A new long-term plan for the winter use of Yellowstone National Park proposes to vary how many snowmobiles and snowcoaches would be allowed on each of the 90-day winter season and impose more strict emission standards in the park. After six public hearings, the agency plans to implement the new plan for the 2011-12 season.
As the alternative preferred by the National Park Service, it would vary the maximum number of oversnow vehicles allowed in the park for certain days and periods during the winter season.
Some days could have as many as 330 snowmobiles and 80 snowcoaches in the park, while others could have as few as 110 snowmobiles and 30 snowcoaches. Under this alternative, if each day’s allocation were fully used, a daily average of 254 snowmobiles and 63 snowcoaches would be allowed during the season.
The alternative would continue to require that snowmobiles and snowcoaches hire commercial guides to accompany them on existing park roads groomed for oversnow use.
The plan would also continue to impose mandates about the kind of equipment used and to meet new, more restrictive, emission requirements.
A new limit on nitrogen oxide emissions would be implemented to meet or exceed, by the winter of 2014-2015, the new standards for all vehicles as imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA). Snowcoaches also would be required to meet a new ground-surface weight limit of 4.5 pounds per square inch to limit potential damage to park roads.
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) advancing this alternative, is available for public review and comment. The comment period will close 60 days after the EPA publishes a “Notice of Availability” of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. That date will be announced soon. A separate federal rule will be used to implement the park’s preferred alternative, if chosen. The draft for that rule will go through its own 60-day public review and comment period.
The six public meetings for the winter use plan include four in surrounding communities: June 1 in Jackson, WY, June 2 in Cody, WY, June 7 in West Yellowstone, MT, June 8 in Bozeman, MT, June 21 in the Denver, CO, and June 23 in Washington, DC.
For more information go to https://parkplanning.nps. gov/yell.
