1

Holding : Because the Department of the Interior’s decision to assign responsibility over the Appalachian Trail to the National Park Service did not transform the land over which the Trail passes into land within the National Park System, the Forest Service had the authority to issue the special use permit.

Judgment : Reversed and remanded, 7-2, in an opinion by Justice Thomas on June 15, 2020. Justice Ginsburg joined the majority opinion as to all but part III-B-2. Justice Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Kagan joined.

I concur with the above decision which will allow a gas pipeline to be built under the Appalachian Trial. A fair reading of the statute supports today’s decision.

2

Cowpasture River sounds like the proverbial estuary…

3

As relevant here, Atlantic secured a special use permit from the United States Forest Service, obtaining a right-of-way for a 0.1-mile segment of pipe some 600 feet below a portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Seriously folks?