NPS Approves winter use plan for Yellowstone

[Hangar18]

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/winteruse/index.htm

WINTER USE PLANS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PROPOSED RULE

On November 4, 2004, the National Park Service approved a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Temporary Winter Use Plans and Environmental Assessment for Winter Use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway.

This decision allows 720 snowmobiles per day in Yellowstone, all commercially guided. In Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, 140 snowmobiles would be allowed. With minor exceptions, all snowmobiles would be required to meet NPS best available technology (BAT) requirements. The plan will be in effect for three winters, allowing snowmobile and snowcoach use through the winter of 2006-2007.

The temporary winter use management plan ensures that resources are protected, gives visitors, employees and residents of the park’s gateway communities the information they want and need to plan for the near term, and will help minimize economic impacts on gateway communities.

Preparation of this plan will also allow the NPS to complete a long-term analysis of the environmental impacts of winter use in the parks. The NPS expects that this long-term analysis will culminate with a permanent decision about winter use in the parks.

A final rule will be published soon in the Federal Register.

On August 20, 2004, the National Park Service issued the Temporary Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment examining a variety of options for plans to guide the management of winter use at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway (JDR) for an interim period. To implement the final decision this fall, the Service published a Proposed Winter Use Rule on September 7, 2004. Public comment periods for both the EA and draft FONSI have ended.

The NPS used new information derived from monitoring park resources during the winter of 2003-2004 to assist in analyzing the impacts of this plan and its alternatives. Last winter was markedly different from previous winters. An average of 258 snowmobiles entered Yellowstone daily during January and February 2004. All snowmobilers were led by commercial guides, and the vast majority of snowmobiles met the NPS’s best available technology requirements. Historically, an average of about 765 snowmobiles entered Yellowstone each day, using snowmobiles that were not as clean or quiet (“two-cycle” or “two-stroke” snowmobiles) as today’s best available technology snowmobiles. Further, only a relatively small percentage of these entries were led by commercial guides.

The winter of 2003-2004 was also dramatically different in Grand Teton National Park and the JDR. From December 17, 2003, to February 10, 2004, snowmobile use in the two parks, consisting of the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail (CDST) and the Grassy Lake (Flagg-Ashton) Road, averaged about 5 snowmobiles per day. After February 11, 2004, when Jackson Lake opened for snowmobile use, the combined number of snowmobiles increased to approximately 20 per day, mostly attributable to ice fishing access on the lake. As with Yellowstone, these numbers represented significantly less use than in previous winters.

The EA did not address the issue of whether or not groomed roads influence bison distribution and abundance in Yellowstone National Park. The NPS has contracted with an independent researcher to produce a thorough scientific assessment of the state of knowledge of bison use of groomed oversnow roads within Yellowstone. This study will produce a final report assessing the existing literature on bison movements and dispersal in Yellowstone, focusing on the ecology of bison movements in the park including the influence of groomed and/or plowed roads. In addition, the report will make recommendations concerning areas where additional research is needed, and will also investigate approaches that might be used to better understand use of groomed roads by bison. However, because this report will not be available until well after the conclusion of the EA process, this issue will be addressed in the long-term analysis of winter use in the parks. See the press release for more information on this project.

 

[Muledeer4me]

Dang it Hanger,with good new's like that I might have to try out a snowmachine .
It's something I have never done before.
Yellowstone in the winter would be great.
Its a toss up though, I sold one of our ATV's last year ,but with Bush in the whitehouse for Four More Year's I might have to go pick up another one.
What to do, maybe one of each ?