United States Ninth Circuit

In a case wherein American Indians sought to prohibit the federal government from allowing the use of artificial snow for skiing on a portion of a public mountain sacred in their religion, the circuit court rules that the government-approved use of artificial snow on government-owned park land does not violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), or the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/11/2007
• Decided 08/08/2008
• Published 08/08/2008

Judges

• Before:  ALEX KOZINSKI, Chief Judge, HARRY PREGERSON, DIARMUID F. O'SCANNLAIN, PAMELA ANN RYMER, ANDREW J. KLEINFELD, BARRY G. SILVERMAN, W. FLETCHER, RAYMOND C. FISHER, RICHARD R. CLIFTON, CARLOS T. BEA, and SANDRA S. IKUTA, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Howard M. Shanker (argued), Laura Lynn Berglan, The Shanker Law Firm, PLC, Tempe, AZ;  Jack F. Trope (argued), Association on American Indian Affairs, Rockville, MD;  Kimberly Schooley, DNA-People's Legal Services, Flagstaff, Arizona;  Terence M. Gurley and Zackeree Kelin, DNA-People's Legal Services, Window Rock, AZ;  Lisa A. Reynolds, James E. Scarboro (argued), Arnold & Porter LLP, Denver, CO;  Anthony S. Canty, Lynelle Kym Hartway, Office of General Counsel, The Hopi Tribe, Kykotsmovi, AZ, for the plaintiffs-appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Catherine E. Stetson (argued), Andrew L. Spielman, Hogan & Hartson LLP, Washington, DC;  Janice M. Schneider, Latham & Watkins LLP, Washington, DC;  Sue Ellen Wooldridge, Matthew J. McKeown, Andrew C. Mergen, Kathryn E. Kovacs, Lane M. McFadden (argued), United States Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, Washington, DC;  Philip A. Robbins, Paul G. Johnson, Michael J. O'Connor, John J. Egbert, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C., Phoenix, AZ, for the defendants-appellees., Geraldine Link, National Ski Areas Association, Lakewood, CO;  Ezekiel J. Williams, Jacy T. Rock, Faegre & Benson LLP, Denver, CO;  Glenn E. Porzak, P. Fritz Holleman, Eli A. Feldman, Porzak Browning & Bushong LLP, Boulder, CO;  for the National Ski Areas Association as Amicus Curiae in Support of the defendants-appellees., William Perry Pendley, Mountain States Legal Foundation, Lakewood, CO;  for the Mountain States Legal Foundation as Amicus Curiae in Support of the defendants-appellees.