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In The News
November 20, 2004
Personal Watercraft Banned from Lake Willoughby
In a 21-page decision, the Vermont Water Resources Board voted 4-1 to
ban the use of jet skis on Lake Willoughby. Residents of Westmore had
circulated a petition to prohibit the use of 'personal watercraft' on
the lake, citing noise, safety and environmental concerns. The
petition was endorsed by the Westmore Selectboard. Willoughby is now
the largest lake in Vermont where the use of jet skis has been banned.
August 19, 2004
Another Yellowstone Snowmobile Plan Released
On August 19, The National Park Service issued a plan that would allow up to 720 guided snowmobiles to enter Yellowstone National Park each day during the next three winters, while federal courts in Wyoming and Washington, D.C. weigh legal disputes over whether snowmobiles should be allowed at all.
Park Service officials also said 140 snowmobiles would be allowed in neighboring Grand Teton National Park and on the parkway connecting it with Yellowstone. Commercial guides would not be required for those snowmobiles, but snowmobiles must meet “best available technology” standards for cleaner and quieter machines. The Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees is among the groups opposing the temporary plan. And two former Yellowstone park superintendents, Michael Finley and Rick Smith, have said they believe the administration’s plan would put special interests ahead of science.
Public comment is being taken on the proposal through Sept. 20 via an online form at http://www.nps.gov/yell/winteruse-ea/
July 8, 2004
Group Challenges Cross-Country Travel In Conservation Area
On July 8, the Center for Native Ecosystems formally challenged a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan to facilitate growing cross-country travel by off-road vehicles in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area near Montrose, Colorado.
The BLM's proposal involves construction of a new road and off-road vehicle staging area, increasing access to the motorized cross-country playground in the Peach Valley area. The formal challenge argues that destructive, cross-country off-road vehicle use is inappropriate for a National Conservation Area, and the BLM should not be building new facilities that encourage even more growth until they adopt reasonable limits to existing use.
"Dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles have completely trashed out the Peach Valley area," explained Erin Robertson, Staff Biologist for Center for Native Ecosystems. "People aren’t allowed to drive across their neighbors’ lawns. They shouldn’t be allowed to tear across the landscape and rip new routes on public lands that belong to all Americans."
For more information, visit www.nativeecosystems.org.
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