Home Page

MONDAY
April 23, 2001
Vol 5, # 40

Reservations

Site Search 

Support Yellowstone!      Discussion        $7.95 Internet, Email, More     Email Newsletter

YELLOWSTONE
WEATHER
Highs 40s, Lows 10s
Cloudy
More Weather

ROAD REPORT
North and West
entrances open
to automobiles.
More Info

THE DAILY
CARTOON

ONLINE
GREETING
CARDS

PUBLISHER
Yellowstone
Net Company

EDITOR-IN-
CHIEF
Bruce Gourley

 
MORE LINKS

Discussion

Newspaper
Archives

Send us your
comments


 

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- Today President Bush is expected to announce that he will not challenge the ban on snowmobiles in national parks, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton.  This expected announcement follows in the wake of Bush reversing his spate of earlier anti-environmental decisions with a recent string of pro-environmental decisions.

And yet, despite the expected upholding of the snowmobile ban, both environmentalists and the snowmobile industry are -- cautiously optimistic.  Why?  Because Bush apparently is buying time by not challenging the ban, afraid that by challenging it, the federal courts could order an immediate ban.  By side-stepping the possibility of having an immediate ban implemented, Bush "buys" three years (to the 2003-2004 winter season) to come up with an alternative plan, according to Republican leaders.  Thus, the cautious optimism from both environmentalists and the snowmobile industry.

In the meantime, an interesting (and foretelling?) development took place last week.

During the course of the past winter, snowmobile manufacturers, in the wake of the proposed ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and other national parks, sped up plans for "green" machines in an effort to blunt criticism for their previous lack of concern regarding snowmobile pollution.  Some fifty "green" machines debuted in West Yellowstone in December, and were well-received by visitors. 

In addition, snowmobile makers, in acknowledging that the machines emit high levels of pollutants, have recently openly expressed hope that instead of banning snowmobiles from national parks, lawmakers will require cleaner-burning machines with some usage restrictions in the near future.

However, just when it seemed the snowmobile industry was willing to compromise by developing and implementing cleaner-burning machines (as many environmentalists had called upon manufacturers to do for many years), the snowmobile industry reversed itself last week, and is now claiming that snowmobile pollution is not a problem and does not need to be regulated.

This reversal in stance comes from none other than the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, which last week made the argument in comments to the Environmental Protection Agency in regards to a proposal to set emission standards for snowmobiles.  Previously, snowmobile officials and pro-snowmobile politicians had urged the EPA to set standards, yet last week the ISMA said that snowmobile pollution poses no problems.  The Association went so far as to charge that "emission control technologies" would "raise serious safety concerns."

In essence, the ISMA argued that since most snowmobiles are used in rural areas, the pollution discharged by snowmobiles in such a "clean" climate is negligible.  Furthermore, the ISMA argued that the EPA's job is to protect air quality in places where pollution problems already exist, rather than in rural areas where snowmobile usage takes place.  These arguments come against the backdrop of winter employees in Yellowstone routinely falling ill from high levels of snowmobile pollution at entrances to the Park.

Needless to say, environmentalists are angered that snowmobile makers have reversed their stance and have stated that snowmobile pollution is not a problem.  This week, snowmobile makers will be meeting with the EPA to discuss possible snowmobile standards.

How does this reversal of position by the snowmobile industry concerning snowmobile pollution tie-in with Bush's expected decision upholding the current snowmobile ban?  At the very least, it indicates that despite what Bush does today, the last word on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and other national parks is yet a long way off.

(Yellowstone Net provides you opportunity to voice your opinion regarding the various Yellowstone issues to your congresspersons and to editorial sections of magazines and newspapers by clicking here.)

BACK TO TOP

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS

Russ Finley
Ralph Maughan
Kim Steinbacher
Steve Brashear
Clint Wilkes
Hon. Bob Gammage
Lee Whittlesey
David Monteith
Denise Elmer
Dr. Bob Bara
Matthew McLean

AMERICAN BUFFALO COMMEMORATIVE DOLLAR
by United States Mint

Early in the 20th Century, one of this country's most beloved coin designs, the Buffalo Nickel was born. Celebrating the spirit of the Old West, the coin featured the images of two uniquely American icons: a Native American Indian profile and an American buffalo.

The original Buffalo Nickel was designed by James Earle Fraser and was minted from 1913 through 1938. The coin has earned a special place in the hearts of Americans. Now, over eight decades after it was first circulated, you can experience the thrill of owning this classic coin designed in its unblemished, freshly minted state--recreated as an official 2001 commemorative silver dollar from the United States Mint.

The American Buffalo Commemorative Coin Program will consist of a silver dollar in both proof and uncirculated conditions.

The American Buffalo Silver Dollar can be purchased from the U.S. Mint starting in early May. On May 4th the first strike ceremony will take place at the Denver Mint.  Pre-issue prices are $30 for uncirculated and $33 for proof.   Following the pre-issue period, prices will rise from $3 to $4 per coin.   500,000 of each will be minted.  To order the coin, go to the U.S. Mint website by clicking here.

Coins will be shipped beginning June 7, 2001. A portion of the proceeds will be authorized to help build the National Museum of the Native American Indian of the Smithsonian Institution.

Editor's Note: Thanks to Philip Doty of the U.S. Mint for supplying the information for this article.

BACK TO TOP

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- The Albright Visitor Center and Museum (open 365 days a year) is located at Mammoth Hot Springs, five miles inside the North Entrance and at the northwest corner of the upper loop of the Grand Loop Road. The visitor center and all the red-roofed, many-chimneyed houses down the street from it were built by the U.S. Cavalry during a time when this was "Fort Yellowstone," an Army post dedicated to protecting the national park. Although the soldiers left after the Park Service was created in 1916, outwardly the old fort has changed little from the time of Army residency. Fort Yellowstone, comprised mostly of this block and the two rows of buildings behind it, is one of the best remaining examples of a 1900-era cavalry post.

The visitor center (formerly bachelor officers' quarters) now houses a museum with its major theme being history: Native Americans (pre-1800), the mountain men (1807-1840), early exploration (1869-1871), the Army days, and early National Park Service. In early 1998, new exhibits with a predator-prey theme were installed upstairs.

Of special note are the Moran Gallery where fine reproductions of watercolor sketches by the painter and expeditioner Thomas Moran are displayed and the Jackson Gallery where original photographs by William Henry Jackson, also of the 1871 Hayden Survey, are exhibited.

There is a theater in the visitor center where Park Rangers show film and video presentations every half hour in summer and on request in winter. Films include The Challenge of Yellowstone (1979, 25 min) on the history of Yellowstone and the evolution of the national park idea and Thomas "Yellowstone" Moran (1997, 12 min) on Moran's contribution toward the establishment of Yellowstone National Park and are shown year-round.

For more information on Yellowstone's Visitor Centers, click here.

BACK TO TOP

BOISE, Idaho --  An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.3 shook the Yellowstone region Saturday morning.  The quake's epicenter was located 75 miles south of Grand Teton National Park, in Idaho's Gray range.  There were no damages or reported injuries as a result of the earthquake.

BACK TO TOP