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Yellowstone to limit snowmobile access
The use of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park has been a point of contention for years, with local resorts and the state of Wyoming encouraging tourists to explore the natural wonderland on the motor vehicles, while environmentalists have argued that they were harmful for the environment and disturbed wildlife in the park. The National Park Service seems to have sided with the environmentalist on the subject, announcing late last week that they would limit snowmobile access to Yellowstone in 2010 and 2011. In recent years, the Park Service has allowed 720 snowmobiles in the park each day, but under the new guidelines that number would be cut back to 318 for the next two seasons. While that seems like a drastic cut for winter visitors, the park averaged just 205 snowmobiles per day last winter. For the record, the highest number of the motorized sleds to be in the park on any single day is 557, which was set back in December of 2007.
The NPS also says they will allow 78 snowcoaches in the park each day as well. These vehicles are specially designed vans that feature tank treads that allow them to move easily over the snow. They can carry a group of passengers and are thought to be more environmentally friendly than snowmobiles.
Opponents of snowmobile use in the park were understandably happy with the news, but local tourism groups say they'll fight the decision, possibly in court. They argue that the snowmobiles are safe and clean, at that more people should be allowed to enjoy the natural splendor of Yellowstone in the winter. They also see it as restricting economic growth in the area as well.
Filed under: Activism, North America, United States, Ecotourism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hatley Oct 20th 2009 10:04AM
The highest number of snowmobiles in the park is far greater than 557 that you claim but that was before all the rules and regulations went into place as well as the court interventions that ruined people's plans to visit the park in the winter. Don't forget about a couple years ago when the judge shut down the park to snowmobiles the day before the park was to open to snowmobiles. What would you do if you had made vacation plans and your family was there to see the park by snowmobile? Would you schedule more time off to try again or would you give up?
All snowmobiles that enter the park are from rental fleets. What would you do as a rental fleet owner who bought more snowmobiles this year to cover the 720 per day allowance and then find out that number has been cut in half? Who pays for the snowmobiles now no longer needed?
Ask some tough questions why 720 regulated automotive engines are bad in the winter while over 10,000 unregulated automotive engines are okay in the summertime daily? Why can't there be some stability from year to year for the businesses to cope instead of being like a ping pong ball?