From: West Yellowstone Chamber Fax No.: Broadcast
Re: PARK MAKES STRIDES TO ASSURE VARIETY OF WINTER ACCESS
NOW IT’S OUR TURN TO BE THE”SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING!”
On Monday, November 3rd, 2008, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks announced a two-week public comment period on a new plan to guide the management of winter use in the parks for 2008.
The previous plan was rejected by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in September. With no plan, neither snowmobiles nor snowcoaches could be allowed in the parks this winter.
The Park Service has diligently worked since the court’s decision, to develop this plan that offers two alternatives The first, (called “no action’) would allow no motorized over-the-snow winter access. The second, and the park’s preferred, alternative would allow up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone beginning Monday, December 15, 2008.
RE: It’s vital that we all (and everyone we know) make comment on these two alternatives as stated in the “2008 Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment. All public comments must be received or postmarked by midnight, November 17, 2008. Here’s how to do it:
Written comments can be dropped off in person or mailed to: National Park Service Management Assistants Office, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail.
On-line. The quickest way to access the website to read the EA and make a comment is to "go directly to http://parkplanning.nps.gov.
o
Use the pull-down menu on "Choose a Park" to select Yellowstone,
o
Click on "Plans/Document Open for Comment"
o
Next, click on the link to "2008 Winter Plan Use Plans Environmental Assessment.*"
o
Look down the left-hand column for a link to "Comment on document."
o
Just click once and a form will open.
RE: Next Steps
There are still several steps that need to occur before December 15th. We remain confident that Yellowstone will open on time with a variety of winter access including cross-country skiing, snowcoach, snowmobile and snowshoe.
•
In a few days, a proposed rule to implement the preferred alternative contained in the new plan will be published in the Federal Register and this, too, will be open for a 15-day public review and comment period.
•
After the comment period and analysis, the Region of the National Park Service would sign a Finding Of No Significant Action (FONSI) containing details of that decision and the new rule implemented. .
•
The National Park Service expects to have a decision regarding winter use management by the December 15, 2008, scheduled start to the winter season.
Re: PARK MAKES STRIDES TO ASSURE VARIETY OF WINTER ACCESS
NOW IT’S OUR TURN TO BE THE”SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING!”
On Monday, November 3rd, 2008, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks announced a two-week public comment period on a new plan to guide the management of winter use in the parks for 2008.
The previous plan was rejected by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in September. With no plan, neither snowmobiles nor snowcoaches could be allowed in the parks this winter.
The Park Service has diligently worked since the court’s decision, to develop this plan that offers two alternatives The first, (called “no action’) would allow no motorized over-the-snow winter access. The second, and the park’s preferred, alternative would allow up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone beginning Monday, December 15, 2008.
RE: It’s vital that we all (and everyone we know) make comment on these two alternatives as stated in the “2008 Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment. All public comments must be received or postmarked by midnight, November 17, 2008. Here’s how to do it:
Written comments can be dropped off in person or mailed to: National Park Service Management Assistants Office, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail.
On-line. The quickest way to access the website to read the EA and make a comment is to "go directly to http://parkplanning.nps.gov.
o
Use the pull-down menu on "Choose a Park" to select Yellowstone,
o
Click on "Plans/Document Open for Comment"
o
Next, click on the link to "2008 Winter Plan Use Plans Environmental Assessment.*"
o
Look down the left-hand column for a link to "Comment on document."
o
Just click once and a form will open.
RE: Next Steps
There are still several steps that need to occur before December 15th. We remain confident that Yellowstone will open on time with a variety of winter access including cross-country skiing, snowcoach, snowmobile and snowshoe.
•
In a few days, a proposed rule to implement the preferred alternative contained in the new plan will be published in the Federal Register and this, too, will be open for a 15-day public review and comment period.
•
After the comment period and analysis, the Region of the National Park Service would sign a Finding Of No Significant Action (FONSI) containing details of that decision and the new rule implemented. .
•
The National Park Service expects to have a decision regarding winter use management by the December 15, 2008, scheduled start to the winter season.
