Rangers and Concessioners Still on Two-Stroke Engines?
Sep 6th 2007ScottPolitics & Wyoming & Yellowstone East Gate & multiple use
I about hit the floor this afternoon when the noon news update was broadcast.
Since 2001, four-stroke engines on snowmobiles have been a requirement, in pursuit of using the best available technology to preserve the “pristineness” of the great wonder called Yellowstone. Now I haven’t thought much about this, but I figured if a person such as myself wanted to snowmobile in Yellowstone, I’d have to do so on a four stroke model and have a guide (to do ranger work and enforce the rules). Presumably, those that work within the Park must be subject to the same standard, at the very least,the four-stroke rule.
Not so! A recent report says that it’s still too noisy in Yellowstone. What will we do?
Options include reducing speed limits, phasing out two-stroke snowmobiles used by Park Service and concession employees, and doing something about the older, louder Bombardier snowcoaches still in use.
What a great idea!!!! Make the employees subject to the rules imposed on the visitors! Then they can be an example!
In spite of this headline-worthy news item, there is some good news to report: Snyder and Co. are finally seeing things in a common sense way of thinking and the avalanche risk is acceptable. Granted, the mitigation costs are still a factor, and there’s no clear reason for the huge cost increase in using a method that has been used in the past for a much lower cost, but it seems a huge leap of progress has been made.
“We are pleased that Snyder has come to the same conclusion reached by the people of Park County many months ago - that avalanche issues at Sylvan Pass pose an acceptable risk that can be effectively mitigated by the howitzer,” Armstrong said.
“The risk assessment ordered by Snyder and recently completed by a panel of avalanche experts had no surprises for us.”
Armstrong spoke after a closed-door meeting at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center on Friday with Snyder, Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis, three Park County commissioners, state Rep. Colin Simpson, Park County Travel Council members, Yellowstone planner John Sacklin and others.
Armstrong said results of the avalanche risk assessment were discussed during the meeting, which she said was called by Gov. Dave Freudenthal.
Mark Toft of the governor’s office also attended the meeting, as did Park County commissioners Tim French, Marie Fontaine and Jill Shockley Siggins
Armstrong added that the avalanche report “indicates the howitzer is significantly less risky than the helicopter mitigation YNP adopted several years ago.
“We are delighted that Superintendent Lewis and Regional Director Snyder now recognize that the howitzer, with its 30-year safety record, has been the most effective mitigation of Sylvan Pass all along,” Armstrong said.
A decision regarding the winter use plan is expected to be made soon, though could be as late as December.
Tech Tags: Yellowstone National Park, winter use, political activism, Mike Snyder, Shut Out of Yellowstone
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