Opinion ID: 166112
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: In January 2001 the United States Forest Service issued a rule, commonly known as the “Roadless Rule,” that generally prohibited road construction in inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands. Roadless Area Conservation, 36 C.F.R. §§ 294.10–294.14 (2001). The State of Wyoming filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming challenging the Roadless Rule. 1 A number of environmental organizations 1 Wyoming named as defendants the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”); the United States Forest Service; Ann M. Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture; and Dale N. Bosworth, Chief Forester of the USDA (continued...) -4- intervened on behalf of the federal defendants in defense of the Rule. 2 After concluding that the Forest Service promulgated the Roadless Rule in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321–4370f, and the Wilderness Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 1131–1136, the district court permanently enjoined enforcement of the Rule. Wyoming v. United States Dep’t of Agric., 277 F. Supp. 2d 1197, 1239 (D. Wyo. 2003). Defendant-intervenors are appealing the district court’s order. During the pendency of this appeal, the Forest Service adopted a final rule that replaces the Roadless Rule. We conclude that the new rule has mooted the issues in this case and therefore dismiss the appeal and vacate the district court’s judgment.