Dear HCN,
In the article on
snowmobiles by Douglas Schnitzspahn (HCN, 2/4/02: Snowmobilers rev
up for roadless riding) there was a glaring error which I felt
emboldened to bring to your attention. Pat McKenna is quoted as
saying “scientific studies have proven that the paths that
snowmobiles create up there (Mount Jefferson, Mont.) disturb
wolverines and other critical wildlife.” This statement is totally
erroneous. There are NO such scientific studies to support this
claim. How can I be so certain, you may ask? Because my husband,
Dick Staiger, and his 4-H Natural Resources Club in Alta, Wyo.,
began its wolverine project in 1997 by building three traps in the
parking lot of Grand Targhee Ski Resort and started the only
wolverine study in Wyoming.
Access to traps was
by snowmachine and many agencies have been involved. The wolverines
were not disturbed from the traps by skiers or snowmachines. We are
in the process of gathering the data to be used by scientists, but
there are few studies. We would be happy to write an article for
your paper about the wolverine study since its inception. It is a
good story! But it rankles our sensibilities to see a blatant
misstatement in print. The problem becomes that people will believe
what they read first and discount a subsequent retraction. We hope
you sense our passion on this
issue.
Mary Carol
Staiger
Alta,
Wyoming
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline McKenna misstates facts on wolverine studies.
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