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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 11245
[Environmental]
Date Posted:
10/15/2004
12:49:48 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,883
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Comments: 13
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Federal Judge Strikes Down Snowmobile Ban In Yellowstone
Author: Bob Moen, Associated Press Source: Tampa Bay Online (FL)
Title: FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN SNOWMOBILE BAN IN YELLOWSTONE
A federal judge on Friday struck down a ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, calling it a "prejudged, political" move that sought to exclude the vehicles from all national parks.
U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer ruled that the Clinton-era ban was invalid because it did not involve adequate public participation and failed to follow federal law. His decision could clear the way for new rules that allow the machines.
The National Park Service is expected to issue a new rule governing snowmobile use next month in time for the coming winter season.
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Community Thoughts: There are 13 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Rape And Pillage | Oct 16th. at 10:18:25 pm EDT |
by Darkstar Treespirit (Earth) - wc_xemail - Web
If people don't screw it up now, other people won't have to try to fix it later. Money Saved!
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| I Remember | Oct 16th. at 7:31:59 pm EDT |
by William (Wisconsin) - wc_xemail - Web
A long time ago when I started hearing about places (mostly islands and very unpopulated areas) that were enacting bans on all 'motor vehicles' and people were saying "That's great. Let's save the environment." I remember saying, "That's going to come back to haunt them in the future when the only thing that these cars and the new cars have in common is the name and the fact that they have four wheels"
With the oil crisis brewing and auto manufacturers turning our vehicles that are super quiet and have zero emissions, the fact that they are still called 'motor vehicles' is going to keep them out of places without a thought to why they were banned in the first place.
In California where I grew up, there was a spot called Newhall pass that had to enact a ban against hang gliding because the hang gliders were scaring the birds who nested up there. A couple of bird experts got together with a bunch of hang glider makers and started putting out hang gliders with paint schemes on their fabric that made the birds think that the gliders were one of them and they weren't scared anymore. It still took months for them to get rid of the ban because the lawmakers didn't understand why it was there in the first place. They just assumed that it was there to protect the birds and anyone wanting to get rid of it didn't like birds or was just in it because they wanted to sell hang gliders. When I left a "hundred years ago" the ban was still being debated. It was a lot of wasted breath that could be avoided by talking to the right people and educating yourself on what you're fighting about. Most people forget that simple thing and wind up being embarassed later, or worse, never learning.
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| No Title | Oct 16th. at 5:02:15 am EDT |
by Some guy (Earth) - wc_xemail
Apparently, you failed to read between the lines in my post. They are striking down a total ban on snomobiles in yellowstone, but that doesn't mean it's suddenly open seasn for snomobilers to run rampant across our parks.
There are already VERY stringent sound and emission requirements in both the department of interior and national park services concerning vehicle use on national parks. Those snomobiles that I wrote about are the ONLY ones to actually pass those requirements so far.
You are going to be seeing very few snomobiles on your national park land, and those that you do see are going to be quiet and nearly emission free. Maybe it's just me, but I fail to equate that to "trashing" our parks.
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| What The Hell? | Oct 16th. at 3:05:24 am EDT |
by Serendyn (ID) - wc_xemail
It's all gonna burn anyway when The Lord gets back, so let's trash it while we can.
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| I Like Snomobiling... | Oct 15th. at 9:49:51 pm EDT |
by Some Guy (Earth) - wc_xemail
And you will be happy, or maybe not happy for some of you, to know that Arctic Cat's 4 stroke engine snomobiles have been approved by the department of interior for use in Yellowstone, and Park Rangers there have given it good reviews as well. The four stroke engines run quieter and produce very little exhaust. It produces 90% less hydrocarbons and 70% less carbon monoxide than 2-stroke snomobiles, far exceeding Park Service emiision standards, and meets every other standard in the National Park Service Best Avaliable Technology requirements. I plan on getting one.
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| Winters In Yellowstone.... | Oct 15th. at 8:28:56 pm EDT |
by Gloria Fiorini (Kerby, OR) - wc_xemail
are so cold and so severe that the safest way to travel in the park in winter (if you must) probably IS by snowmobile. Mushing, cross-country skiing, etc., are much more fun and certainly more environmentally friendly. But unless you're in really good shape and really know the lay of the land (the park is ENORMOUS, and pretty rough country) and REALLY know what the hey you're doing, you could be putting yourself in serious danger.
I HATE snowmobiles, though. Noisy, smelly, intrusive things. I've hated them ever since I was a little girl. Some local inbreds were using the damned things to run down coyotes in the back country. SIckening. I realize it's not the machines' faults, of course, but still, I can't stand the things to this day.
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| Blessed Quiet... | Oct 15th. at 4:04:46 pm EDT |
by Lisa (CA) - wc_xemail
In my opinion, there are few sounds so disturbing to the winderness as the whine of a snowmobile. It deafens you, scares away wildlife, puts out a cloud of fumes, and for this reason snowmobiles are not allowed in some wilderness areas. I decided to try something different on one of my vacations.
One of the most wonderful, memorable experiences of my life was a trip to the Minnesota back country with a guide and a team of friendly, happy huskies. It was quiet, beautiful, we got to pet and care for the dogs whenever we stopped. It was magical, kind of like running with a pack of wolves!
Many eco minded wilderness guides now offer husky trips. I was kind of hoping Yellowstone would go this way, but oh well. Really, if you like quiet and don't want to scare off the wild animals, you might want to try this truly amazing option.
It's like going back a couple thousand years to the way early people traveled.
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| A Good Spell | Oct 15th. at 3:23:18 pm EDT |
by Hecate (Washington, D.C.) - wc_xemail
Like father, like son,
One term and you're done.
As it was for 41
So it is for 43.
This is my will.
So mote it be.
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| No Title | Oct 15th. at 3:16:02 pm EDT |
by Raven (NJ, USA) - wc_xemail
Why not encourage people to cross-country ski, snowshoe, or just plain trek? Oh, I see - they would have to make a little effort to see the place during the winter while minimising their impact on the area, and some businesses that want to get in on the act might not be able to, and we can't have that.
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| Disgusted | Oct 15th. at 2:14:41 pm EDT |
by Autumnsong (Oregon) - wc_xemail
I've been watching this issue for quite some time, and have sent plenty of letters to higher ups. I am disgusted by this ruling. One of the bigger problems with allowing snowmobiles in Yellowstone is that the snowmobiles scare the buffalo and other animals out of the park. They are protected while on the park lands, but as soon as they leave, they are fair game. And many have been killed this way. The hunters know they can hunt just outside the park, so many wait for them to wander out. There have also been complaints by the gate employees about having to breathe the exhausts from all of those snowmobiles sitting there idling wating to get in. These machines are very polluting. And they come in large numbers. GRRRR!!!!!!!
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| I Can See Both Sides | Oct 15th. at 1:42:22 pm EDT |
by StormRaven (Idaho) - wc_xemail
On the one hand, you have snowmobilers who see all that beautiful acreage that they can't get access to. Trail riding is a truly pleasurable experience, and snowmobiles (in small amounts) don't bother the wildlife too much during the winter.
However, the businesses that will profit from the lifting of such laws will not limit how many snowmobiles can be on the trails. This will create a disturbance not only in wildlife, but in the trail itself.
Also, inevitably, there will be some rude riders out there that speed around corner, dig into the trail, and make a nuisance out of themselves. True snowmobilers try not to make too much of an impact on the trails, because part of the joys of trail-riding is the sighting of wildlife. I can still remember when I came upon a timber wolf on one of my trail rides. I stopped, turned off my snowmobile, and waited patiently for him to amble off my trail. He stared at me while I watched him for about 5 minutes, and then he heaved himself off the ground and left. It was beautiful.
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| Spitting Mad | Oct 15th. at 12:59:44 pm EDT |
by MsDragonfly (Mississippi) - wc_xemail
Quote from article -- "Attorneys for snowmobile manufacturers, winter resorts and other tourism-related ventures asked a federal judge last month to permanently lift the ban so businesses could have peace of mind about their survival."
What about the wildlife's peace of mind about THEIR survival? Oh, wait, this is our government -- dollars are always more important than our wild (non-voting) relations.
*obscenities deleted* LOL
MsDragonfly
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| Why Shouldn't The President | Oct 15th. at 12:56:16 pm EDT |
by The Goat (Bowling Green, OH) - wc_xemail
have the power to issue such an order? He has the power to unilaterally create a national park, but he doesn't have the power to ban snowmobiles?
Am I out of the loop? Is the snowmobile lobby really that powerful?
The Goat
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