Dear Snowmobile Leaders:
Before I start my update let me take a second to thank the organized snowmobile community, and especially the snowmobile manufacturers, for their collective efforts during the last year. All our efforts have shown that the Together Everyone Accomplishes More (T.E.A.M) concept has served us well.
On June 25, 2002 at the cooperating agencies meeting, the National Park Service made a very special presentation. The presentation was made by Steve Lobst and was entitled "Winter Use Management in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway". (Note: Effective June 24th, Steve Lobst has been put on special assignment to coordinate the Winter Use SEIS process to completion.)
The framework lays out a vision for continued snowmobile access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. On the surface this is a very positive step and the Park Service should be commended for their bold effort. However, the devil is in the details and that is why the BlueRibbon Coalition, the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, the State of Wyoming and the other parties to the legal action that cause the Supplement EIS have granted an extension to the process time frame. The final decision on the future of snowmobile access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks will be made next March 2003. To view the Park Service news release, with some more details on the extension to the SEIS process, go to:
http://www.saveyellowstonepark.org/index.cfm?story=143
Let me also remind everyone of the interim rule that the Park Service has adopted. Remember, many of you commented on that rule! The rule will allow continued snowmobile access to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks next season 2002-2003. The reason for this interim rule is that a decision made final originally on November 15th would have been impossible to implement on December 15th, and now the decision date is March of 2003. So snowmobiling in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park will be at the same level as the 2002-2003 season with some changes. Most of the changes are noted in the Park Service news release on the extension to the SEIS process. I have attached that news release to this update.
In closing, to keep up to date on the latest developments in the continuing efforts to maintain snowmobile access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park visit our dedicated website of www.saveyellowstonepark.com Please keep informed and we will stay the course to maintain snowmobile access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks! Remember "it is Not Over until it is Over!"
Sincerely,
Jack Welch, BRC President
Chairman, Joint BRC/ACSA Legal Action Task Force
Note: The Schedule for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks opening and closing for Winter snowmobile season 2002-2003 is:
Groomed roads open to the public Wednesday, December 18, 2002
Groomed roads close to public as listed below:
March 3, 2003 - Mammoth to Norris
March 5, 2003 - Norris to Madison and Norris to Canyon
March 10, 2003 - All groomed roads closed
