The Navajo Nation Council will take more time to consider the purchase of a ski resort at the center of a sacred site case.

The bill authorizes the Navajo Nation to seek an appraisal of the Arizona Snowbowl and negotiate the purchase. But some delegates raised questions about the measure so it was referred to a committee for further review.

The Snowbowl is located on federal land in the Coconino National Forest in Arizona. The resort plans to use reclaimed wastewater to make snow, a move that tribes say would desecrate the San Francisco Peaks, a sacred site.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals initially sided with the tribes. But after a rehearing, the court said the snowmaking plan could go forward. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case earlier this year.

Get the Story:
Navajo Puts Snowbowl Vote On Hold (AP 10/22)

9th Circuit Decision:
Navajo Nation v. US Forest Service (August 8, 2008)

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