Richardson Ranch, LLC Defeats Friends Of South Fork Gualala’s Action To Enjoin Timber Harvest

A team from Bergeson, LLP, led by partner John Pernick, obtained a rare victory against a plaintiff seeking to use the California Environmental Quality Act to block timber harvesting under a Timber Harvest Plan approved by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.  In the Sonoma County Superior Court case Friends of South Fork Gualala v. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Judge Bernard DeMeo ruled in favor of Bergeson client Richardson Ranch, LLP and denied the request of Friends of South Fork Gualala that Richardson Ranch be enjoined from harvesting and removing timber under its Timber Harvest Plan.   The Court found that Friends of South Fork Gualala failed to establish that Richardson Ranch’s timber harvesting and removal operations were likely to cause irreparable harm to the environment.  Having failed to block Richardson Ranch’s timber harvest, Friends of South Fork Gualala agreed to dismiss its action in its entirety.