| 780 Ski-Doo |
16 February 2004
|
Yellowstone Snowmobile Rules Change, Pointlessly
One of the reasons that people in the western US dislike the federal government is the inability of the feds to understand just how empty most of the far west is. It's hard to tell where the national park begins in Yellowstone, and where the rest of the nation ends. So, when a judge increased the number of snowmobiles that can enter Yellowstone National Park to 780 daily from 493, the local response was, "So what?"
No one disputes that the park is a national treasure, indeed, a joy for all mankind, from the famous Old Faithful Geyser to its unknown vacant spaces. As such, it needs protection. At the same time, it is a resource that should be available for various kinds of enjoyment. That includes snowmobiles. These motorcycles for snow are really rather silly machines, and they tend to be ridden by the sort of folk who enjoy making loud noises and getting grease on their fingers. Not the sort who read this journal, but people who have the right to pursue happiness nonetheless, and if they choose to pursue it on a skidoo, so be it.
Yet, here come the environmentalists from the east fresh from not protecting the right-hand side of the nation, worrying about the noise and the exhaust. What is lacking here is perspective because, yes, snowmobiles are loud and they do foul the air (although no worse than the cars that bring people to Yellowstone, and in fact less), but Yellowstone is a big place. Just how big? According to the National Park Service, it covers 3,472 square miles. By way of comparison, the states of Rhode Island (1231 square miles) and Delaware (1955 square miles) combined cover less of North America than Yellowstone National Park.
Governor Dave Freudenthal noted, "The people that are suffering under the move toward banning snowmobiles are the small-business owners in and around the parks." Meanwhile green activist Michael Scott, executive director of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, told CNN, "Yellowstone was clearly on a path to a better future, to cleaner air, to healthier wildlife. I think this ruling potentially puts that in jeopardy." That's the crux of the problem in the west, whether it will be allowed to develop businesses or whether its wildlife will be protected for the enjoyment of the people in the east. One might take Mr. Scott more seriously if the people from the east could get into the park to see the wildlife in the first place.
Home