Sierra Club v. Morton
405 U.S. 727 · Decided April 19, 1972 · 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
Sierra Club v. Morton was decided on April 19, 1972 by a vote of 4–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart 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
- 405 U.S. 727 · 92 S. Ct. 1361 · 31 L. Ed. 2d 636 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 118
- Docket number
- 70-34
- Decided
- April 19, 1972
- Argued
- November 17, 1971
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–3
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr., William H. Rehnquist.
Full case caption
Sierra Club v. Morton, Secretary of the Interior, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-092, docket 1971-092-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Illinois v. City of MilwaukeeAltered precedent
- Washington v. General Motors Corp.
- Lake Carriers' Assn. v. Macmullan
- Askew v. American Waterways Operators, Inc.
- United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
- United States v. District Court in and for the County of Eagle
Cases on the same legal provision: Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Bowman Transportation, Inc. v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc.
- International Telephone & Telegraph Corp. v. Local 134
- National Labor Relations Board v. Wyman-Gordon Co.
- Dunlop v. Bachowski
- Califano v. Sanders
- Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Superintendent of Insurance of New York v. Bankers Life & Casualty Co.
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. v. Nemitz
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- O'Keeffe v. Aerojet-General Shipyards, Inc.
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