Environmental Impact Statement The U. S. Forest Service is responsible for managing the country’s national forests for recreational and other purposes. This includes issuing special- use permits to private companies to operate ski areas on federal lands. Sandy Butte is a 6,000- foot mountain located in the Okanogan National Forest in Okanogan County, Washington. Sandy Butte, like the Methow Valley it overlooks, is a pristine, unspoiled, sparsely populated area located within the North Cascades National Park. Large populations of mule deer and other animals exist in the park. Methow Recreation, Inc. ( MRI), applied to the Forest Service for a special- use permit to develop and operate its proposed Early Winters Ski Resort on Sandy Butte and a 1,165- acre parcel of private land it had acquired adjacent to the national forest. The proposed development would make use of approximately 3,900 acres of Sandy Butte to provide up to 16 ski lifts capable of accommodating 10,500 skiers at one time. Is an environmental impact statement required? Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council, 490 U. S. 332, 109 S. Ct. 1835, 104 L. Ed. 2d 351, Web 1989 U. S. Lexis 2160 ( Supreme Court of the United States)