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RtE
Prepares to Rock the National Park Service Again
National Park Service Plans to Keep Yellowstone/Grand Teton
National Parks Open to Snowmobiles
 Prior
to 2000, approximately 80,000 recreational snowmobiles were
used by visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks,
resulting in air and water quality issues, disturbance to
wildlife, and negatively impacting a significant number of
visitors who wished to explore the majesty of a few of the
finest natural places in this country in peace and solitude.
In 2000, after years of study, environmental and economic
assessments and hundreds of thousands of public comments,
the National Park Service ("NPS") banned the use
of snowmobiles in the Park Units by the winter of 2003-2004.
As a result of lawsuits by the snowmobile industry and a change
of administrations, the NPS agreed to take another look at
the issue. Despite receiving over 350,000 comments supporting
the ban (including RtE's), the NPS issued a new Rule,
overturning the ban and allowing up to 1,140 snowmobiles in
the Park Units each day.
As a result
of contradictory District Court decisions in Wyoming and in
the DC Circuit, whose cases followed the implementation of
the new Rule, the NPS implemented an interim rule allowing
up to 720 snowmobiles to enter Yellowstone each day for the
2004-2006 Winter Seasons while the agency studied the issue
once again. Rock the Earth again opposed the Proposed Rule,
arguing that the NPS should have selected the alternative
to ban snowmobiles from the Parks, as was decided after thorough
study and public comment in 2000.
The NPS
has circulated a new draft Environmental Impact Statement
("DEIS") for the "permanent" plan for
the winter use of the Park Units. Although not yet published
for public comment (that will come in the Spring), reports
indicate that the DEIS alternatives all include snowmobile
access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in amounts of up
to 1025 snowmobiles each day! Our position is that
snowmobiles should be banned from the Park Units. Not only
do snowmobiles devastate the natural environment of these
sacred places, but the emissions and discharges from snowmobiles
threaten both air and water quality. Further, NPS mandates
restrict uses that impair or interfere with the atmosphere
of peace and tranquility of the natural soundscapes maintained
in wilderness. The use of snowmobiles in the Park Units violates
federal law, regulations and NPS mandates and guidance.
The DEIS
is scheduled to be published and a public comment period set,
to commence in March, 2007. In the meantime, RtE will continue
to monitor the situation and start to approach other potential
partners with which we could join to hold the Park Service
to the laws, regulations and guidance documents under which
they operate.
For
more information, background, or to view RtE's prior work
on this issue, please see our Yellowstone/Grand
Teton Winter Use Project page.
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