Environmental Impact Statement The U. S. Forest Service is responsible for manag
ID: 325148 • Letter: E
Question
Environmental Impact Statement The U. S. Forest Service is responsible for managing the country’s national forests for recreational and other purposes. This includes issuing special- use permits to private companies to operate ski areas on federal lands. Sandy Butte is a 6,000- foot mountain located in the Okanogan National Forest in Okanogan County, Washington. Sandy Butte, like the Methow Valley it overlooks, is a pristine, unspoiled, sparsely populated area located within the North Cascades National Park. Large populations of mule deer and other animals exist in the park. Methow Recreation, Inc. ( MRI), applied to the Forest Service for a special- use permit to develop and operate its proposed Early Winters Ski Resort on Sandy Butte and a 1,165- acre parcel of private land it had acquired adjacent to the national forest. The proposed development would make use of approximately 3,900 acres of Sandy Butte to provide up to 16 ski lifts capable of accommodating 10,500 skiers at one time. Is an environmental impact statement required? Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council, 490 U. S. 332, 109 S. Ct. 1835, 104 L. Ed. 2d 351, Web 1989 U. S. Lexis 2160 ( Supreme Court of the United States)
Explanation / Answer
Case Facts:-
The case is that of a private company which according to the law needs to take permit for operating skis on federal land. The issue was that there was sparsely populated mountain 600o ft high within a national park and the company wanted to develop it as a ski resort which would impact the pristine environment. The company already has 1165 acre of land next to the forest and required taking additional 3900 acres from the mountain areas. The issue is in this case is if it necessary to get an environmental impact statement.
Solution:
As per the National Environmental Policy, the forest service needs to examine if efforts to negate the negative impact has been done or not. Hence, environmental impact statement which has information and explanation for the steps that would be taken by the resort to revert any damages to the environment should be taken in this case, however the forest service can issue permit without it also as the forest service is not mandated to get the environmental impact statement as per the law.
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