Our Legal Program
Enforcing the law has been a cornerstone of Friends of the Swainson's Hawk's mission since its founding in 1994. Our Legal Counsel, James P. Pachl, was a founder and has kept FOSH at the forefront of California wildlife protection efforts. Lawsuits are the tip of the iceberg of Jim's watchdog vigilance on behalf of Swainson's Hawks. He also helps FOSH review proposed mitigation programs and evaluate existing mitigation programs. Pachl on protecting endangered species (click to watch video).
Current lawsuits:
Friends of the Swainson's Hawk v. County of Sacramento, Case No. 34-2011-80000761, Sacramento Superior Court, challenging the adoption of Final Environmental Impact Report for the Florin-Vineyard Gap Project by the County of Sacramento. Press Release More information about Florin-Vineyard Gap FEIR. Our concern here is the legal principle that California Environmental Quality Act requires that the environmental baseline of a project be based on actual land use and biological values of the site - not on zoning or what could be there under current zoning.
Environmental Council of Sacramento, Friends of the Swainson's Hawk, et al v. Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission, regarding approval of a flawed EIR and request for annexation by the City of Sacramento to enable development of the Greenbriar project in the Natomas Basin. Greenbriar is 577 plus acres of prime farmland at the intersection of 99 and I-5 in North Natomas, north of downtown Sacramento. Our partner in the lawsuit is the Environmental Council of Sacramento. We are presently in settlement negotiations.
Thanks to McGeorge Law School students for volunteering for Friends of the Swainson's Hawk!