New Winter Use Plan Completed For Yellowstone
A new plan to provide for limited, regulated snowmobile and snowcoach access in Yellowstone National Park for the next two winters has been approved. An Environmental Assessment (EA) and proposed rule were released for public review last fall. Comments received have been reviewed, and a Finding of No Significant Impact has been signed. The plan allows up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches in a day in Yellowstone for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 winter seasons. It also continues to provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and the East Entrance road. During the next two years, the National Park Service will prepare a new Environmental Impact Statement and a new long term plan for winter use in Yellowstone National Park. A Final Rule (148 Kb pdf) to implement the decision was published in the November 20, 2009 Federal Register, to allow the parks to open for the winter season as scheduled on December 15, 2009.
Background:
On September 15, 2008, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an opinion that vacated and remanded to the NPS the 2007 Final Environmental Impact Statement, 2007 Record of Decision, and 2007 Final Rule.
Because the Court’s ruling left no provision in place for snowmobile or snowcoach use, the National Park Service issued the Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment Part 1 (1.9 MB pdf), Part 2 (745 Kb pdf) on November 3, 2008. A proposed rule was published in the November 5, 2008 Federal Register.
On November 7, 2008, however, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming issued an order reinstating the 2004 rule for snowmobile and snowcoach use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. This rule allows up to 720 BAT, guided snowmobiles into Yellowstone, and up to 78 snowcoaches per day. The 2004 rule was to be in effect until the NPS could promulgate an acceptable rule to takes its place.
