Vol 3, # 81

   Monday, September 20, 1999

YELLOWSTONE
WEATHER
Highs 60s, Lows 20s
Partly Cloudy
 

Yellowstone Net Home Page
 

ROAD REPORT
Some road
construction
delays.
 

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- Yellowstone officials' winter use proposal is sparking some sharp reactions from area business owners, county officials, state politicians and even environmentalists.

The Park Service has proposed the plowing of the roadway between West Yellowstone and Old Faithful during the winter months.  This stretch of roadway is a popular route for snowmobilers who originate in West Yellowstone.   West Yellowstone business owners, county officials and state politicians are concerned that the plowing of the roadway would hurt West Yellowstone's economy.   Environmentalists are concerned for other reasons.  Firstly, they are fearful that plowing the roadway will allow bison to more easily migrate outside the Park where they face danger from the Montana Department of Livestock.  They are also concerned that plowing the roadway could lead to more animal fatalities from collisions with automobiles.

The reactions to this proposal have actually led representatives of the five counties surrounding Yellowstone to respond with an interesting, and familiar-sounding, counter-proposal.  This counter-proposal is actually a slightly-changed re-wording of another of the Park Service's proposals (alternative E) in the Environmental Impact Study.

The counties' proposal, which must first be approved by the county commissions before being presented to the Park Service, calls for the following changes during the winter months:

-- cleaner and quieter snowmobiles, including cleaner burning fuel
-- increased reliance on independent scientific studies
-- new noise and pollution standards
-- capping the number of winter visitors
-- closing the Park's entrances from 10 pm to 6 am
-- strictly enforced speed limits
-- moving the parking lot further away from Old Faithful geyser
-- cutting down on congestion at the West entrance
-- restricting the winter season from mid-December to mid-March

It would appear that this counter-proposal, if serious, signals a new era among the counties, business owners and state politicians who have long opposed winter restrictions in Yellowstone.  The private business community in the Yellowstone region, dependent upon Park tourism for economic growth, has long been at odds with the Park Service, whose job is to protect and preserve Yellowstone so that it can be enjoyed by Americans in future generations.  It is refreshing to see the counties putting Yellowstone's health above profit margins.

It is obvious that changes must be made to protect Yellowstone during the winter months.  Both proposals now on the table appear to be favorable to the long-term existence of Yellowstone as one of the world's greatest treasures.

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS

Ralph Maughan
Kim Steinbacher
Kevin Sanders
Steve Brashear
Clint Wilkes
Tim Gourley
Hon. Bob Gammage
Ruth Colter-Frick
Lee Whittlesey
Tom Mazzarisi
Russ Finley
David Monteith
Denise Elmer
Dr. Bob Bara

Officials of Glacier National Park report that visitation numbers this season are down from last year.

Thus far this year, 1.38 million people have visited the Park, compared to 1.47 at this point last year.  Visitation in July was down by three percent, and visitation is August dropped by seven percent.  In August, 492,000 people entered the Park, compared to 529,000 people last August. 

July and August are the busiest month's for Glacier, one of the more popular units in the National Park system.  Even though visitation was down this August, many visitors encountered long waits to park their cars at the Logan Pass Visitor Center during the months of July and August.

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A few weeks ago a climber near Granite Peak in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness found a partial human leg, including the foot still in a boot, just below the summit of the peak.  Granite Peak is Montana's highest point, and it is situated near the northeastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park.  Authorities are now dusting off old missing person files in hopes of determining the identity of the human remains.  At least three people during the past few years have disappeared in the general vicinity of Granite Peak, and one climber who disappeared back in 1959 has never been accounted for.  DNA tests are being run on the remains, and investigators are also trying to determine the make of the boot.    

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The Madison River is doing well now on feather flies, and hoppers are doing well on the Lamar and Slough Rivers.  In general, hoppers are working well on waterways in and near the Park.  Further north, in the Livingston area, mayfly patterns are working well on the Yellowstone River. 

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