United States Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Assn.

Decided June 15, 2020. Clarence Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 18-1584 · 590 U.S. ___ (2020)

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 authority under the Mineral Leasing Act to grant a natural-gas pipeline right-of-way through lands in the George Washington National Forest traversed by the Appalachian Trail.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov) (opens primary source in a new tab)

Clarence Thomas’s profile · All opinions since October Term 2017 · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2020). Data last verified 2026-07-02. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).