Earth Equity News

U.S. Judge Reverses Plan to Expand Snowmobile Access in National Parks. By Juliet Eilperin, WashPost, September 16, 2008. "Handing environmentalists a major victory, a federal judge yesterday overturned the Bush administration's plan to allow hundreds more snowmobiles to traverse Yellowstone and other iconic national parks each winter. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan threw out the National Park Service's 2007 plan, calling it 'arbitrary and capricious, unsupported by the record, and contrary to law.' The administration rule would have allowed 540 recreational snowmobiles and 83 snow coaches a day... The 63-page ruling marks a turning point in a legal battle that has been fought since 1997 over how much to allow motorized vehicles in U.S. national parks. Presidents Nixon and Carter imposed limits on off-road vehicles in the parks, but the growing popularity of snowmobiles has put pressure on policymakers to ease the restrictions. The Clinton administration published a rule in late January 2001 that would have phased out snowmobiles in Yellowstone in favor of a system of public snow coaches, but Bush cancelled that plan and pushed for expanded snowmobile access. For the past five winters, an average of 263 snowmobiles and 28 snow coaches have entered Yellowstone daily. National Park Service officials issued a long-term plan last year allowing daily entry of more than twice as many snowmobiles and almost three times as many snow coaches."