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Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) issued the following statement regarding the Interior Appropriations bill’s inclusion of an amendment requiring the U.S. Park Service to implement regulations allowing the use of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park :
“This rider is unneeded and out of touch,” said Holt. “It simply doesn’t reflect reality. According to National Park Service statistics, the number of Yellowstone visitors choosing snowcoach tours has grown by 42 percent in the last two winters. The Park Service has concluded three separate times -- in 2000, 2003 and 2004 -- that replacing snowmobiles with snowcoach access provides the healthiest winter access to Yellowstone and the best protection of the Park's wildlife and environment. This amendment ignores those facts and puts Yellowstone in jeopardy.
“More and more, Americans are choosing snowcoach tours as the best way to enjoy Yellowstone. Fewer and fewer are opting to ride snowmobiles. This combination has started Yellowstone on the path toward recovery by reducing air and noise pollution. Congress should support these improvements in our first national park, not roll them back.”
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