WASHINGTON, DC – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today contacted Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, and urged him to re-think plans to cut winter use access to Yellowstone National Park by half. Rehberg's letter was signed by a coalition of Representatives from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Utah including Rep. Lummis (WY-AL), Rep. Simpson (ID-02), Rep. Coffman (CO-06), Rep. Bishop (UT-01) and Rep. Chaffetz (UT-03).
"While we are obligated to preserve these parks for future generations, there is also an obligation to the current generation to allow access to these public lands", said Rehberg. "Outdoor recreation is a multi-billion dollar a year industry in Montana, and our economy can't take another hit right now. The Interior proposal, in its shortsightedness, also neglects seniors and folks with physical disabilities that experience Montana's backcountry on motorized vehicles. We can protect the environment while also allowing public motorized access. Yellowstone National Park officials have been working collaboratively on this two-fold effort for years. This new wrench in the machine slows the process by forcing them to start all over again and everyone suffers."
Outdoor recreation is critical to Montana’s economy, with personal watercraft businesses alone contributing $2.7 billion annually, and Yellowstone National Park has already had more than 1.3 million travelers visit the park this year. Unfortunately, the status of winter use access in Yellowstone has been uncertain for years, largely due to federal meddling between different Administrations and branches of federal government.
"Snowmobiling plays a critical role in the local economy and provides access to public lands for thousands who wouldn’t otherwise have it", said Rehberg. "While some from New York and California are trying to close off millions of acres to motorized vehicles, I hope that we can at least maintain existing public access levels in Yellowstone."
Letter:
July 24, 2009
The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
Dear Secretary Salazar:
We’re writing on behalf of our constituents who are concerned about the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) proposal to cut in half the number of snowmobiles allowed in Yellowstone National Park during the next two winters.
The issue of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park has been a long-running concern for more than a decade. In 2007, the National Park Service brokered a much-needed, commonsense plan to allow a limited number of commercially-guided snowmobiles and snow coaches in Yellowstone. This decision came after receiving well over 100,000 public comments. Unfortunately, a Washington, D.C. judge threw out this plan in September, 2008.
Two months after this ruling, a Wyoming judge ruled in a separate case that 720 snowmobiles was the correct allowance. Now, not even a year after the last ruling, the Department of the Interior has proposed to cut this allowance in half.
Snowmobile guides and snow coach operators, including the hotels, restaurants and shops that attract business from their customers, need a long-term plan under which to operate. Month-to-month changes in rulemaking are no longer acceptable, and the DOI must release a plan that frees small businesses from their bureaucratic grip. The original plan was thorough and comprehensive, as officials from all three states held hearings, public meetings and invited significant input from all interested parties. All aspects, including pollution, were weighed in the original decision, but now we have to start over from square one.
Over the past decade, much progress has been made in cutting snowmobile pollution in Yellowstone. New technological advances and stricter emissions requirements have aided this effort. While we appreciate these advancements, they have come at the expense of private snowmobile guides who depend on consistent regulations to guide their operations. After years of executive rulemaking and judicial wrangling, the issue of snowmobiles in Yellowstone remains unresolved.
We urge your full consideration to reinstate the original plan, which was equitable and well-balanced. Thank you for your attention to this matter. If we can be of further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
