Dear HCN,
I am writing in response to an
article written by Ray Ring (HCN, 11/25/02: Feds bail on snowmobile
ban), regarding the National Park Service bailing out on the
proposed snowmobile ban in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national
parks. I think this measure is totally wrong, considering that the
Park Service has vehemently pushed this issue from the outset. Why,
after a 3-year process that included 22 public hearings and over
65,000 public comments, should they scrap a decision of a four-year
phase-out of snowmobiles? The Environmental Protection Agency has
reported that a snowmobile ban is the best available protection for
air quality, wildlife and health of people who work for and visit
the parks.
President Clinton had it right in his decision
to ban these machines in the popular Western parks by next winter.
Yellowstone is a “signature park.” It is a place that needs to be
protected, no matter what it takes. The Park Service should forge
ahead and not place an importance on someone’s livelihood or
financial profit to a particular industry. Human health and
wildlife safety and conservation should be at the forefront. There
are numerous places where one can enjoy a snowmobile without the
hazards it causes being an issue.
Gary Medley
Fort Collins, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Snowmobile ban should stand.
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