Wilde & Sturgeon Cases Denied: Alaska Brief Newsletter – October 2014
Dear Supporter:
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced decisions in two cases based in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve earlier this week. Both appeals challenged the authority of the National Park Service over navigable rivers running through federal park lands. Both appeals were denied. This allows the Park Service to do what it has always done: protect public safety and natural resources for all of us who use our precious parks.
The Wilde case involved a boat safety check and subsequent criminal prosecution. The Sturgeon case involved use of a hovercraft which is banned in all national parks. Trustees for Alaska filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the National Parks and Conservation Association in both cases.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
It has been a busy fall for Trustees for Alaska with various cases resulting in very good outcomes for public lands. We’re thankful for the positive decisions coming from the bench. Our recent wins in the Seward Coal case, the Pebble challenge to EPA undertaking the process to protect Bristol Bay from large-scale mining, and in Wilde and Sturgeon sustains our ongoing commitment to be in the trenches defending our clients and Alaska. We are hopeful for more good outcomes as we await the Alaska Supreme Court’s opinion in the Pebble cases argued before the justices last December.
We received a blast from the past when local donor Dr. Julius Rockwell gave us his collection of Trustees for Alaska’s printed communications going back to 1977. Reading through the material chronicling our early cases is very enlightening—some issues are won, only to come back years later. Acquiring this historical collection during our 40th anniversary year is poignant, especially as we plan for our next decade. From time to time, we’ll share some of the past with you here in the Alaska Brief.
Sincerely,
Vicki Clark
Executive Director
Read the stories in this issue:
Pebble Case Challenging EPA’s Clean Water Act Authority Dismissed
Seward Coal Loading Facility Compliance Order