Yellowstone opens to fewer — but still too many — snowmobiles
The winter season at the world’s first national park has begun, and thanks to recent snowstorms, anyone dreaming of a white Christmas should be able to find it at Yellowstone.
This time of year can be especially peaceful — at least if you manage to steer clear of the snowmobiles that roar through this national park (and nearby Grand Teton National Park).
Are snowmobiles appropriate inside Yellowstone? No. These machines make way too much noise, spew too much pollution, and create unacceptable pressure on wildlife. A few years ago, when snowmobile use peaked, some park rangers at entrance gates wore gas masks to limit their intake of benzene and formaldehyde. Picture that.
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The science is clear — and has been for years. Over the last decade, the National Park Service has conducted multiple studies, with a total price tag of $10 million, and each one has concluded that the snowmobiles must go. But the snowmobile lobby had the ear of the Bush administration, and in 2004, the number of snowmobiles permitted was set at 720. Federal courts were unable to agree on the policy, so that maximum has been bouncing up and down.
The snowmobile manufacturers have been promising for years that they would build quieter, cleaner machines, but these vehicles always seem to be right around the corner, and we never quite get to that corner. Even if someday such machines finally become standard, there will still be harm to wildlife, whose ability to find food and shelter is compromised by all the snowmobiles racing around.
It’s not as if snowmobilers will be stuck at home hanging wallpaper if they can’t operate in Yellowstone. There are thousands of miles of trails in nearby national forests and other places. If people insist on their “right” to make all that noise and pollute the air, at least get them out of the world’s first national park.
I understand why some business owners want the Park Service to allow this traffic. But that is not justification for policy that is bad for our parks and our health. In a capitalist economy, businesses adjust. Or they are replaced by those that provide what is in demand.
And what is increasingly in demand at Yellowstone is travel on snowcoaches. These vehicles can accommodate more people, they have tapes that educate visitors, and they are much quieter and cleaner than snowmobiles. The main entrance, at West Yellowstone, will admit 34 of them a day.
The park is operating under an interim rule this winter and next as it produces a new environmental impact statement to guide winter use. The interim rule will allow up to 318 guided four-stroke snowmobiles a day into the park and 78 snowcoaches.
The Park Service should have phased out snowmobiles years ago. Let’s hope that under an administration dedicated to science we can achieve this goal.
photo: Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by David Long.
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Sam Goldman
Sam has been with The Wilderness Society since Fall 2007. He came most recently from M+R Strategic Services in Washington, DC where he worked with national environmental groups to improve their online campaign work and field organizing capacity. Before that, Sam was the Assistant National Field Director for U.S. PIRG where he covered a variety of issues including the fight to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Comments
Speaking With Some Experience
I have personally lived in West Yellowstone for 5 years and seen the snowmobile buisness decline to a bare minimum based on park restrictions. I am proud of the Microbiology degree that I have earned and am also a Christian who is very aware of our responsibility to care for our environment. With this said I would like everyone to consider the impact of the tour busses and vehicles that go through the park on a daily basis throughout the summer months. If you take into consideration the disruption that takes place during the summer it is far worse than a noisy snowmobiler (especially with a 4 stroke sled). There is no reason to limit snowmobiles without extending those limitations to summer use also. I believe that this will never happen because the driving force behind the limits and "caring" for the park is not snowmobilers, it is people who want to protect the park as long as their access isn't effected.
Some valid points
You make some very valid point here and of course all that money spent on research should validate your concerns. I hope that you will keep us posted on how this all turns out in the future. casino online
Snowmobiles in Yellowstone
I am thankful that there are those who truly understand that people can and should enjoy nature without harming or destroying it. I find it ironic that many people who want to "explore" nature with no sense of responsibility toward protecting it are allowed in our parks which were built for the protection of these. Snowmobiles should not be allowed in wilderness areas if they cause harm to nature or prevent other people from enjoying nature as it is-quiet, natural, beautiful, wild, protected. We need to remember the purpose of the park is to preserve nature for people to enjoy. We should enjoy nature without harming it, especially in designated wilderness areas. Moral people, Christian or not, do not believe that humankind has dominion over the animals to exploit them. With rights come responsibilities to take care of and protect. In all things, we need balance, and certainly we need balance between nature and the destruction of nature on this earth. We need a balance between the number of people who would exploit nature, whether it is purposeful or not, and people who want to protect nature because they care and understand the "big picture". I think the introduction of guided snow travel in limited numbers is a good compromise for now. The guided tour guides can help people to better understand the sometimes fragile balance in nature. This is something that will be more important in the future of children who grow up playing inside houses on computers.
thank god for snowmobiles
thank god for snowmobiles they help explore all over the place. just think if they told luis and clark sorry no exploring haha.
Guns, snowmobiles, and god
Genesis 1:26 -- Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
If god gave man dominion over all the creatures, you're going to have a hard time convincin' folks they can't run over whatever they want on their toy lawn mowers.
Why would you want to you
Why would you want to you must walk every place you go and grow all your own food never using an ounce of gas lets not be hipocrits haha
Know your Facts before writing
I would just like to point out that as one poster said why is it the snowmobiles that suffer when thousands of cars go through the park in the summer with both noise and so called pollution.. Secondly apparently most of you have never ridden a sled in the park or you would know you can't just ride willy nilly all over the place you stay on the roads!! Also new sleds are neither loud nor produce abnormal amounts of pollution.. Having snowmobiled most of my life and lived in Montana making many trips to W. Yellowstone to ride it is very sad for me to see that way to many outsiders that have no idea about snowmobiles or yellowstone are making these decisions.. Oh well most people know the best snow is outside the park anyway and why ride in a line at 20mph when I can tear it up outside the park..
A note from the enemy.. or
A note from the enemy.. or the horse's mouth if you prefer. I am a guide taking people into Yellowstone on a regular basis both winter and summer. Yes in winter my trips into the interior are on snowmobiles where we gaze in constant wonder at the delights of our national park from the boardwalks and roadways. I ride an environmentally sound 4 stroke snowmobile with less of a carbon footprint than your morning shower. If you are not traveling with me then you are with another snowmobile guide or on a snowcoach also with a guide for the day and we all of us take pride in our ecological track record over the last few years and strive every day to protect both the park and the wildlife it hosts. I long for the day when something can be done to combat the negative impact that summer brings to our pristine wilderness and am an ardent advocate for proper conservation and management of these wild areas. I challenge anyone who disagrees with snowmobiling in Yellowstone to come and see for yourselves.
I will definitely do that.
I will definitely do that. Thanks casino sans telechargement