Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Inc. v. Columbia River Gorge Commission

The management plan for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area requires Oregon and Washington to develop “a regional air quality strategy” for the scenic area, which must be submitted to the Columbia River Gorge Commission (commission) for approval. In 2011, the states, pursuant to that obligation, submitted the Columbia River Gorge Air Study and Strategy, which the commission approved as the states’ regional air quality strategy. Petitioner now seeks judicial review of the commission’s decision to approve that air quality strategy. We affirm.

By way of brief introduction, Congress in…