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(Cite as: 2007 WL 3129435)


United States Court of Appeals,Ninth Circuit.

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff,

andTulalip Tribes, Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

State of WASHINGTON, Defendant,

Swinomish Tribal Community; et al., Real Parties in Interest,

andSuquamish Indian Tribe, Defendant-Appellee.

United States of America, Plaintiff,

v.

State of Washington, Defendant,

andSuquamish Indian Tribe, Defendant-Appellee,

Lummi Nation, Real-party-in-interest-Appellant.

Nos. 06-35185, 06-35241.


Argued and Submitted Oct. 17, 2007.

Filed Oct. 26, 2007.


Christopher Lee Pickrell, Esq., Office of the U.S. Attorney, Seattle, WA, Peter C. Monson, Esq., U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resource Division, Denver, CO, for Plaintiff.

Mason D. Morisset, Esq., Rob Roy Smith, Esq., Morisset Schlosser Jozwiak & McGaw, Seattle, WA, for Plaintiff-Appellant.

Robert K. Costello, Esq., Fronda C. Woods, Esq., Michael S. Grossmann, Office of the Washington Attorney General, Olympia, WA, for Defendant.

Michelle Hansen, Esq., Office of Tribal Attorney, Suquamish, WA, for Defendant-Appellee.

Alix Foster, Esq., Office of the Tribal Attorney, La Conner, WA, Bill Tobin, Esq., Vashon, WA, Phillip Evan Katzen, Esq., Cory J. Albright, Esq., Kanji & Katzen, PLLC, Lauren P. Rasmussen, Esq., Law Offices of Lauren P. Rasmussen, PLLC, Marc D. Slonim, Esq., Richard M. Berley, Esq., John B. Arum, Esq., Ziontz Chestnut Varnell Berley & Slonim, Seattle, WA, Michele C. Coyle, Hogan and Hartson, Los Angeles, CA, Phillip Evan Katzen, Esq., Brian H. Collins, Esq., Lori Ellen Nies, Esq., Skokomish Indian Tribe, Skokomish Nation, WA, Daniel A. Raas, Esq., Office of the Reservation Attorney, Harry L. Johnsen, Esq., Raas Johnsen & Stuen, P.S., Mary M. Neil, Esq., Lummi Indian Nation Office of the Reservation Attorney, Bellingham, WA, for Real-party-in-interest-Appellant.


Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington; Ricardo S. Martinez, District Judge, Presiding. D.C. Nos. CV-70-09213-RSM, SP-05-00004-RSM.


Before D.W. NELSON, BEAM FN*, and RYMER, Circuit Judges.


FN* The Honorable C. Arlen Beam, Senior United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit, sitting by designation.


MEMORANDUM


FN** This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.


*1 This case is remanded to the district court. A 12(b)(6) dismissal is not appropriate. The district court failed to make any determination on whether it has continuing jurisdiction and on what ground. The jurisdictional basis is not self-evident; it is necessarily linked to the nature of the claim being asserted. The issues and proceedings are complex and meaningful appellate review requires a more developed record.


REMANDED.