A federal judge has rejected the latest lawsuit aimed at stopping Tejon Ranch Co. from building an upscale residential project near the company s Lebec headquarters.
California Central District Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled Dec. 4 that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not violate federal guidelines when it approved a habitat conservation plan the plaintiffs alleged should have recognized the California condor as a traditional cultural property deserving special protection. Such a recognition could have sunk the housing development as proposed.
Carney wrote that the condor is not itself a traditional cultural property and neither is the condor s habitat. He also found there is no evidence the defendant â the USFWS â ignored tribal input about proposed measures to reduce the impacts of development on the condor.
Tejon Ranch prevails in court case challenging approval of mountain residential project [The Bakersfield Californian]
Dec. 27 A federal judge has rejected the latest lawsuit aimed at stopping Tejon Ranch Co. from building an upscale residential project near the company’s Lebec headquarters.
California Central District Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled Dec. 4 that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not violate federal guidelines when it approved a habitat conservation plan the plaintiffs alleged should have recognized the California condor as a “traditional cultural property” deserving special protection. Such a recognition could have sunk the housing development as proposed.
Carney wrote that the condor is not itself a traditional cultural property and neither is the condor’s habitat. He also found there is no evidence the defendant the USFWS ignored tribal input about proposed measures to reduce the impacts of development on the condor.
Tejon Ranch Sees Legal Victory In Habitat Conservation Challenge
A federal court has sided with Tejon Ranch over a habitat conservation challenge regarding the California Condor, allowing the company to move forward with developments.
The United States District Court, Central District of California, granted summary judgment on Dec. 4 in favor of the US. Fish & Wildlife Service and Tejon Ranch Co. in a lawsuit that challenged the 2013 approval of a Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan covering the upland regions of Tejon Ranch.
The Habitat Conservation Plan, a permit issued in compliance with the Federal Endangered Species Act, will protect the California condor and other species found on the property, according to the company.