Obama Reopens the Debate on Snowmobiles in Yellowstone
By Rocky Thompson on July 29th, 2009
The Park Service must really love impassioned rants from snowmobilers and cross country skiers who visit Yellowstone. On Thursday, the Obama administration announced they’d reduce the max number of snowmobiles in the park to 318 per day, down from the 720 per day currently allowed. The average number of visitors who chose to see Yellowstone on snowmobile last year was less than 300 per day. Since last week, figures from zero to 720 have been thrown around regarding how many snowmobilers will be let through the gates, so Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has again opened the floor to the public for 45 days of arguments.
The Wyoming Business Report has a good summary of the snowmobile debate if you need to get caught up:
To recap the progress of the snowmachine rules: last September, Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington, D.C., rejected a National Park Service plan to allow 540 snowmobiles daily into Yellowstone.
Siding with environmental groups who had sued over the plan, Sullivan said that many machines would cause too much noise and disturb the park’s wildlife. In response, the National Park Service came up with a new plan to allow 318 machines — the same plan the administration now wants to revive.
Less than two months later, Judge Clarence Brimmer in Cheyenne ruled in a separate lawsuit filed by snowmobile advocates that 720 was the right figure while a long-term plan was crafted. That was consistent with what the park permitted for the previous several years.
Hopefully you saved your rant from the concealed weapons issue, because you’ll need to repost it for the new administration. Just do a search/replace for gun/snowmobile. The process is the same. You go to the Government Regulations page and search under ‘Proposed Rule.’ I just tried dropping in Yellowstone as the keyword at it came up as the first hit.
Also, they’re called Snowmobiles and not ‘Snow Machines.’ Snow Machines are what ski hills in Wisconsin use to make snow on their garbage dump hills.
Not really ever being a snowmobile rider, I have to ask the obvious, “Can’t they be made quieter?”
Not to complain…far be it for me to ever do that…but they are incredibly, obnoxiously loud. Generally speaking, I go to the mountains to escape from that crap.
BRRAAAAP BRRAAAAP
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Unfortunately bryantp most people that ride sleds like them as load as possible. The only good thing about this is you can get your ass way off the trail long before they get to you.
Future Headline:
“Yellowstone hiker struck by a silent electric snowmobile. ‘I never heard the dang thing a-comin’ says hiker. New federal law mandates that all electric snowmobiles have loud exhaust to warn hikers.”
Snowmobiles are scaring wildlife, disrupting the peace, and polluting the air. This a national treasure, not a motocross track!
They won’t limit themselves since they think that make no impact…