Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “There is nothing so American as our national parks. … The fundamental idea behind the parks… is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.” Roosevelt’s idealistic view of national parks was shattered last week by President Bush. Bush has turned “our” national parks into nothing more than a “snowmobilers-only” club.
Last week, Bush proposed allowing the number of snowmobiles to rise in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, reversing a decision made by the Clinton administration to protect the natural beauty of the two parks.
By allowing more snowmobiles into the parks, Bush is defying public opinion, as well as 13 years of testing that proves snowmobiles are detrimental to the environment of the parks. The Environmental Protection Agency reviewed scientific studies conducted in Yellowstone by government agencies, the snowmobile industry and universities, and it found that snowmobile use in Yellowstone is threatening both environmental and human health. But Bush ignored the EPA’s findings and recommendation to decrease snowmobiling in the parks.
Snowmobiles produce obscene levels of pollution. An average snowmobile engine can cause as much air pollution in one day as a modern car driven 100,000 miles. To protect park rangers from the noxious chemicals, special kiosks were built at the entrances of the parks for permit checks. They include ventilation systems, allowing fresh air to circulate.
Before the kiosks, the rangers were getting headaches and nose bleeds and having eye problems because of breathing snowmobile exhaust. Preposterous as it may seem, some of the park employees are even issued gas masks. Too bad the animals that inhabit the parks can’t be fitted with them.
Yellowstone is home to the last wild bison herd in America. During the winter months, these bison, as well as other wildlife, are at their most vulnerable due to the cold weather and lack of food. Snowmobiles don’t make their situation better. Some animals, bison included, have become accustomed to the loud machines and are no longer afraid of them. As a result, snowmobile operators get the benefit of getting a wildlife-safari-type feel without those pesky attendants looking out to make sure that the patrons aren’t maimed or killed by the wild animals.
Harassment and disturbance are two direct impacts, but more serious impacts occur indirectly. As natural reproduction ceases, the steadily rising number of snowmobiles entering the national parks could play a hand in wiping out a species or two.
Snowmobiles have access to millions of acres of land, including national forests and other public lands. Many of these lands are close to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Why not utilize these lands and leave the parks pristine for those who wish to enjoy the land in clean silence?
Instead of being places to revere natural beauty, these national parks are turning into a snowmobilers’ paradise. Rather than listening to a geyser erupt, listen instead to the insipid whine of a snowmobile. Rather than watch animals in their natural surroundings, watch instead the trail of smoke pour out of a snowmobile’s exhaust pipe. Rather than breathe clean mountain air, inhale instead the toxic vapors that spew from one of the 1,100 potential snowmobiles that visit the parks daily.
Visit a national park in the winter? Not me. I can’t afford a respirator.