Public Comment on Snowmobile Levels in Yellowstone

The National Park Service has reopened the comment period on a proposed rule for winter use. The proposed rule would replace the 2004 rule reinstated last fall by the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, which governed snowmobile and snowcoach access in the parks for the 2008-2009 winter season.

It would allow up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone, through the 2010-2011 winter season. It would also govern long-term snowmobile access in Grand Teton and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, including access along Grassy Lake Road, and on Jackson Lake for licensed anglers.

The proposed rule as originally published on November 5, 2008 is available on the Internet.

The notice that the public comment period has been reopened can be found online.

An electronic form you can use to submit comments on the rule is available.

Written comments may be submitted through this web site, in person, or by mail. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail. All public comments on the proposed rule must be received or postmarked by midnight, Eastern Time, September 8, 2009.

The National Park Service intends to analyze the comments submitted last fall and during the next 45 days before making a decision on the proposed interim winter use plan. Depending on this process, NPS is planning to issue a final rule to implement the decision on or before November 15, 2009.

The proposed rule is available on CD or in hard copy by written request to Yellowstone National Park, Management Assistant’s Office, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190. Document requests may also be made by sending an e-mail to yell_winter_use@nps.gov; by calling 307-344-2019 during normal business hours; or by sending a request by fax to 307-344-2025.

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. The preferred alternative would have allowed up to 318 snowmobiles and 78 snowcoaches per day into Yellowstone for 3 winters. All snowmobiles would have been commercially guided and would have needed to conform to Best Available Technology (BAT) emission and sound level requirements. During the life of the plan, snowcoach operators would have been required to implement BAT for their vehicles (BAT requirements for snowcoaches go into effect in 2011).

On November 7, 2008, however, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming issued an order directing the National Park Service to reinstate 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.

 

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