Yellowstoned

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, December 18, 2003

[TroutStalker]

Americans, dust off your snowshoes. Thanks to the real powers behind environmental policy today -- green lawyers and sympathetic judges -- that's about the only way anyone will be visiting Yellowstone National Park in winter.

In a decision that surprised no one, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Tuesday scrapped a carefully crafted Bush snowmobile plan for the park. The Administration had worked out a compromise, permitting snowmobiling (over the same roads that millions of cars and trucks travel in summer) while also capping daily visits and requiring cleaner vehicles. But the judge, a favorite with environmental groups, reinstated a Clinton-era ban.

[TroutStalker]

It is outrageous that these kinds of rulings are issued by unelected officials with their own agenda.

We visit Yellowstone bi-annually because we love the place and certainly don't want to see it harmed. But to see 450 snowmobiles per day banned from the park in winter when hardly anyone else is there makes no sense when you see the traffic in summer. It is often a continuous stream of traffic then: busses, motorhomes, cars and motorcycles by the thousands.

I'm sure that most people who support this ban are the same ones who don't want drilling for oil in Alaska: they have never been to the place, probably will never go there and only have some warm fuzzy idea of how there should be this pristine area out there "somewhere" that no man should enjoy.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[from occupied ga]

I'm sure that most people who support this ban are the same ones who don't want drilling for oil in Alaska: they have never been to the place

Look at the forums on www.yellowstone.net for confirmation of your hypothesis

[blackdog]

The smowmobile industry and it's riders of the machines could much better serve their interests by tightening the noise issue, ride more responsibly, and follow speed limits.

The farm I purchased was bought from the estate of it's prior owner who had his head ripped off by a wire fence right here on the property while snowmobile riding. Booze, horsepower, and bad judgement dominate the snowmobile community.

The judge was wrong however. I'm just speaking on the motives. Bush should start whipping out the executive order club to beat these legislating judges over the head.

[Paul C. Jesup]

I wonder how many people on either side realize the Yellowstone Park sits right on top of a massive volcanic caldera.

[Cicero]

Oddly enough, Vermont has a great snowmobile policy. VAST, The Vermont Asssociation of Snowmobile Trails, has a vast system of snowmobile trails all over the state.

The legislature passed a law, with VAST's agreement, that snowmobilers couldn't sue property owners if they had an accident on their property. In return, property owners let VAST keep and groom their trails through their property, through woods and over pastures.

In our area, that means that small wooden bridges over streams get rebuilt, brush gets cleared out of trails and power-line rights of way, and everybody gets to use the trails. We cross-country ski on them, and when we hear snowmobiles coming we get off the trail with our dogs and let them go by. Everybody gets along just fine.

That's how it should be--local people working together cooperatively, and the lawyers kept out of it.

[To Hell With Poverty]

To me it looks more like a class issue, in that the enviro-nuts see snomobilers as a bunch of yahoos who most likely don't care about the health or wellbeing of the park and it's creatures. Well why would anyone care to snowmobile there if that's the case? I think they simply find snowmobiling distasteful and overly-masculine and have the usual liberal negative assumptions against people who want to have fun on recreational vehicles. That, and they think they should be the only people who can enjoy our national, natural treasures because they're more "in tune," or something. SNOBS!!

Some of my most beloved memories are of being pulled through the snow covered forests of northern New York State as a little girl with my sister in our little "skiboose," which was a sled thingy that hitched to the back of our parents' snowmobiles. Those trips probably made the forests seem more magical, and valuable, to me than any other experience!!

[RicocheT]

The Bush Administration compromise plan included a reduction in the number of snowmobiles per day and the snowmobiles had to have advanced noise and emission controls.

The snarling snowmobiles of old were not allowed under the plan.

Now its the Judge and the greens who snarl at our rights to enjoy the outdoors in a responsible way. They want a pristine wilderness for the elite to enjoy by helicopter luxury tours with nary a peasant in sight.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[TBall]

Someone should make a hydrogen powered snow machine.

[Freebird Forever]

The Hon. Judge Sullivan has the distinction of having been appointed by Pres. Reagan (1984), Bush 41(1991) & X-42 (1994).

Bio

[ohioman]

"I wonder how many people on either side realize the Yellowstone Park sits right on top of a massive volcanic caldera."

You are right. In fact, Yellowstone is the largest and only known supervolcano in the world. The magama chamber is @30 x 40 miles across. In fact, if you visit the park, most of what you are walking on is directly above the magma chamber. The scary thing is that this thing could blow, with very little warning, at any time from now to 1,000 years from now. Recent elevation readings have proved that the caldera has risen by a substantial amount (not sure of the exact numbers) since elevation readings taken in the 1920s. If this thing went off, it would dwarf ANY volcanic eruption in recorded history and send the U.S. into a nuclear winter. ................And these nanny-state wussies are worried about men on snow machines (where it snows @200-300 inches a year and regularly gets down to -40 degrees) tearing up the poor 'ole volcano.

BTW, my family owns a cabin just oustide of the western border of Yellowstone. By its looks, it looks like God's country, when in reality, you are standing on Hell.

[MEGoody]

I can't figure out the basis for this judge's decision, although I'm sure it is lame. Anyone have any idea what legal basis he used?

[doodad]

That, and they think they should be the only people who can enjoy our national, natural treasures because they're more "in tune," or something. SNOBS!!

You are correct. I can guarantee you that the Park Service, the environmental activists, the students interning (all the correct people) use snowmobiles or worse to get around the park. What a bunch of hypocrites! Like how the people who scream the worst about SUVs park theirs at the trailheads with all the right stickers on it. I always laugh when I see that.

[caisson71]

All national parks should be self supporting, to include paying their fair share of property taxes to the respective communities. There is a vast movement underway to reserve these areas for a select group of people who are basically on the public payroll. The average taxpayer supports - pays- for these parks, pays for the staff, gives up a tax base and become PROHIBITED from even entering these "private estates". Pretty cool, for some.

[expatpat]

I understand your point about noise, etc. I don't suffer from snowmobiles, but from a similar problem, jetskis on the water in the summer. The ugly noise and stupid operation of the vehicles seems to be much the same.

[doodad]

That is my take on it as well. At Zion now, the peons have to board a tram and ride together to the scenic points. I was suprised they even let people off.

[Jhensy]

I plan on visiting Yellowstone next month, I'd appreciate some tips if possible.

I'm flying out to Steamboat Springs, where my brother is ski bumming for the winter. We plan on taking a road trip north to Yellowstone, via Dinosaur National Monument/Flaming Gorge/Grand Tetons. My brother's got a Toyota 4x4, so that's not a problem.

What exactly is doable in Yellowstone in the middle of winter? Will we be able to drive in at all? At least to Old Faithful or the other tourist highlights? Are we out of our minds?

[blackdog]

I think if we could end rude behavior we could repeal 90% of the laws off the books in this country.

Nothing more enjoyable than a nightime sleigh ride under a moon, after an hour of harnessing, rigging, hot cocoa making in the thermos, baby seat strapping, bell adorning, to be trotting to the bellowing breath of a pair of horses and RROAARRRR......leaping the culvert ten feet in front of you on your own property leaps one, two, three, snowmobiles jumping the ditches at 50mph completely unaware of your presence. An hour later after returning home out of fear for your life on your own property, some guy is knocking on your door at midnight asking where he is and do you have any spare gas?

I usually get out the tractor, lift it with the pallet forks, bring it to the house, drive the guy home and let him come back the next day, sober.

Darwin has so much work to do in such little time.