the 1988 Columbia River Management Plan (hereinafter “moving parties”) contend the Makah Tribe does not meet the standards for intervention as of right. While the moving parties might not resist limited permissive intervenor status or amicus status, they do contest full intervention whether by right or permissive. The Yakima Indian Nation offers further opposition. For the reasons that follow, I deny the motion of the Makah Tribe to intervene.

BACKGROUND

The pending case is the outgrowth of consolidation of two cases filed in 1968. The first case was designated Sohappy v. Smith, Civil No. 68-409, while the second was designated by the heading in this case. Each suit was brought against the State of Oregon to define the Indians’ treaty right to take fish “at all usual and accustomed places” on the Columbia River and its tributaries. Sohappy v. Smith, 302 F.Supp. 899 (D.Or.1969). They sought a determination of the extent to which the State of Oregon could regulate fishing after Puyallup Tribe v. Department of Game, 391 U.S. 392, 88 S.Ct. 1725, 20 L.Ed.2d 689 (1968). Four Indian tribes, including the Yakima Indian Nation, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, intervened as plaintiffs in the suit brought by the United States. Sohappy, 302 F.Supp. at 899. The two actions were consolidated. Id.1

An initial opinion was entered on July 8, 1969 wherein the treaty right of the Indians on the Columbia River and its tributaries was construed. Sohappy v. Smith, 302 F.Supp. at 911-12. Further, the opinion considered the manner and extent to which the State of Oregon could regulate Indian [573]*573fishing. Id. Jurisdiction was retained to grant further or amended relief. Id. Referring to the retention of jurisdiction, the Ninth Circuit quoted this court as permitting “[a]ny party at any time [t]o apply to the court for a subsequent modification of any provision of this decree where the continued application of the decree has become inequitable or impracticable, but this right shall not affect the finality of the decree with respect to times prior to any such modification.” United States v. Oregon, 529 F.2d 570, 572 (9th Cir.1976).

Between 1969 and 1976 the parties appeared before this court several times. Id. The Honorable Robert C. Belloni urged the adoption of a comprehensive plan for allocation and management of Columbia River anadromous fish. Id.

In 1974 the State of Washington was permitted to intervene. United States v. Oregon, Civ. 68-513 (D.Or. May 22, 1974). In 1977 all the parties to the litigation signed and this court approved “A Plan for Managing Fisheries on Stocks Originating from the Columbia River and its Tributaries above Bonneville Dam” (hereinafter “original Plan”). Id. (Fébruary 28, 1977). The original Plan had a term of five years and set conservation goals for each- fish species, established fishing regulations and provided for the establishment of future management techniques.

However, the original Plan did not establish fishing locations, times or quotas. United States v. Oregon, 718 F.2d 299, 302 (9th Cir.1983). These details are regulated through the Columbia River Compact (hereinafter “Compact”), an interstate agency created by Oregon and Washington and ratified by Congress. Id.; Act of April 8, 1918, Pub.L. No. 64-123, 40 Stat. 515 (1918). Under the Compact, the Columbia River is divided into six commercial fishery zones and annually it estimates the size of the runs and determines the length of fishing seasons that the runs can support.

In 1982, two of the tribes gave notice of their intent to withdraw from the original Plan or to renegotiate it. United States v. Oregon, 745 F.2d 550, 552 (9th Cir.1984). On August 24, 1983 and again on September 6, 1983, this court found that changed circumstances of law and fact made the original Plan subject to revision or modification and ordered the parties to attempt to agree upon a revised or modified agreement. United States v. Oregon, Civ. 68-513 (August 24, 1983; September 6, 1983). At the August hearing, this court delayed ruling on a pending motion by the State of Idaho to intervene. Later, the motion was denied as untimely and Idaho was granted the right to participate in the case as amicus curiae. Id. (December 5, 1983). The Ninth Circuit reversed this order, held that Idaho’s petition to intervene should not have been denied as untimely and allowed Idaho to intervene. United States v. Oregon, 745 F.2d at 553. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit held there had been no objections on the issue of timeliness. The objections of the existing parties were that Idaho’s presence might create difficulties if Idaho asserted claims over which the court didn’t have jurisdiction. Id. at 552. The Ninth Circuit reasoned that the district court had not made a finding of prejudice to the existing parties and that there wasn’t a “serious” dispute that Idaho had interests which may be affected by the disposition of the litigation. Id.

In 1985 the parties were before the Ninth Circuit again. United States v. Oregon, 769 F.2d 1410 (9th Cir.1985). The primary issue was this court’s finding that the fishery regulations promulgated by the Columbia River Compact violated the Indians’ treaty fishing rights and the finding that it was within the jurisdiction of this court to set aside those regulations and adopt the Tribes’ proposed seasons by means of an injunction. Id. at 1412. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the actions and jurisdiction of the district court. Id.

Next, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes moved to intervene. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are located in Idaho on the upper Snake River, a tributary to the Columbia River. On July 25, 1986 this court allowed the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to intervene.

Pursuant to the August 1983 order, the parties have continued negotiations to [574]*574reach a comprehensive plan.

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Related

United States v. State of Or.
787 F. Supp. 1557 (D. Oregon, 1992)
United States v. Oregon
787 F. Supp. 1557 (D. Oregon, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
122 F.R.D. 571, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12668, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-oregon-ord-1988.