Sturgeon v. Frost

The Supreme Court said ANILCA blocks the National Park Service from regulating John Sturgeon's hovercraft use on Alaska's Nation River as if that river were ordinary federal park land. The dispute was about whether nonfederal lands and waters inside Alaska park boundaries can be controlled the same way as federally owned park property.

The Court decided that ANILCA prevents the Park Service from treating the nonfederal Nation River like ordinary federal park land for this regulation, but the vote count and opinion lineup are not provided here.

This affects Alaskans who travel, hunt, fish, or use rivers that run through park boundaries but are owned by the state, Native corporations, or private parties. For example, it limits the Park Service's power over use of a nonfederal river inside an Alaska preserve.

The Supreme Court has finished this docket action. Its decision now controls this dispute over the Nation River and the Park Service's authority there.

The case asked whether ANILCA lets the Park Service regulate nonfederal lands and waters inside Alaska park boundaries like federal park land. That question arose from a ban on Sturgeon's hovercraft use on the Nation River.

People in Alaska who use rivers and lands inside park boundaries but outside federal ownership are directly affected. That includes travelers, hunters, fishers, and some Native corporation or private land users.

The Court's work in this docket is over. The decision now governs this dispute and future questions about Park Service control over similar nonfederal areas in Alaska parks.