Elkhunter
New member
Norton touts sleds
Interior Secretary wants
to reconsider requirement
for hiring snowmobile guides.
By Rebecca Huntington
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Visiting Old Faithful, Interior Secretary Gale Norton declared snowmobiles "fun to ride," better than the "ordinary" experience in snowcoaches, and said her agency may drop a requirement that snowmobilers be guided.
As Norton watched Old Faithful erupt Tuesday afternoon, the splash of water shooting high in a column and cascading back on itself was not drowned out by the drone of snowmobiles. Unlike years past when snowmobiles were unregulated and their noise ubiquitous, on Tuesday only the voices of chatting tourists watching the geyser interrupted Mother Nature's show.
Norton, who oversees national parks, made her first winter visit to Yellowstone this week. Her tour comes as the controversy over snowmobiles in the world's first national park continues to simmer with lawsuits pending.
On Tuesday, her second day snowmobiling in the park, she underscored the improvements she witnessed with reduced air pollution, noise and wildlife harassment.
She also made clear her view that snowmobiles should have a place in Yellowstone within limits. She described the machines as a great way to see the landscape and "fun to ride."
Moreover, the new requirement that snowmobilers use cleaner machines has cleared the air. In the past, when visitors could drive dirtier two-stroke engines, park officials measured eight-hour carbon monoxide levels as high as 8.9 particles per million. That nearly exceeded federal clean air standards of 9 ppm. In contrast, the peak carbon monoxide concentration measured last winter was only 1.3 ppm due to both a drop in snowmobile numbers and requiring cleaner four-stroke engines.
Norton also described reduced conflicts with wildlife since guides, who require clients to keep a respectful distance from animals, must now accompany snowmobilers.
She recounted driving past park bison, which didn't even lift their woolly heads to inspect the machines as they passed at close range.
"I was pleased to see for myself. that the wildlife don't seem to pay much attention to snowmobiles," she said.
Snowmobilers appear to be better behaved, in general, since the guiding requirement took effect last winter. Arrests dropped 85 percent, and moving violations such as reckless driving and speeding declined 70 percent last winter, according to the most recent park data available.
Park officials also have observed that guiding reduces the percent of time motorized vehicles are audible in the park, because snowmobilers now travel in groups.
Even so, Norton said she's not convinced all snowmobilers should be required to hire commercial guides. Norton and Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis said they favor taking another look at an option previously outlined in a 2003 Bush Administration plan that was thrown out by a judge. That plan would have allowed private parties to guide themselves if at least one member completed a training certification course.
Park users happy, for now
"I can see more why people really want the option to guide themselves," Norton said. "It would really be nice to pause and look at things for a while. You don't always have that option with a commercial guide."
Requiring some level of training could teach private parties to respect park rules and thus, protect the environment, she said.
Norton was not the only one praising changes brought on this winter season by new regulations capping snowmobile numbers at 720 per day, mandating cleaner and quieter machines and requiring guides.
"It's so much better now," said Justin Hayes, who was exploring the cross-country ski trails around Old Faithful with his wife, Cyndi, Tuesday afternoon. Longtime winter visitors to Yellowstone, the Boise, Idaho, couple had avoided the trails around Old Faithful in the past due to snowmobiles, he said.
"It used to just be this choking horde of smoke-belching, noisy snowmobiles," he said.
Not this year.
"This is perfectly reasonable," Cyndi Hayes said. "With the smell and noise gone, I can't find anything to hold against them."
The couple attributed the return of solitude, clean air and quiet to the new restrictions and a general decline in the snowmobile business. But the skiers said they're not sure the improvements will last. Snowmobile numbers have been far below the cap of 720 per day with numbers in recent days hovering closer to 300. The Hayeses question whether the solitude they're now enjoying might evaporate should snowmobile numbers rebound.
Long-term plan coming
Moreover, the new regulations are temporary and slated to remain in effect for only three winter seasons. During that time, park officials will complete a new environmental study to hammer out a long-term winter use plan, which would take effect for winter season 2007-08.
Superintendent Lewis said Tuesday park officials would revisit existing regulations from snowmobile caps to guiding requirements and consider a range of options. A new, long-term plan would be based on monitoring data now being collected on air pollution, noise and wildlife disturbances, she said. Park officials installed two new noise-monitoring stations at Old Faithful this winter to determine, for example, just how far motorized sounds travel from the parking lot into the backcountry.
Federal law requires agencies to consider a range of alternatives when making new policy. That could also include looking at banning snowmobiles, a move approved by the Clinton administration in 2000 but reversed under President Bush in 2003. Federal judges threw out both the Clinton and Bush plans, which prompted the National Park Service to adopt the temporary rules now in effect. But those stopgap rules, adopted in 2004, have already triggered more lawsuits, filed in federal courts in both Wyoming and Washington, D.C. Thus, the bench may decide whether those rules remain in place.
The cross-country skiing couple, the Hayeses, however, said they hoped Norton would maintain the commercial guiding requirement, because they've seen a major improvement. Private groups wanting more freedom could simply hire a guide for their group, they suggested.
Conservation groups, meanwhile, are still pushing for a complete conversion from snowmobiles to multipassenger snowcoaches. Those groups have been promoting park visitation statistics, which show more visitors choosing snowcoaches this winter.
As of Feb. 7, park officials had counted 4,279 snowcoach riders, up 7 percent from last winter. In contrast, 8,165 snowmobilers had entered the park, a 7 percent drop compared to last winter.
Norton and park officials attributed the drop in snowmobilers to a lack of early season snow, ongoing confusion over what's allowed in Yellowstone and possible frustration among riders who don't want to hire guides. With the new guiding requirement, snowmobile tours cost around $170 compared to about $100 for a snowcoach seat.
Snowcoaches don't excite her
Norton, personally, was less enthused about a short spin Tuesday afternoon in a snowcoach, which was a comfortable bus, with big windows, that ran on rubber tracks instead of wheels.
"This is a much more ordinary kind of experience," she said after getting off the snowcoach. "It's a beautiful way to see things; it's not as special as a snowmobile."
While she preferred snowmobiling, she said, she saw the benefits of being able to converse with a guide while en route in a snowcoach.
Just outside Yellowstone's most popular winter entrance at West Yellowstone, Mont., some snowmobile tour operators are embracing the changing business landscape.
Instead of just renting snowmobiles and giving a short orientation to clients heading out on their own, Pierre Martineau Jr. now guides guests into the park. He scouts out wildlife and teaches park natural history.
"I have the greatest job in the world for four months," he said Tuesday while guiding the media entourage following Norton.
But he's sympathetic to private groups who have been visiting the park for years and don't want to hire a guide. "I think most people are upset they've lost a little of their freedom," he said.
Kent Swanson got out of snowmobile rentals after the Clinton administration approved a phase-out in 2000. Last winter, he reopened Ace Snowmobile Rentals to offer guided tours.
Business has been difficult, since operators anticipated numbers would remain as high as they were throughout the 1990s. But the ongoing fight over snowmobiles, including topsy-turvy legal rulings, have put a damper on business, he said.
Despite rocky finances, Swanson sees the latest rules as the best solution for all sides and an opportunity for West Yellowstone to diversify its economy. He lights up describing ideas such as designing snowmobile shuttles for cross-country skiers. Although skiers and snowmobilers often mix about as well as oil and water, the Hayeses said Tuesday the new four-stroke engines are so clean and quiet they were considering renting one.
Said Swanson, "What we're seeing is an evolution."
Respond to this article by e-mailing [email protected]
Interior Secretary wants
to reconsider requirement
for hiring snowmobile guides.
By Rebecca Huntington
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Visiting Old Faithful, Interior Secretary Gale Norton declared snowmobiles "fun to ride," better than the "ordinary" experience in snowcoaches, and said her agency may drop a requirement that snowmobilers be guided.
As Norton watched Old Faithful erupt Tuesday afternoon, the splash of water shooting high in a column and cascading back on itself was not drowned out by the drone of snowmobiles. Unlike years past when snowmobiles were unregulated and their noise ubiquitous, on Tuesday only the voices of chatting tourists watching the geyser interrupted Mother Nature's show.
Norton, who oversees national parks, made her first winter visit to Yellowstone this week. Her tour comes as the controversy over snowmobiles in the world's first national park continues to simmer with lawsuits pending.
On Tuesday, her second day snowmobiling in the park, she underscored the improvements she witnessed with reduced air pollution, noise and wildlife harassment.
She also made clear her view that snowmobiles should have a place in Yellowstone within limits. She described the machines as a great way to see the landscape and "fun to ride."
Moreover, the new requirement that snowmobilers use cleaner machines has cleared the air. In the past, when visitors could drive dirtier two-stroke engines, park officials measured eight-hour carbon monoxide levels as high as 8.9 particles per million. That nearly exceeded federal clean air standards of 9 ppm. In contrast, the peak carbon monoxide concentration measured last winter was only 1.3 ppm due to both a drop in snowmobile numbers and requiring cleaner four-stroke engines.
Norton also described reduced conflicts with wildlife since guides, who require clients to keep a respectful distance from animals, must now accompany snowmobilers.
She recounted driving past park bison, which didn't even lift their woolly heads to inspect the machines as they passed at close range.
"I was pleased to see for myself. that the wildlife don't seem to pay much attention to snowmobiles," she said.
Snowmobilers appear to be better behaved, in general, since the guiding requirement took effect last winter. Arrests dropped 85 percent, and moving violations such as reckless driving and speeding declined 70 percent last winter, according to the most recent park data available.
Park officials also have observed that guiding reduces the percent of time motorized vehicles are audible in the park, because snowmobilers now travel in groups.
Even so, Norton said she's not convinced all snowmobilers should be required to hire commercial guides. Norton and Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis said they favor taking another look at an option previously outlined in a 2003 Bush Administration plan that was thrown out by a judge. That plan would have allowed private parties to guide themselves if at least one member completed a training certification course.
Park users happy, for now
"I can see more why people really want the option to guide themselves," Norton said. "It would really be nice to pause and look at things for a while. You don't always have that option with a commercial guide."
Requiring some level of training could teach private parties to respect park rules and thus, protect the environment, she said.
Norton was not the only one praising changes brought on this winter season by new regulations capping snowmobile numbers at 720 per day, mandating cleaner and quieter machines and requiring guides.
"It's so much better now," said Justin Hayes, who was exploring the cross-country ski trails around Old Faithful with his wife, Cyndi, Tuesday afternoon. Longtime winter visitors to Yellowstone, the Boise, Idaho, couple had avoided the trails around Old Faithful in the past due to snowmobiles, he said.
"It used to just be this choking horde of smoke-belching, noisy snowmobiles," he said.
Not this year.
"This is perfectly reasonable," Cyndi Hayes said. "With the smell and noise gone, I can't find anything to hold against them."
The couple attributed the return of solitude, clean air and quiet to the new restrictions and a general decline in the snowmobile business. But the skiers said they're not sure the improvements will last. Snowmobile numbers have been far below the cap of 720 per day with numbers in recent days hovering closer to 300. The Hayeses question whether the solitude they're now enjoying might evaporate should snowmobile numbers rebound.
Long-term plan coming
Moreover, the new regulations are temporary and slated to remain in effect for only three winter seasons. During that time, park officials will complete a new environmental study to hammer out a long-term winter use plan, which would take effect for winter season 2007-08.
Superintendent Lewis said Tuesday park officials would revisit existing regulations from snowmobile caps to guiding requirements and consider a range of options. A new, long-term plan would be based on monitoring data now being collected on air pollution, noise and wildlife disturbances, she said. Park officials installed two new noise-monitoring stations at Old Faithful this winter to determine, for example, just how far motorized sounds travel from the parking lot into the backcountry.
Federal law requires agencies to consider a range of alternatives when making new policy. That could also include looking at banning snowmobiles, a move approved by the Clinton administration in 2000 but reversed under President Bush in 2003. Federal judges threw out both the Clinton and Bush plans, which prompted the National Park Service to adopt the temporary rules now in effect. But those stopgap rules, adopted in 2004, have already triggered more lawsuits, filed in federal courts in both Wyoming and Washington, D.C. Thus, the bench may decide whether those rules remain in place.
The cross-country skiing couple, the Hayeses, however, said they hoped Norton would maintain the commercial guiding requirement, because they've seen a major improvement. Private groups wanting more freedom could simply hire a guide for their group, they suggested.
Conservation groups, meanwhile, are still pushing for a complete conversion from snowmobiles to multipassenger snowcoaches. Those groups have been promoting park visitation statistics, which show more visitors choosing snowcoaches this winter.
As of Feb. 7, park officials had counted 4,279 snowcoach riders, up 7 percent from last winter. In contrast, 8,165 snowmobilers had entered the park, a 7 percent drop compared to last winter.
Norton and park officials attributed the drop in snowmobilers to a lack of early season snow, ongoing confusion over what's allowed in Yellowstone and possible frustration among riders who don't want to hire guides. With the new guiding requirement, snowmobile tours cost around $170 compared to about $100 for a snowcoach seat.
Snowcoaches don't excite her
Norton, personally, was less enthused about a short spin Tuesday afternoon in a snowcoach, which was a comfortable bus, with big windows, that ran on rubber tracks instead of wheels.
"This is a much more ordinary kind of experience," she said after getting off the snowcoach. "It's a beautiful way to see things; it's not as special as a snowmobile."
While she preferred snowmobiling, she said, she saw the benefits of being able to converse with a guide while en route in a snowcoach.
Just outside Yellowstone's most popular winter entrance at West Yellowstone, Mont., some snowmobile tour operators are embracing the changing business landscape.
Instead of just renting snowmobiles and giving a short orientation to clients heading out on their own, Pierre Martineau Jr. now guides guests into the park. He scouts out wildlife and teaches park natural history.
"I have the greatest job in the world for four months," he said Tuesday while guiding the media entourage following Norton.
But he's sympathetic to private groups who have been visiting the park for years and don't want to hire a guide. "I think most people are upset they've lost a little of their freedom," he said.
Kent Swanson got out of snowmobile rentals after the Clinton administration approved a phase-out in 2000. Last winter, he reopened Ace Snowmobile Rentals to offer guided tours.
Business has been difficult, since operators anticipated numbers would remain as high as they were throughout the 1990s. But the ongoing fight over snowmobiles, including topsy-turvy legal rulings, have put a damper on business, he said.
Despite rocky finances, Swanson sees the latest rules as the best solution for all sides and an opportunity for West Yellowstone to diversify its economy. He lights up describing ideas such as designing snowmobile shuttles for cross-country skiers. Although skiers and snowmobilers often mix about as well as oil and water, the Hayeses said Tuesday the new four-stroke engines are so clean and quiet they were considering renting one.
Said Swanson, "What we're seeing is an evolution."
Respond to this article by e-mailing [email protected]
