I think they're wildly off-base.
The Times, which advocates that all snowmobiles be removed from Yellowstone, says that Lewis' decision to allow 720 daily snowmobiles this season is a "distortion" of Wyoming District Court Judge Clarence Brimmer's Nov. 7 ruling on winter use.In that decision, Brimmer largely deferred to District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia. On Sept. 15, Sullivan had voided Yellowstone's proposed plans, ruling that 540 snowmobiles a day would cause undue environmental damage.
Brimmer said that if had it been up to him, he would have upheld the 540 rule. Not having that option available, he left the rule's vacation in place, and ordered that a temporary 2004 rule be reinstated until the Park Service crafts a new, long-term plan.
The New York Times contends that Lewis manipulated Brimmer's decision. They wrote:
"According to Judge Brimmer’s decision, 'The ruling of the D.C. District Court [shall] remain undisturbed here.'In speaking of "carefully quoting half-sentences," the Times may as well be reprimanding itself.
Judge Brimmer’s intentions are perfectly clear and explicitly stated. But by carefully quoting half-sentences from the decision, Suzanne Lewis, Yellowstone’s superintendent, claims just the opposite. She says that he is directing the Park Service to scrap the current plan and revert to the formula of several years ago, which allowed 720 snowmobiles a day into the park."
Anyone who's followed the issue knows exactly what Judge Brimmer's intentions have been in the past - keeping snowmobiles in the Park.
From Brimmer's decision:
"IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the D.C. District Court's invalidation of the final rule shall remain undisturbed by this Court."That's where the New York Times editorial board apparently stopped reading. But Brimmer continued.
"IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the NPS shall reinstate the 2004 temporary rule until such time as it can promulgate an acceptable rule to take its place."As per Brimmer's orders, that 2004 temporary rule permits up to 720 snowmobiles a day.
How following the judge's ruling to the letter is a distortion of his decision, we ignorant Westerners may never know.
There are serious, thoughtful arguments made on both sides of the snowmobiling issue. However, they are not being advanced by the New York Times.
Photo courtesy of Jim Peaco, NPS. Note: This version of the post removes a portion regarding Park County's borders.
To be fair - the NYT is not arguing that Ms. Lewis should be dismissed based on her ability to follow the Judge's ruling. Their argument is predicated on the fact that the decision to implement the 2004 rule (720 machines) goes against the prevailing science and the NPS's Organic Act.
ReplyDelete"... promote and regulate the use of the...national parks...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein ..."
But, I agree that the writers of the NYT should have little to say about the management of YNP.
Hey Anon, thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with you that the crux of this whole issue lies with the science and the balance between conservation and recreation in our National Parks. Without a doubt, that is the New York Times' underlying concern.
However, the Times clearly called for Lewis' firing because they believe she manipulated the Judge's decision. Otherwise, Brimmer - not Lewis - would have been the target of their concern.
The Times' argument hinges on the contention that implementing a 720 snowmobile rule is a distortion. If we suppose that Brimmer really did order the park to set their levels at 720, setting the limit at 318 would be illegal - meaning Lewis would be looking at trading in her position for that “orange suit and handcuffs.” It would be a tough argument for the Times to contend that Lewis should be fired for not violating a court order.
It is ridiculous for any thinking person to conclude that allowing 720 snowmobiles into Yellowstone on any given winter day is going to provide any significant negative effects on flora or fauna that isn't already taking place during the rest of the year when several THOUSAND cars/trucks/motorhomes/motorcyles enter each day.
ReplyDeleteSnowmobiles are restricted to certain park roads. (Auto traffic is allowed more miles of travel in the park than snowmobiles.) No cross-country/off-road riding is allowed in the park. Speed limits are strictly enforced.
Snowmobiles allowed in the park are the cleanest available. Cleaner than any motorhome entering the park. Cleaner than a majority of the cars entering. (You can't take your average snowmobile in the park. The machines allowed are carefully certified.)
All snowmobiles must be 'guided' by a trained guide. Last time I checked, you weren't required to pay for a guide to ride along in your car or on the back of your bike.
Anybody who knows the facts and still wants snowmobiles out of Yellowstone has a much farther reaching agenda. This is not about 'good science'... The studies have been done time and time again and snowmobiles' impacts are minor.
While I disagree with the Park Service's guide requirement and 720 per day limits... (believeing both are unecesary...) I applaud them for working as hard as they have to keep snowmobiles in the park. They have been fighting an up-hill battle from the beginning as the extreme environmentalists... with the media's backing... painted snowmobiles and snowmobilers in an undeserved negative fashion.
Matt Mead
Publicity Secretary
Washington State Snowmobile Association
And environmentalists are the extreme ones?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that a Publicity Secretary was qualified to execute responsible science.
Just remember that when Yellowstone Park was created by the stroke of the pen of Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, Wyoming did not exist. In fact, Grant came very very close to carving up the Wyoming territory and giving it to surrounding states because of our negligible population.
ReplyDeleteHate to bring it up , but our population is still negligible. And Yellowstone's middle name is " National ".
Hey Dewey,
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, I have little problem with the Times weighing in on Yellowstone. Clearly, they have a right to do so - it's not just Wyoming's park.
However, I do think the Times' distance is a challenge to getting it right - and I think they're wrong in calling for Lewis' resignation.
It is too bad that people who work for the park are trying to make it a great place for all are being attacked for trying to do their job. Just step back and look at the improvements in the winter compared to the 90's which is the time period in the photo in the article above. Those snowmobiles are over 10 years old and haven't been allowed in the park for several years. The snowmobiles are so much cleaner and quieter but some continue to want to use the conditions of the old days as a reason to ban the snowmobiles. The snowmobiles now must have guides and they all run automotive type engines currently.
ReplyDeleteA comment was made about executing responsible science. He wasn't executing, only pointing out the facts which have been put in place. If you truly want to see Yellowstone when it is quiet then do it in the winter as it is far quieter than in the summer.
Another question if you want to talk science is why don't they have monitors at the gate at Gardiner and along the highway on the northern edge to Cooke City to monitor noise and emissions of the vehicle traffic since there are no snowmobiles operated there and compare the two during the same time of year when there are air inversions and lots of stoves and furnaces running heating homes and businesses?
There are plenty of reasons that Suzanne Lewis ( among others up there ) should be shown the door. It's the Snowmobile issue that makes your teeth sting. I'm more worried about where the Park Service finds these people and who would take her place... the NY Times is right , but for the wrong reasons.
ReplyDeleteOK, kids.
ReplyDeleteI have lived and worked inside the park since before all the lawsuits began...years ago.
The park is WAY better off with best available technology and guides, and with fewer machines each day (we never hit the entrance limit, by the way...so the limit is a moot point). We have far less pollution and the wildlife isn't being hazed to possible death by nearly as many idiots the days when we could snowmobile individually.
While snowmobiling in the winter does cause shifts and negatives to the wildlife and the landscape, doing it with the guidelines imposed makes it work for everyone.
It is true that RV's and stupid vandals do MUCH more damage in the summer to the air and to the landscape. Luckily, the animals can defend themselves more easily in the summer...and gore a share of knuckleheads each season.
YNPGAL