Brooklyn Heights Ass'n Inc. v. National Park Service
The plaintiffs (Brooklyn Heights Association, Inc. et al.) filed an action against defendants (National Park Service et al.) seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent alleged violations of federal and state law, specifically regarding the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (LWCFA). The dispute centered on the National Park Service's (NPS) 2008 and 2011 decisions to revise the "6(f)(3) boundary map" for Empire Fulton Ferry State Park, which excluded the Tobacco Warehouse and Empire Stores. Plaintiffs argued these revisions, made under the guise of correcting a "mistake," were arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to LWCFA statutes and regulations, which mandate a conversion process for such changes after a grant closes. The court agreed with the plaintiffs, finding that the administrative record belied any claim of original mistake and that NPS lacked inherent authority to bypass the required conversion procedures. Consequently, the court granted the preliminary injunction, setting aside NPS's decisions, restoring the original boundary map, and enjoining any drilling or construction on the affected structures during the litigation.