A recent update has been sent out by the BlueRibbon Coalition regarding winter use in Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks for this upcoming season, now that the comment period is over.
For now, it looks like there will be snowmobile access to the area and that there will be a transition period, where some of the temporary plans that are set now will remain in effect while the final decisions are made for the exact rules and regulations.
By October 2007 the Final Winter Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Yellowstone, Grand Teton and John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway will be released. There will be no additional comment period on the FEIS.
Come mid-November 2007, Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued from the Regional Office of the Park Service in Denver, Colo. The ROD is the agency's final decision and the reason for the decision. The ROD is not appealable under Park Service Regulations and can only be challenged in court.
The Final Rule will also be published in mid-November, implementing the ROD. There is usually a 30-day waiting period after publication of the Final Rule in the Federal Register before the rule goes into effect. It is possible for the Final Rule to go into effect sooner.
Whatever the long term decision on Winter Use in the Parks, the Final Rule will allow a transition period during the winter of 2007-2008 season. There will be provisions of the temporary plan that has been in effect for the last 3 seasons to remain in effect. All entrances will be open, and snowmobiles will all be BAT and commercially guided, with a limit of 720 snowmobiles per day.
For continued updates visit
www.saveyellowstonepark.com.