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Skiers: Park Service Sells Out to Snowmobile Lobby — Again

Yellowstone winter rule compromises park resources, workers, visitors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2003

CONTACT: Ken Miller, Winter Wildlands Education and Outreach Coordinator, or 208.344.8692

BOISE, ID — The National Park Service's proposed rule for snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park needlessly imperils the park itself, but also those who work and visit Yellowstone, the nation's skiers and snowshoers said Wednesday.

"Yellowstone is not a playground for a small minority of snowmobilers, which the Park Service itself admits are damaging the world's first national park," said Winter Wildlands Alliance Executive Director Sally Grimes. "The Park Service could have validated the work of its own scientists and overwhelming public opinion by removing snowmobiles from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Instead, it clings to its legally indefensible plan to promote snowmobiling — in Yellowstone of all places."

On behalf of the nation's backcountry skiers, snowshoers, and other human-powered winter recreationists, Grimes said Winter Wildlands will step up its national campaign to remove the machines, as first recommended by the Park Service in 2001.

"Under this rule, anyone not visiting Yellowstone aboard a snowmobile in the winter will have their visit ruined not just by the noise that permeates Yellowstone's travel corridors, but also by unhealthy levels of pollution that continues to sicken park workers and visitors," Grimes said. "We're not surprised this administration chose polluting motorized visitors over Yellowstone's skiers and other visitors, but we're amazed this insult to Yellowstone came so soon after President Bush pledged his support for our parks.

"Yellowstone has a multi-million dollar maintenance backlog and must now spend another $1.3 million just to see how much noise and pollution these machines will inflict," Grimes said. "The Park Service says it will tweak these rules if the pollution and noise are unacceptable. Skiers don't believe Yellowstone should be managed on the fly."

Last February, Winter Wildlands Alliance brought skiers from around the nation for a "Stand Up for Yellowstone" rally to draw attention to the recreation side of the long-running snowmobile debate. The Boise-based recreation group continues to work with its national and regional coalition partners and Yellowstone's congressional supporters to remove the machines, and is among the several groups that have filed suit to reinstate the 2001 snowmobile ban.

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