Alaska Center for the Environment Alaska Wildlife Alliance v. U.S. Forest Service John C. Dorio, District Ranger, Chugach National Forest

HUG, Chief Judge:

At issue in this appeal is whether the U.S. Forest Service complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321-4370, when it classified one-year commercial helicopter activities as “categorical exclusions” and issued a special use permit without conducting an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). However, before reaching this question we must first decide whether this case is rendered moot because the challenged permit has now expired. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and, concluding the case is not…