A coalition of conservation groups has filed a lawsuit in Lassen County Superior Court to overturn the county's approval of what is believed to be the largest housing development in the Sierra Nevada range.

Dyer Mountain Associates proposes 4,000 new homes, three golf courses and a ski resort on 7,000 remote acres of forest land considered sacred to Hanylekim, or Honey Lake Maidu.

"We hope the court can step in and put the brakes on this project so we can come to the table and work toward a resolution," said Tom Mooers, executive director of Sierra Watch.

Sierra Watch, Mountain Meadows Conservancy and the Sierra Club contend in a 15-page petition filed last week that approval of the development is irresponsible and illegal.

The groups say county supervisors violated the California Environmental Quality Act when they approved a project that failed to assess traffic and sewage impacts during an environmental review.

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To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4230.