Thursday, October 23, 2008

Snowbowl case might reach Supreme Court A lawsuit filed by various tribes against the Arizona Snowbowl might be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after several contradictory rulings by more local courts have left the case under dispute. In March 2005, the U.S. Forest Service granted permission to the Snowbowl to expand its infrastructure to allow artificial snowmaking using reclaimed water. Supporters say this is needed due to the inconsistency in snowfall over the past few years. In response, the Navajo, Hopi, Yavapai-Apache, White Mountain, Havasupai and Hualapai tribes filed a lawsuit saying the reclamation project threatens the environment and religious freedoms. The case was taken to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-person panel ruled in favor of the tribes in March 2007. However, a ruling made on Aug. 8, 2008 concerning the religious right of the tribes gave favor to the Snowbowl. The tribes are currently deciding whether to appeal to the Supreme Court on the grounds of religious freedom. Since the District Court did not rule on the merits of the environmental aspect of the lawsuit, the tribes may still appeal to the District Court for a separate ruling. Until a future ruling, the court has ordered a stay on production....

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