Yellowstone Snowmobiles Record of Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C.//November 20, 2007// National Park Service (NPS) leadership has made a shocking stewardship decision in the latest chapter of a 10-year investigation of snowmobile impacts in Yellowstone National Park, ignoring scientific findings that have cost taxpayers over $10 million and setting up a return in the country’s oldest national park to greater levels of snowmobile air and noise pollution and mistreatment of wildlife, according to the 620-member Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR).
If it stands, the NPS decision announced today would determine for years to come what visitors will experience in their winter trips into the famous wonderland of geysers and wildlife established by Congress in 1872 as the world’s first national park. A “Record of Decision” signed today by NPS Regional Director Mike Snyder would allow a daily limit of 540 snowmobiles in Yellowstone.
In a Final Environmental Impact Statement made public in September, the National Park Service disclosed that this level of snowmobile use would increase snowmobile exhaust, noise problems and traffic-related disturbance of wildlife far beyond the levels scientists monitored in Yellowstone during the past four winters when an average of 250 snowmobiles entered the Park each day. The National Park Service disclosed that allowing 540 snowmobiles per day would:
- Nearly triple the area in Yellowstone where visitors will hear snowmobiles over half the visiting day, from the current average of 21 square miles to nearly 63 square miles— compromising at more of the Park’s popular attractions the opportunity to hear subtle sounds such as erupting geysers and bubbling mud pots;
- Reject the advice of wildlife scientists and place Yellowstone’s winter-stressed animals at greater risk. Scientists recommended capping or further reducing vehicular traffic from the reduced levels they studied between 2003 and 2006, which they determined were more protective of wildlife. Snowmobile numbers during this period averaged 258 per day. The Record of Decision’s allowable limit of 540 snowmobiles per day exceeds the scientists’ recommendation by over 100 percent.
- Throw Yellowstone’s improving winter air quality into reverse. The choice of 540 snowmobiles per day would increase carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and particulate pollution beyond what it has been the past several winters and result in over three times more carbon monoxide and 13 times more hydrocarbon emissions than a full transition from snowmobile to snowcoach access would produce.
Maureen Finnerty, a member of the Coalition’s Executive Council and former NPS Associate Director for Operations said, “Only a year ago there was a fight for the ‘very soul of the National Park Service’ in order to assure it had management policies that reflected law and upheld the Agency’s fundamental mission to conserve the national parks. The NPS displayed uncommon valor in working with concerned parties to assure that this policy framework was not discarded. NPS Director Bomar and Secretary of the Interior Kempthorne pledged their support of these policies and vowed that conservation of resources would remain the top priority in America’s national parks. It was the right pledge. Yet the first real application of the ‘gains’ made in that success betrays those who fought so hard on behalf of the American public. This decision does not adhere to those policies nor will it inspire those in the agency who fought so hard to prevent the management policies from being dismantled.”
Monitoring has shown while Yellowstone’s actual level of snowmobile use since 2003 has averaged 250 to 290 snowmobiles per day, noise has exceeded thresholds that Yellowstone established to ensure visitors’ opportunities to enjoy natural sounds and quiet. NPS scientists have determined that if the number of snowmobiles increases to as many as 540 per day, snowmobile noise would not only grow significantly worse in more areas of the Park, but also would be concentrated at popular attractions and around travel corridors and consequently would affect “the areas most accessible to the vast majority of park visitors.”
“This is a decision that shatters all confidence in the ability of the National Park Service, under this Administration, to faithfully apply good science,” said Rob Arnberger, also a member of CNPSR’s Executive Council and a former Regional Director of the Alaska Region. “Officials have incorrectly asserted that the decision reflects the science, while their own scientists disagree. This is a decision that has twisted science to meet a political agenda. It is a shame that the National Park Service, which should be a national environmental leader, has selected an alternative that is not the best choice for Yellowstone’s air quality, wildlife and the quiet atmosphere that visitors ought to be able to enjoy. It is disgraceful that Yellowstone Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis and Regional Director Mike Snyder have not met their stewardship responsibilities and have chosen to make a decision that derogates the resources of the world’s first national park in deference to those with narrow special interests.”
Since 1998, NPS scientists and planners have painstakingly verified scientific findings in an unprecedented three environmental impact statements and one environmental assessment that have cost taxpayers over $10 million. The Environmental Protection Agency independently reviewed each of these multi-hundred-page studies. In June 2007, EPA commented on Yellowstone’s improving health in four winters in which snowmobile use has averaged between 250 and 290 snowmobiles per day: “Today, vehicle numbers are reduced by two-thirds compared to historic use, resulting in improved air quality and soundscapes as well as reduced wildlife disturbance.” EPA cautioned that NPS’ plan to reverse Yellowstone’s trend of reduced winter traffic and allow a significant increase in snowmobile numbers “appears to lack adequate controls…to ensure the protection of air quality, human health, natural soundscapes, and wildlife…”
In March 2007, seven former Directors of the National Park Service who served presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton wrote to Secretary Kempthorne cautioning that NPS’ latest study confirmed that allowing Yellowstone’s current average of 250 snowmobiles per day to increase: “…would undercut the park’s resurgent natural conditions…The study also provides clear evidence that reducing snowmobile numbers still further—from 250 per day to zero—while expanding public access on modern snowcoaches, would further improve the park’s health.”
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have responded to invitations issued by NPS to comment on each of the studies. Consistently, four out of five commenters have expressed a preference that snowmobiles be phased out of Yellowstone in favor of the more environment-friendly, comfortable and economic snow coaches.
Bill Wade, chair of CNPSR’s Executive Council and a former superintendent of Shenandoah National Park said the decision is painful for career stewards of the National Park System. “Over 65 years ago, NPS Director Newton Drury admonished us all. He said ‘If we are going to succeed in preserving the greatness of the national parks, they must be held inviolate. They represent the last stands of primitive America. If we are going to whittle away at them we should recognize, at the very beginning, that all such whittlings are cumulative, and that the end result will be mediocrity.’ Today’s decision is a huge whittling – a deep, wounding slash even. We are extremely saddened that NPS Director Bomar failed to defend her pledge and courageously stand up and assure a decision that meets the intent of law and policy firmly established and prevailing since well before Director Drury. The American public has made it clear it wants national park resources vigorously protected, not compromised in deference to commercial or political interests. NPS management, from the Park Superintendent on up, has ignored those who own the parks. We will convey our concerns about this decision to Members of Congress.”
Wade added: “This is a decision that perpetuates uncertainty because it ignores law and science. It circumvents the conservation emphasis that has guided management of the national parks since the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916, which this Administration has repeatedly pledged to uphold. This decision needs to be dramatically corrected. It’s sad that this will take more time and more cost to taxpayers. That is the fault of failed leadership.”