Gone! Snowmobile Herds and Tourists

By JIM ROBBINS
Published: February 28, 2006

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont., Feb. 25 — Snowmobiles once owned this town in the winter. Thousands of people came from across the country to roar through the natural wonderland that is Yellowstone, driving past herds of snow-dusted bison, hot turquoise pools and a skyrocketing Old Faithful.

But in spite of the largest snowfall in many years, the number of snowmobilers is down because of rules that went into effect last year that create what many consider a tamer experience, and confusion over whether the park is open to snowmobiles at all. The use of more environmentally friendly snow coaches, resembling buses on skis or rubber tracks, has grown, along with cross-country skiing, but not enough to make up for the loss of snowmobilers and the money they bring to local businesses.

This month, however, Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana created a stir when he cruised through the park on a snowmobile. It was such a beautiful trip, he said to a group of business owners, that he is going to use his "bully pulpit" to get people to come to Yellowstone to do the same. "Yellowstone in winter is one of the most beautiful places on the planet," Mr. Schweitzer , a Democrat, said in an interview. "There needs to be both experiences. Cleaner, quieter snowmobiles have a place."

He is not advocating a return to the old days when large numbers of polluting two-stroke snowmobiles were allowed in the park, he said, and he favors increases in other types of winter use. But he said the west entrance here could handle an increase in the number of cleaner snowmobiles, though he cautioned that the number should be left to the experts. "People come from all over for this experience," Mr. Schweitzer said. "If they can only snowshoe or ski, they're not coming."

The proclamation cheered businesses hurt by the slump. "We appreciate his comments," said Bill Howell, a partner in the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn and a local snowmobile rental business. Mr. Howell said business had been down 50 percent and several other motels closed after snowmobiles with two-stroke engines were effectively banned. Two-stroke engines start and run more easily in cold weather, but are more polluting than engines that operate with four strokes of the piston.

Environmentalists, who have battled for years to get all snowmobiles banned from the park and replaced with snow coaches, were alarmed.

"The governor's statements were unfortunate," said Tim Stevens, Yellowstone program manager for the National Parks and Conservation Association in Livingston, Mont. "It's a missed opportunity not to recognize the changes going on in which the public is wholeheartedly embracing snow coaches."

While some businesses favor more snowmobiles, others have bought snow coaches and say things are getting better. "I was terrified" when the rules changed, said Randy Roberson, who owns Yellowstone Vacations and has added snow coaches to his snowmobile rentals. "We're not over the hump, but we can see over it," Mr. Roberson said.

Snowmobilers still come here, but the snowmobile adventure is considerably different. People with faster, louder and more polluting two-stroke machines cannot use them in the park. They must be led by a guide, at a cost of $35 a day. The number of snowmobiles is limited each day to a total of 720 at the four park entrances, including 400 here, the busiest entrance. This year, the number of park visitors on snowmobiles has averaged about 250.

Mr. Howell, the businessman, would like to see the number of snowmobiles allowed here doubled to 800, and for half of them to be allowed to enter without a guide.

It is a far cry from busy weekends a few years ago, when thousands of idling two-stroke snow machines used to create traffic jams in town and a cloud of blue haze so thick that park employees wore air masks at the park entrance. On peak days in the 1990's, an average of 1,400 snowmobiles entered the park at its four entrances.

The current rules and limits are temporary until the park, which has conducted three environmental studies, finishes a fourth, which is due this fall. The new rules will take effect in the winter of 2007.

Even though the number of snowmobiles has declined, park data shows they still have considerable impact, especially their noise. Monitoring at Old Faithful, the primary destination for winter visitors, shows levels are "higher than we would have expected," said John Sacklin, management assistant for the Park Service.

Dr. Peter Rabinowitz a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine at Yale who assessed noise levels for snowmobile opponents, said in a December 2005 letter to the park superintendent that noise levels even from the newer snowmobiles were dangerous to riders, who risked "permanent hearing loss."

"It is important to emphasize this fact," Dr. Rabinowitz said, "since the public may have been led to believe that 'Best Available Technology' is synonymous for 'safe' (it apparently is not) and consequently may not be aware of the risk to their hearing from snowmobile use."

Mr. Sacklin said air quality was not the problem it once was and had not exceeded government safety levels for employees. Environmentalists and some employees, however, contest that.

There have been other changes. Last year, after the new rules went into effect, the number of moving violations in the park involving over-snow vehicles declined by 72 percent and the number of winter season arrests dropped by 83 percent.

Recent Park Service studies have shown that some 20 percent of the wildlife in the park, already stressed in winter, responded negatively to snowmobiles. Critics of snowmobiles say this is still too much of an impact, while supporters say it is low.

Governor Schweitzer said that the new machines had made all the difference, and that the bison he had passed did not seem concerned.

"It was like two farmers meeting along the road," he said, describing a bull bison that just looked at him as it stood a few feet away. "I gave him a nod, he nodded at me and I just kept going."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/national/28snowmobiles.html

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