Snowmobiling History
Yellowstone National Park (YNP) was established in 1872 to conserve the parkland and provide for the enjoyment of Americans. Snowmobiling on the park asphalt roads was allowed and, in fact, encouraged beginning in 1968. The Park Management recognized that snowmobiling offered a unique way for recreationists to see and feel the beauty of Yellowstone. The National Park Service (NPS) promoted reasonable snowmobile use in the Park as a way to encourage winter use of the Old Faithful Lodge and introduce Americans to the wonders of winter in our oldest National Park. more info
The NPS has been dealing with Winter Use Issues for a number of years prior to 1990, when a Winter Use Plan allowing snowmobiling was completed for Yellowstone. In 1994 the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee began working on an inter-agency assessment of Winter Uses culminating in a report in 1999 titled The Winter Visitor Use Management Assessment. In 1997, while the Coordinating Committee was working on the Winter Use Management Assessment, the Fund For Animals initiated a lawsuit against Yellowstone, demanding the Park ban all snow grooming of roads in the park. The Fund For Animals filed the suit in 1997 because they saw that the Winter Use Assessment was going to allow the snow grooming of the roads. Snowmobiling, snowcoach travel and other winter use occurs only on the groomed roadways in the park. Park rangers use snowmobiles on the groomed roadways throughout the winter to inspect and maintain the Park, and the Fund wished to stop all winter use.
The Fund For Animals lawsuit was settled, and the court required the NPS to conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to make an informed decision on winter use. The EIS resulted in a Record Of Decision (ROD) which was announced by the Assistant-Secretary for the Department of the Interior. On that day, November 22, 2000, he announced his decision to eliminate snowmobiling in YNP. Closely following the announcement, the same Assistant Secretary resigned his position at the Department of the Interior for a position with the Wilderness Society, headquartered in Washington DC.
On December 6, 2000, the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), the Blue Ribbon Coalition and the Wyoming State Snowmobile Association filed a lawsuit asking for the ROD to be set aside. ISMA based this lawsuit on the belief that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process was not duly followed when the EIS was conducted. The snowmobile community argued successfully in court that the Department of the Interior and the NPS, with political pressure from environmental organizations, had preconceived plans to close the park to snowmobiling. The court agreed with ISMA that the November. 2000 ROD was not based on accurate and current information, and issued a ruling in February, 2001 that required the Department of the Interior to conduct a Supplemental Environmental Impact Study (SEIS). The SEIS started in the spring of 2001 and culminated on February 20, 2003. The result was a new recommended alternative that allowed reasonable snowmobiling.
The Park recommendation will allow snowmobiling to continue in designated areas contained within one percent of the park's vast 2.2 million acres. Snowmobiles will be allowed only on snow-covered roads, the same roads that are used in the summer months by tens of thousands of automobiles, busses and trucks. During the winter, these roads form a 185-mile network of white ribbons that enable the public to experience the unique winter beauty of America's first national park. New, low emission, new technology snowmobiles, which are now being manufactured by the snowmobile manufacturers, will be permitted in the park.
The Record Of Decision requires the following:
- A maximum of 950 snowmobiles will be allowed into Yellowstone on a daily basis.
- 80% of the entries will be guided and permitted through approved snowmobile rental agencies, which must use new technology snowmobiles.
- Park entrances will be managed adaptively and Park Rangers will strictly control the entrances to allow only permitted entrees.
- There will be strong enforcement of rules for all Yellowstone visitors including cross-country skiers, snow-shoers, snowcoach operators, and snowmobilers.
For the current status of Yellowstone's Winter Use Policy, visit the Park Service Winter Use webpage.
66F
