Marsh v. Oregon Natural Resources Council
490 U.S. 360 · Decided May 1, 1989 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Marsh v. Oregon Natural Resources Council was decided on May 1, 1989 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 490 U.S. 360 · 109 S. Ct. 1851 · 104 L. Ed. 2d 377 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 2150
- Docket number
- 87-1704
- Decided
- May 1, 1989
- Argued
- January 9, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- National Environmental Policy Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Marsh, Secretary of the Army, et al. v. Oregon Natural Resources Council et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-083, docket 1988-083-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council
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- California Coastal Commission v. Granite Rock Co.
Cases on the same legal provision: National Environmental Policy Act
- Weinberger v. Catholic Action of Hawaii/peace Education Project
- Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council, Inc. v. Karlen
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error