Appeals Court Strikes Down Forest Service Approval of Gold Drilling in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada

 

A federal appeals court reversed the decision of a lower court that would have allowed exploratory drilling in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The drilling threatened to harm an endangered fish and a dwindling population of bi-state sage grouse.

“We are so thrilled that the appellate court acted quickly. The impacts to the ecosystem, including sensitive species, and to the local community deserve an in-depth, detailed evaluation. Friends of the Inyo will keep working to protect this special area from destructive mining impacts.”

– Wendy Schneider, executive director of Friends of the Inyo

Because the company had planned to begin drilling as early as Sept. 1, Friday’s ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came just one day after oral arguments. 

In a short ruling that promised a longer opinion later, the appeals court reversed the district court’s decision and overturned the U.S. Forest Service’s 2021 approval that allowed gold-mining exploration in sensitive habitat in Inyo National Forest’s Long Valley area...more