Yellowstone NP wants more input on winter-use plan

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Park extends current guidelines through the end of this winter

A snowcoach passing bison on Yellowstone’s South Rim Drive. Photo NPS/JimPeaco.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — After years of litigation and politically driven changes in policy, the National Park Service is inching closer to adopting a long-term winter use management plan for Yellowstone.

Winter travel via snowmobiles and snow coaches has been hotly disputed, as local business owners advocate for more access, while the park service and conservation advocates focus on trying to reduce impacts to wildlife and air quality.

For now, Yellowstone has decided to extend the current use plan for this coming winter, with a mix of snow coaches and snowmobiles, while the agency finalizes the long-term plan. (more…)

Filed under: air quality, Environment, national parks, public lands | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

New plan for Yellowstone NP snowmobiling released

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Snowmobiles in Yellowstone. Photo courtesy Carlton University. Click to visit Carleton’s Yellowstone info page.

National Park Service looking for public comment on latest plan for managing over-snow use

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — If you thought that the National Park Service long ago settled issue of managing snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park, guess again.

The agency continues to struggle with developing a plan that’s strict enough to fulfill its legal obligations to limit air and noise pollution, while allowing enough wiggle room to meet the economic needs of nearby communities.

At one point, the park service was prepared to ban snowmobiles altogether, but that plan drew howls of outrage and a lawsuit from businesses and snowmobile fans.

At issue are impacts to wildlife, the overall visitor experience and potentially even to water quality, as some measurements have shown increased levels of carcinogenic compounds in the snow where snowmobiles travel. (more…)

Filed under: air quality, Environment, national parks, public lands, Travel | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Mountain news roundup

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Jenney Coberly

Custom snowboards for soldiers, state-of-the-art bike sharing in Boulder, and more ice-age discoveries at Ziegler Reservoir

Compiled by Jenney Coberly

Custom snowboards for soldiers

When soldiers from the G Company 2-135th General Support Aviation Battalion, a helicopter MEDEVAC unit, returned from a year in Iraq, they were greeted not only by their families and friends, but also by custom snowboards provided by Never Summer Industries of Denver, Colorado. For the board graphic, Never Summer Art Director Jeremy Salyer designed a silhouette of a Black Hawk helicopter like the ones the battalion flew in Iraq. Check out the coverage in the Mountain Weekly News to see photos of the snowboard and the ceremony.

New bike-sharing program in Boulder

Boulder is already a bike-friendly town, and will become even more so with the launch of the Boulder B-cycle program this Friday. The program will launch with 12 stations, 7 of which are completely solar-powered. The stations are state of the art, with computer touchscreens and encrypted wireless data transmission for the bike rentals. The bikes are state of the art as well, with adjustable seats, specially designed brakes that work even when wet, durable tires that rarely go flat, utility baskets, and bike locks with removable keys for parking away from B-cycle stations. Read more in the article in the Boulder Daily Camera or the Boulder B-cycle website. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, mountain news roundup, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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