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New member
Yellowstone snowmobile rule offered
By Theo Stein
Denver Post Staff Writer
Up to 720 snowmobiles will be allowed into Yellowstone National Park every day this winter under a Bush administration proposal that attempts to settle a fractious debate over winter recreation in the landmark area.
Park Service officials said the plan, announced Tuesday, would permit roughly the historic average of snowmobiles to enter the park for two or three winters until a permanent plan can be developed. The new rules specify that snowmobilers must ride only new, cleaner machines on guided tours.
"This will provide some measure of certainty for visitors, neighbors and employees as we head toward the winter season," said Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash. "We also believe that additional monitoring data collected during this time will give us some solid information on which to base a permanent regulation."
But an environmental assessment conducted by the Park Service concluded that the 720 snowmobiles per day envisioned under the plan would exceed air pollution and noise thresholds and stress wintering bison, elk and other wildlife.
Nevertheless, administration officials concluded the new plan would have "no significant impact" on park resources.
"It seems to me they're trolling for the answer they want," said Bill Wade, who heads the Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees.
The Park Service has spent more than $6 million on three studies which all concluded that the best way to protect park wildlife and employee health was to ban snowmobiles completely. The studies found mass-transit snowcoaches could carry visitors into the park's winter landscape while reducing air pollution, noise and wildlife disturbance.
But Bush appointees have sided with Wyoming and Montana officials, snowmobile makers and local businesses around the park in preserving access through gateway communities like West Yellowstone, Mont.
Last winter's season was thrown into disarray when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., suspended a Bush plan to allow 950 snowmobiles a day before the season opened.
The judge reinstated a Clinton administration plan to limit snowmobiles to 490 per day in 2003-04 and to ban them completely this winter. In the confusion, use slumped to 273 sleds per day.
The public may comment on the proposed rule through Oct. 7.
