The U.S. Supreme Court this week denied a producer group’s petition for review of a lower court ruling that upheld a Clinton administration prohibition on oil and natural gas leasing in forest lands in Montana.

The Mountain States Legal Foundation on behalf of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) sought review of a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which held the IPAA lacked standing to challenge a leasing ban imposed by the U.S. Forest Service.

The Forest Service closed nearly a million acres of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana to oil and gas leasing, citing “spirituality” and “value of place” as reasons.

A federal court ruled the IPAA had no right to challenge the action because its involved the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which it said was an environmental statute that the IPAA’s petition did not address. The court further held that federal law allows the Forest Service to place emotional concerns above scientific findings. The Ninth Circuit essentially upheld the lower court decision.

Despite the setback, the IPAA said it plans to continue to challenge actions that “inappropriately” limit the development of oil and gas resources.

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