ENVIROMENT: Yellowstone Snowmobile Issue

Yellowstone, famous for its geysers, its beautiful rivers and canyons and herds of bison and elk. But now that image is being soiled by loud and dirty snowmobiles. So fowl is the gasoline guzzling snowmobiles that rangers working near heavy snowmobile traffic have to wear gas masks to protect themselves from the fumes.

In the late Clinton administration, the park service issued a phase out of all snowmobiles. But before that could happen Bush got elected and the policy was reversed. "If you look at the first studies that the Park Service did before the Bush administration came in, they had already considered new snowmobile technology," said Steve Bosak, the associate director for the park recreation for national parks association �A lot of what the snowmobile industry gave them was not new information. And if you look at what the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] has said about this whole process, they say it is clear that the best option for protecting the environment, for protecting the wildlife, protecting the visitors and the employees in the park is a ban on snowmobiles."

I say, that the number of snowmobiles entering the park should be restricted to only 500 a day and those must be quiet and far less polluting hybrids or electric snowmobiles and be on ranger guided tours. Theres a fine for littering in yellowstone why isnt there a fine on snowmobiles.

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www.yellowstoneparknet.com...

I would agree with Most of what you are saying......Except I think I would Ban Oil/ Gas burning Snow Mobiles and require that they all be Hybrid Or clean Burning...OR maybe do A study on Pollution and Polution levels PRE and POST ban to.Another Idea would be to Put Snow Mobiles On a California Style Emmissions Rules Lets Face it Folk there are VERY few Pirsteen Places that Our kids wont see Urban Sprall....A BAN is not Necceseary but I think Close regulatiuon is

In November of 2002, the Bush administration outlined a new and will thought out plan on allowing snowmobiles into Yellowstone National Park. Starting in December of 2003, it would have put a cap on snowmobiles in the park at around 1100 per day, about two-thirds the number on a peak day previously.

It also limits the number of the more environmentally "unfriendly" two stroke machines, in favor of four stroke machines, and mandates that all rental machines be four strokes. It includes a complete ban on two strokes before the 2005-2006 season. Of the people allowed in the park, 80% would be required to be on a guided on trail ride.*

As of now, this plan is tied up in the courts, so last winter Yellowstone was forced to work under a far more restrictive prior plan. The administration is in the process of appealing this ruling right now, but the economic impact to Wyoming has already begun with the lose of almost 1000** jobs directly related to the current rules. Although that may not seem like a lot, it is the equivalent of California loosing almost 38,000 jobs on a per capita basis for a small state like Wyoming.

If you believe in equal use of our national parks, and a fair balance between environmental protections and recreational use, support the current administrations plan and the appeal currently under way.

* www.washingtonpost.com...�Found=true


** thewayout.polarisindustries.com...