Park Service proposes banning or limiting snowmobiles in Yellowstone, Grand Teton

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The snowmobile industry says it is making headway in its effort to overturn a pending ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. <br><br>The National Park Service

Wednesday, February 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The snowmobile industry says it is making headway in its effort to overturn a pending ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

The National Park Service unveiled a draft plan Tuesday that offers several proposals for curbing the number of snowmobiles in the parks. While an outright ban in among the options, the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association says that is unlikely.

``I do believe we'll see continued use of snowmobiles in these parks,'' association President Ed Klim said Wednesday. ``I would certainly say it (the study) needs more review, but it's a step in the right direction.''

Critics say snowmobiles disrupt wildlife and pollute the air. Supporters say the environmental threat is overstated and snowmobilers bring needed revenue to communities around the parks.

Shortly before leaving office, the Clinton administration adopted a plan banning all recreational snowmobiling in the parks by the winter of 2003-04. The snowmobile association filed a lawsuit and as part of a settlement the Park Service was ordered to conduct a second environmental impact study.

The draft study, which will be open to public comment before a final version is crafted in November, lays out four alternatives:

_Phase out snowmobiles beginning in December, with a full ban effective in the winter of 2003-04.

_Begin phasing out snowmobiles in 2003-04, with a full ban in 2004-05.

_Cap the number of snowmobiles entering the park from West Yellowstone, Mont., at 500 and make them meet stricter emission standards by 2005. The west gate is where 80 percent to 90 percent of all snowmobiles gain entry and where the worst pollution is found.

_Cap the number entering from the west gate at 330, require stricter emission standards and require snowmobilers to travel with a Park Service guide.

The final two alternatives call for keeping at current levels the number of snowmobiles entering Yellowstone from the east gate and Grand Teton from the south.

Yellowstone is one of the nation's signature parks, featuring abundant wildlife, geysers, lakes and streams. Its 2.2 million acres stretch from the rocky northwest corner of Wyoming into southern Montana and eastern Idaho. The 310,000-square-acre Grand Teton park lies south of Yellowstone and is connected to it by the 82-mile John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway.

Up to 1,000 snowmobilers enter the parks on weekends, with most going through West Yellowstone. From there, a favorite route is the 32-mile road to Old Faithful, the famous geyser.

Park employees have reported that on windless days, a blue haze covers the gate and the route, and workers have complained of sore throats, burning eyes and lethargy. Last weekend, workers wore Park Service-issued respirators at the West Gate entrance.

Concerns over noise and air pollution prompted the Park Service to issue the ban in November 2000. That decision was put aside on June 29, 2001, when Interior Secretary Gale Norton agreed to reassess the issue to settle the lawsuit brought by the state of Wyoming and snowmobile manufacturers.

Environmentalists say a cap is unacceptable and that the latest study amounted to a $2.4 million waste of taxpayer money.

``The information in this study provided by the snowmobile industry is not new and does not change the Park Service's fundamental conclusion that snowmobile use damages these two magnificent national parks,'' said Alix Rauschman, a spokesman for the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition.

A 60-day public comment period will begin when the study is published on March 29. It is available now on the Internet.