The ruling, issued the week before Oct. 20, came in a lawsuit filed by the Pawnee Tribe. The tribe challenged the EPA’s decision to withdraw the condition, which had required Oklahoma to consult tribal nations as part of its authority to run the programs.

The EPA approved Oklahoma’s request in January 2025, initially attaching the consultation requirement. The agency reversed that condition several months later. The appeals court ruled in the EPA’s favor, leaving the state’s ability to administer the federal programs in place without tribal consent.

The dispute followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 McGirt decision, which recognized that much of eastern Oklahoma remains within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s reservation for purposes of federal criminal law. Oklahoma subsequently sought authority over environmental programs on tribal lands.

Gov. Kevin Stitt praised the appeals court decision, saying it affirmed Oklahoma’s authority and the rule of law. He argued that McGirt should not be extended beyond its criminal-law context to civil, tax or environmental authority, and said the state would continue protecting its natural resources.

The ruling concerns Oklahoma’s administration of federal environmental programs and the EPA’s removal of a consultation condition. It does not, based on the details provided, resolve every question about state-tribal jurisdiction or the role of tribal governments in environmental decisions.