savage on sleds enough

We're all itching for snow by now and with some luck many areas are already getting a good base down. We know from friends out in Montana and Wyoming that rideable snow already was falling in October. WOW!

Just thinking of all that pristine snow out West got my blood boiling the other day, not because I was stuck here behind a computer, but because some folks want to deny Westerners in particular (and the rest of us in time!) a chance to get out and enjoy a big chunk of that.

This is nothing new, but the last Yellowstone ruling denied the latest winter use plan for snowmobiling activity (even groups in a snowcoach) in the park. Essentially, people have been banned from enjoying that and the Grand Tetons National Park in winter, unless you're on foot or snow shoe. I love the outdoors, rivers, lakes, trees and wildlife. I want a clean environment as much as the next guy.

BUT, I also want fairness in how we allow our national parks and wilderness areas to be used.

So it's hard for me to stomach a judge, or any public servant, putting the total kibosh on any group using a park when they are using it respectfully and causing no ill effects.

Having ridden the trails around West Yellowstone (picture above) I can tell you that snowmobiles do not damage the wildlife. Buffalo, for instance, have no fear of sleds, and to be honest, are oblivious to them as they drive nearby.

Pollution? First, the rules for several years have been that only BAT (Best Available Technology) sleds were allowed in the parks. That means clean burning 4-stroke snowmobiles. These are sleds with emissions better than most cars. We also were limited to 540 sleds a day, on guided tours so snowmobilers weren't allowed to wander, or explore, in potentially sensitive areas. In reality the average was 290 sleds a day last season. Figure a 5-month season and that's 43,500 sleds.

Compare that with the number of cars and RVs that invade Yellowstone each year. According to park figures, 3.15 million people visited in 2007. Quick math (estimating 4 people per vehicle) would mean roughly 787,500 vehicles.

You can't tell me that a small number of sleds pollute more than the massive amount of cars that enter the park daily. Add to that the huge number of RVs that visit the park daily and the sled-emissions argument simply doesn't make sense! Isn't fair!

In addition, science tells us that emissions can't be turned into ozone in winter (not warm enough and not proper sun angle) so surely the snowmobiles are doing much less, if any, damage to the environment than all those cars and RVs each summer.

So why are snowmobilers being singled out for exclusion from the parks? Ask your local congressman, senator or judge. Really, ask them!

Truly want to limit the impact of people in the parks? Start shuttling everyone, winter and summer, into the parks on electric trams, or using hybrid low-emission vehicles, or simply limit their numbers.

But to say that our tiny bit of snowmobiling in 2.2 MILLION acres of parks is too damaging, when hundreds of thousands of cars and RVs are driving all over the park each year, is ludicrous.

We simply want to see and enjoy nature's winter wonders in Yellowstone and other parks. We're not asking for SPECIAL treatment, JUST FAIRNESS!