Filed: Jul. 24, 2014
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUL 24 2014 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT RICHARD OBERDORFER; WESTERN No. 12-36082 RADIO SERVICES COMPANY, INC, D.C. No. 6:11-cv-06209-SI Plaintiffs - Appellants, v. MEMORANDUM* HOLLY JEWKES, District Ranger, Crescent Ranger District; UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE; DAN SMITH, Forest Service enforcement agent, Defendants - Appellees. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 13-35541 Plaintiff - Appellee, D.C. Nos. 3:
Summary: FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUL 24 2014 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT RICHARD OBERDORFER; WESTERN No. 12-36082 RADIO SERVICES COMPANY, INC, D.C. No. 6:11-cv-06209-SI Plaintiffs - Appellants, v. MEMORANDUM* HOLLY JEWKES, District Ranger, Crescent Ranger District; UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE; DAN SMITH, Forest Service enforcement agent, Defendants - Appellees. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 13-35541 Plaintiff - Appellee, D.C. Nos. 3:1..
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FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUL 24 2014
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
RICHARD OBERDORFER; WESTERN No. 12-36082
RADIO SERVICES COMPANY, INC,
D.C. No. 6:11-cv-06209-SI
Plaintiffs - Appellants,
v. MEMORANDUM*
HOLLY JEWKES, District Ranger,
Crescent Ranger District; UNITED
STATES FOREST SERVICE; DAN
SMITH, Forest Service enforcement agent,
Defendants - Appellees.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 13-35541
Plaintiff - Appellee, D.C. Nos. 3:11-cv-00638-SI
6:11-cv-06209-SI
UNITED STATES CELLULAR
OPERATING COMPANY OF
MEDFORD,
Intervenor-Plaintiff -
Appellee,
v.
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
Page 2 of 6
WESTERN RADIO SERVICES
COMPANY, INC,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the District of Oregon
Michael H. Simon, District Judge, Presiding
Argued and Submitted July 7, 2014
Portland, Oregon
Before: PREGERSON, PAEZ, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges.
1. The district court properly dismissed Western Radio’s Bivens claim under
the First Amendment because Western Radio failed to state a plausible claim for
relief. Western Radio must allege facts “ultimately enabling [it] to prove the
elements of retaliatory animus as the cause of injury, with causation being
understood to be but-for causation.” Lacey v. Maricopa Cnty.,
693 F.3d 896,
916–17 (9th Cir. 2012) (internal quotation marks omitted). Western Radio alleges
that the Forest Service advised county officials that its Walker Mountain tower was
illegal and caused the Department of Justice to file a federal complaint. But
Western Radio failed to plead facts making it plausible that a retaliatory
motive—as opposed to a legitimate concern for the property rights of the
government—was the but-for cause of those actions.
Page 3 of 6
2. Western Radio’s pleadings similarly failed to state a Bivens claim under
the Equal Protection Clause. The conclusory allegation that “defendants
intentionally treated plaintiffs differently from others similarly situated” fails to
give the Forest Service fair notice of Western Radio’s claim; Western Radio’s
complaint specifies neither those similarly situated nor the supposed difference in
treatment. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). At oral
argument before the district court, Western Radio identified the “others similarly
situated” as others on Walker Mountain seeking similar permits, and the difference
in treatment as additional requirements imposed on Western Radio. But no Bivens
remedy is available for the withholding of a use permit because the Administrative
Procedures Act (APA) provides an adequate remedy. See W. Radio Servs. Co. v.
U.S. Forest Serv.,
578 F.3d 1116, 1122–23 (9th Cir. 2009).
On appeal, Western Radio argues that the “others similarly situated” are
instead others on Walker Mountain performing construction in excess of their
special use permits, and that the difference in treatment is the Forest Service’s
decision to initiate enforcement proceedings only against Western Radio. This
theory does not appear in Western Radio’s complaint or its opposition to
defendants’ motion to dismiss, and neither pleading alleges any facts regarding
these other users.
Page 4 of 6
3. Western Radio could not file suit under the National Environmental
Protection Act (NEPA) because its asserted injuries either cannot establish
standing under Article III or do not fall within NEPA’s zone of interests, as
required by the APA. See W. Radio Servs. Co. v. Espy,
79 F.3d 896, 902–03 (9th
Cir. 1996). Oberdorfer’s economic injury—broadcast interference with his radio
tower—suffices for Article III standing but does not fall within NEPA’s zone of
interests. See
id. at 903. Oberdorfer’s environmental injury—that the proliferation
of antennas at Walker Mountain over the past 30 years “makes [him] sick”—is
within NEPA’s zone of interests but will not be redressed by a favorable decision,
since the damage in question occurred in the past. See Summers v. Earth Island
Inst.,
555 U.S. 488, 493–95 (2009).
4. The district court correctly granted summary judgment to the Forest
Service on Western Radio’s claim that the Forest Service acted arbitrarily and
capriciously by not complying with 36 C.F.R. § 251.54, thereby violating 16
U.S.C. § 497. At oral argument before the district court, Western Radio limited its
allegations to violations of § 251.54(e)(1)(v), and we limit our consideration to that
provision. No rational trier of fact could have found that the Forest Service acted
arbitrarily and capriciously in concluding, as a threshold matter, that AT&T’s
Page 5 of 6
proposed tower would not “unreasonably conflict or interfere with . . . authorized
existing uses of the National Forest System.” 36 C.F.R. § 251.54(e)(1)(v).
5. The district court also correctly granted summary judgment to the Forest
Service on its claims for breach of lease and trespass. The Forest Service made the
required showing that Western Radio breached its lease by, first, beginning
construction on a new tower without authorization as required by 36 C.F.R.
§ 251.61(a), incorporated by clause III.B of the lease; and second, by failing to
submit detailed site plans to the Forest Service as required by the 1982 site plan for
Walker Mountain, incorporated by clause III.C of the lease. The 2005 and 2007
Decision Memos that Western Radio argues authorized its construction did not
constitute special use authorizations either in substance (as the Decision Memos
dealt only with the NEPA requirements for construction) or in form (as they were
not signed by both parties as required by 36 C.F.R. § 251.62). The Forest Service
was not required to exhaust its administrative remedies. The lease contains no
exclusive remedies clause and clearly contemplates suit for breach of contract.
For similar reasons, no rational trier of fact could have found for Western
Radio on the Forest Service’s trespass claim based on the record before the district
court. Under Oregon law, a trespasser “is one who enters or remains on premises
in the possession of another without a privilege to do so, created by the possessor’s
Page 6 of 6
consent or otherwise.” Rich v. Tite-Knot Pine Mill,
421 P.2d 370, 373 (Or. 1966).
The absence of a special use authorization signed by both parties, see 36 C.F.R
§ 251.62, and the District Ranger’s June 2010 letter outlining additional steps on
which construction authorization was contingent, establish that Western Radio’s
construction exceeded the scope of any consent granted by the Forest Service.
6. The district court did not abuse its discretion in ordering removal of the
trespassing tower. Although removal of the tower will unquestionably cause
significant hardship to Western Radio, the district court appropriately attempted to
mitigate that harm by allowing Western Radio to disassemble the tower itself, thus
salvaging the structure for future use. In entering the injunction, the district court
properly considered the principles of equity underlying a grant of injunctive relief.
See eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C.,
547 U.S. 388, 391 (2006).
AFFIRMED.