Enzi to Park Service: Don't Close Yellowstone East Gate
Enzi to Park Service: Don't Close Yellowstone East Gate
Yellowstone National Park should not close the entrance near Cody in the winter, according to U.S. Senator Mike Enzi who wrote this week to Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis.
Enzi wrote that the state of Wyoming and Park County have "provided compelling reasons for both maintaining and expanding motorized winter use recreation and keeping the East Entrance to Yellowstone open."
"Winter motorized recreation in this area is already limited by the amount of roadless and wilderness in adjacent national forest. Therefore, in order to maintain a strong and stable economy for northwestern Wyoming, it is vital to promote year-round motorized and non-motorized use of our park resources. Restricting or prohibiting the use of over-snow travel through the East Entrance eliminates a potentially large tourism market," Enzi wrote. "I therefore urge you to reconsider this portion of your preferred alternative as you move forward with the planning process."
In November the Park Service released a preliminary version of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for technical review by counties and states affected by the proposals. The final draft DEIS is expected from the Park Service in April.
January 30, 2007
Suzanne Lewis
Superintendent
Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168
Dear Superintendent Lewis:
I am writing this letter on a matter of great importance to the State of Wyoming . The issue of snowmobiling in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway continues to be vigorously debated, and in November 2006, the National Park Service released a preliminary version of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The release of the DEIS was intended for technical review by the ten cooperating agencies.
As you review the comments that you have received on the DEIS, I specifically urge you to incorporate those provided by our constituents, the State of Wyoming and Park County on this draft document. I have been working closely with these interested parties, and believe they have looked critically at the Winter Use Plan. Specifically, they have provided compelling reasons for both maintaining and expanding motorized winter use recreation and keeping the East Entrance to Yellowstone open.
I am certain you can appreciate the importance of recreation to small towns near our federal lands. I strongly support keeping the East Entrance of Yellowstone open to over-snow vehicles and skiers during the winter season. This entrance is critical to Wyoming 's motorized and non-motorized recreationists.
Winter motorized recreation in this area is already limited by the amount of roadless and wilderness in adjacent national forests. Therefore, in order to maintain a strong and stable economy for northwestern Wyoming , I feel it vital to promote year-round motorized and non-motorized use of our park resources. Restricting or prohibiting the use of over-snow travel through the East Entrance eliminates a potentially large tourism market. I therefore urge you to reconsider this portion of your preferred alternative as you move forward with the planning process.
Thank you for taking my views into consideration as you work toward the best management strategy for this very important national treasure located within our State.
Sincerely,
Michael B. Enzi
United States Senator
cc. Mary A. Bomar, Director, National Park Service
http://enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=74eeec0a-802a-23ad-4ce1-9a7a87538449&Region_id=&Issue_id=