Tejon Ranch asks court to lift gag on negotiations
| Monday, Aug 03 2009 04:37 PM
Last Updated Monday, Aug 03 2009 04:39 PM
Tejon Ranch Co. is lobbying a federal court to lift a gag order on environmental lawsuit settlement negotiations.
The 270,000-acre ranch and industrial development company has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Justice to support vacating a protective order that a U.S. District Court issued to maintain the confidentiality of settlement talks between Tejon Ranch and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Tejon Ranch filed a lawsuit in 1997 over the government's efforts to protect the endangered California Condor, other animals and plants.
Since then, the two sides have created a draft Tehachapi Uplands Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan to mitigate and minimize impacts of ranch activities on native plants and wildlife.
With the plan nearly complete, the protective order is no longer necessary and creates an appearance of non-disclosure, said Robert A. Stine, Tejon Ranch president and chief executive officer.
