landusepbb
04-05-2005, 09:09 AM
Some outfitters report improvement
By WHITNEY ROYSTER
Star-Tribune staff writer Tuesday, April 05, 2005
JACKSON -- The winter-use rules governing Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks appear to have helped some snowmobile businesses.
Stacey Chapman with Best Adventures Snowmobile and Jackson Hole Snowmobile Tours said, "believe it or not, we've had an excellent winter."
The two companies brought 2,294 snowmobiles into the park this winter, compared with 1,455 last year. That, Chapman said, was as result of mechanical problems that hampered use of some of the new Arctic Cat four-stroke machines -- the technology required by the National Park Service.
Chapman said despite a low-snow year, tours into the Bridger-Teton National Forest were up, too.
"As long as there aren't any changes next year," Chapman said of the Park Service rules, "hopefully we're stabilized until 2006, 2007. We're ready to roll with it."
The interim park rules, allowing 720 snowmobiles a day in Yellowstone and 140 in Grand Teton, were put in place this year for up to three years as the agency conducts yet another study on the impact of sleds in the park using "real time" data.
Cheryl Matthews, spokeswoman for Yellowstone, said the interim three-year rule seemed to bring come "certainty to the issue."
She said of the nearly 85,000 people visiting the park this winter, about 24,000 of those were on snowmobiles. About 17,000 came in snowcoaches, and about 43,000 in private automobiles.
An average of 239 snowmobiles entered the park each day this winter season, which ran from Dec. 17 to March 14.
Reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@trib.com.
http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2005/04/05/news/wyoming/ec45a1ac0254767a87256fd9005f32a0.txt
By WHITNEY ROYSTER
Star-Tribune staff writer Tuesday, April 05, 2005
JACKSON -- The winter-use rules governing Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks appear to have helped some snowmobile businesses.
Stacey Chapman with Best Adventures Snowmobile and Jackson Hole Snowmobile Tours said, "believe it or not, we've had an excellent winter."
The two companies brought 2,294 snowmobiles into the park this winter, compared with 1,455 last year. That, Chapman said, was as result of mechanical problems that hampered use of some of the new Arctic Cat four-stroke machines -- the technology required by the National Park Service.
Chapman said despite a low-snow year, tours into the Bridger-Teton National Forest were up, too.
"As long as there aren't any changes next year," Chapman said of the Park Service rules, "hopefully we're stabilized until 2006, 2007. We're ready to roll with it."
The interim park rules, allowing 720 snowmobiles a day in Yellowstone and 140 in Grand Teton, were put in place this year for up to three years as the agency conducts yet another study on the impact of sleds in the park using "real time" data.
Cheryl Matthews, spokeswoman for Yellowstone, said the interim three-year rule seemed to bring come "certainty to the issue."
She said of the nearly 85,000 people visiting the park this winter, about 24,000 of those were on snowmobiles. About 17,000 came in snowcoaches, and about 43,000 in private automobiles.
An average of 239 snowmobiles entered the park each day this winter season, which ran from Dec. 17 to March 14.
Reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@trib.com.
http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2005/04/05/news/wyoming/ec45a1ac0254767a87256fd9005f32a0.txt