A nonprofit organization in Utah is suing the U.S. Forest Service, demanding that the park service lift its ban on snowboarding at Alta ski resort. The group, Wasatch Equality, claims the park service's ban violates snowboarders' rights to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution.

In a recent court filing, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah asked a judge to dismiss the case on grounds that the government has sovereign immunity and that snowboarders are not a protected class. In the filing, the federal government also said it has discretion about what activities can take place on public lands.

“For example, the United States may decide to allow fishing within a wildlife refuge, but it may choose to limit particular waters within that refuge only to fly fishing, which necessarily excludes other type of fishing,” assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Bennett wrote.

A hearing in the case is expected in the coming weeks.

—Source: fox13now.com