More Motorized Recreation in Yellowstone?

How active are we willing to be to preserve and protect our backcountry areas from potential impact? All the way to Washington, it seems, when that impact deals with motorized recreation usage in America’s most highly trafficked national park – Yellowstone.


A recent ruling by the Bush administration brought what may seem like a contradictory verdict to regulating winter, particularly snowmobile, usage: more, not fewer, snowmobiles. Studies of user trends in past years indicate that only 258 snowmobiles on average enter the park each day during the season.

Yet, under the new ruling, up to 540 snowmobiles will be allowed per day.

What is the right number? Moreso, where is the line between ruling for the sake of regulation, and cutting snowmobile usage cold turkey? Ideally, we wouldn’t go to either extreme, but work rather to instill education in these parks.

Would users listen? Will advocates and conservation agencies prevail?

Read more at: http://www.npsretirees.org/node/787

-Sara