Ralph Young was a commercial tour boat operator on the northern coast of Kauai, Hawaii. He was licensed by the state of Hawaii to operate his boat in Hanalei Bay. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Coast Guard had also specifically granted Young an unrestricted license to operate his boats in Hanalei Bay. Hawaii subsequently passed a law that banned all commercial use of Hanalei Bay. The state refused to renew Young's state license and he was not allowed to operate his vessel under his federal licenses. Young filed a lawsuit against the state alleging that the state law that prohibited him from operating his boat conflicted with the federal law that authorized him to do so. The court probably found that the state law was: