The previous plan was rejected by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in September. Neither snowmobiles nor snowcoaches can be allowed in the parks this winter without a new plan and new regulation.
“This is as fast a track as we could move,” said Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash, prior to the 2008-09 winter season, which opens Monday, Dec. 15, 2008.
The preferred alternative would allow up to 318 commercially guided, best available technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches in a day in Yellowstone.
The daily snowmobile limit is slightly above last winter’s average of 294 snowmobiles a day, yet it well below the 720 a day allowed over the past four winters, and is also lower than the 540 snowmobiles a day under the plan that was rejected by the federal court.
“Well, 318 is certainly better than 540 or 720, on that we can agree,” said Bill Wade, director of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. “However it makes no sense to us that the NPS still wants to increase snowmobiles while holding snowcoaches at level numbers. This is still inconsistent with the science; with public opinion and with the intent of the federal judge's ruling.”
Last winter, the peak number of snowmobiles in the parks was 557, during the Christmas to New Year’s holidays. According to Yellowstone officials, had the 318 cap been in place last winter, it would have meant there would have been 29 days in the 82-day season when actual snowmobile numbers would have exceeded that cap – representing 2,121 snowmobiles.
The preferred alternative would also provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and Yellowstone’s East Entrance road as agreed to by the Sylvan Pass Study Group this past summer.
The 250-page Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment and an electronic form to submit comments on the Internet can be found on the web at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. Written comments may be submitted through this web site, in person, or by mail. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail. All public comments must be received or postmarked
by midnight, Nov. 17, 2008.
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