Tag Archives: winter-use plan

It was a somber week in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas, with multiple deaths and losses on the record, some tragic, some part of everyday life. On the plus side, it was the week where the Beach Fire was totally contained and Vice-President Joe Biden gave some inspirational remarks to Park workers. Here's the list of the most popular new stories on Yellowstone Insider the past week, as ranked by page views.

Snowmobile-advocacy groups, concessionaires and regional outfitters have already won the battle over the next Winter Use Plan for Yellowstone National Park, as the National Park Service has distilled the many public comments into six proposed usage scenarios that would not really change much at all and continue the current ban on cars in the Park during winter months.

The National Park Service has announced plans for a new long-term management plan for the Old Faithful area. Given budget restrictions and other limitations on what can be done, there's only one realistic change that could increase access without impacting the natural resources in the area: Open access to the Old Faithful area year-round.

Winter visitation to Yellowstone National Park for the 2009-2010 season was down slightly, as a poor snowpack and another decrease in the number of snowmobilers visiting the Park depressed the numbers, the second straight dropoff in winter visitation.

With the deadline for input into a new Winter Use Plan for Yellowstone National Park fast approaching, government entities are staking out their positions, with Wyoming's Park County pushing for unguided Park access.

The public has until March 30 to suggest what should be included in the next winter-use plan for Yellowstone National Park, but public meetings and comments from officials give us some idea of what could be included. We look at some of the pubic input.

The National Park Service is seeking input as it develops yet another Winter Use Plan for Yellowstone National Park, and now's the time for you to suggest alternatives to the existing temporary plan.

It may not have been the most ringing of endorsements of National Park Service management, but the end result was the same, as Wyoming District Court Judge Clarence Brimmer -- no fan of NPS practices -- declined to strike down a Yellowstone National Park temporary winter-use management plan, leaving intact a limit of 318 snowmobiles per day in the upcoming winter season.