A snowmaking gun on Little Nell on Aspen Mtn. earlier this winter. The National Ski Areas Association claims a new Forest Service rule could hinder ski areas’ ability to make snow by illegally taking water. Photo: Brent Gardner-Smith
Here is a copy of the lawsuit, NSAA v. USFS, filed in the Tenth Circuit in Denver on Jan. 9, 2012 by the National Ski Areas Association against the U.S. Forest Service over water rights tied to ski areas.
NSAA also named the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the parent organization of the Forest Service in the suit, as well as Harris Sherman, a former Denver lawyer who is now the Under Sec. for Natural Resources and Environment at the Dept. of Agriculture.
Here is a copy of the exhibits that were filed in the suit.
The USFS and other defendants have yet to file an answer to the suit.
Here is a position paper from NSAA on the lawsuit.
Here is testimony from an attorney for NSAA at a Congressional hearing on the issue on Nov. 15, 2011.
Here is a letter on the new regulations from Rep. Scott Tipton (R) of Colorado to Tom Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest Service.
Here is some recent news coverage of the lawsuit:
Denver Post – National ski group sues Forest Service to keep water rights
The Colorado Independent: National ski areas association sues U.S. Forest Service.
Vail Daily: Ski industry suing Forest Service over water
KDNK: Ski area battle Forest Service for water rights
Here’s the NSAA lawsuit embedded in a Document Cloud reader (which has a zoom function):
