After a federal judge in Washington, D.C., threw out the 2008-2009 winter use plan for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in September, National Park Service officials have been trying to come up with an alternative so the season can open as planned Dec. 15.
That plan was announced on Nov. 3. According to the National Park Service, the preferred alternative would allow up to 318 commercially guided Best Available Technology snowmobiles and up to 78commercially guided snowcoaches a day at Yellowstone. It would also provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan pass and
Yellowstone's East Entrance road.
The daily snowmobile limit is slightly above last winter's average of 294 snowmobiles a day and is well below the 720 a day allowed the past four winters and lower than the 540 snowmobiles a day that would have been allowed under the plan rejected by the court. The daily snowcoach number remains the same. In Grand Teton and the John D. Rockefeller Jr., Memorial Parkway, grooming and motorized oversnow travel on the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail between Moran Junction and Flagg Ranch would be discontinued,
The plan would be in effect for three years.
The comment period is Nov. 17. Written comments can be submitted on the web at parkplanning.nps.gov, in person or by mail. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax or e-mail.
It will be interesting to see if this plan passes muster with snowmobile groups and environmentalists who have been battling over snowmobiling in Yellowstone for years.
– Tom Wharton