It is now time to comment on the draft of the "Proposed Rule" that will implement the new "Winter Use" decision that will be made this fall 2007.
The National Park Service (NPS) has released a draft of a "Proposed Rule" to implement the Yellowstone and Grand Teton Winter Use Plan for public review and comment. This rule will implement the final EIS and Record of Decision that will guide management of winter use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2007, and is available for public review and comment for 60 days. The comment period will end at midnight on July 16, 2007.
The proposed rule, as written, would implement the preferred alternative in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). It should be noted that the comment period on the Park Service's DEIS closed on June 5, 2007.
The NPS preferred alternative is similar to the temporary rules which have guided winter use in the parks for the last 3 years. In Yellowstone, it retains the same daily cap of 720 commercially-guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles.
The preferred alternative continues to require that snowmobiles and snowcoaches travel only on existing park roads which are groomed for their use. Trail and off-road use of snowmobiles and snowcoaches would continue to be prohibited.
There are two major areas of concern in the draft "Proposed Rule." These concerns are the maintaining of the commercially guided only requirement for all snowmobilers entering Yellowstone and the closing of the East Gate to snowmobile access totally.
The National Park Service intends to have a final EIS, a Record of Decision, and a final rule guiding Winter Use in place before the start of the 2007-2008 winter season.
To view the Proposed Rule
click here or
click here Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail. All public comments must be received or postmarked by midnight, July 16, 2007. Because the comment period for the Winter Use Proposed Rule will run through July 16, 2007, BlueRibbon wants to deliver these signed letters to the Park Service in mass. They are now collecting all the letters at the BlueRibbon Coalition Office. You can help by signing your letter at the Rapid Response Center
here.