June 11, 2002

NATIONAL NEWS

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

According to the Associated Press, the National Park Service has received more than 347,000 comments regarding the future of snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. According to a Yellowstone spokesperson, this issue has attracted more public comments than any other Park Service issue.

New Denali Bill Will Put Pristine Wilderness At Risk

Snowmobiling has never been allowed in the 2-million-acre Wilderness core of Denali National Park and Preserve. In the last month however, both Representative Don Young and Senator Frank Murkowski have introduced legislation (H.R. 4677 and S. 2589 respectively) to open the Wilderness core to recreational snowmobile use contrary to history and public desire.

Since the Wilderness core was originally set aside as Mt. McKinley National Park in 1917, snowmobiling has been prohibited. In fact, 96 percent of the general public and 91 percent of Alaskans have supported a policy to keep the core area of Denali National Park and Preserve pristine and free from air, water, and pollution, and threats to wildlife recreational snowmobile use.

Representative Young's bill proposes opening 200,000 pristine acres of the Wilderness core to snowmobiles. However, Senator Murkowski's bill, according to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, proposes to open an area twice that size, or 400,000 acres to snowmobiles.

White River National Forest Plan is Dissapointing

On June 4, the U.S. Forest Service issued a final Forest Plan for the White River National Forest in Colorado. Unfortunately, this plan takes several steps back from proactive conservation measures outlined in a draft plan issued several years ago. Critical decisions concerning off-road vehicle use have been shifted to a subsequent planning effort. Read the press release at http://www.naturaltrails.org/pressroom/releases/06_04_02.html

Accidents at Lake Mead

The comment period for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NV) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which addresses overall management of the lake, including jet ski use, comes to a close on June 26, 2002. Jet ski accidents, however, continue to be a major hazard at the Lake. In 1999, jet skis accounted for 33 percent of all boating accidents at Lake Mead. Last week, two jet ski operators, who were unable to see each other, collided near Anne Margaret's Cove.

Protecting Federally Endangered Species from Off-Road Vehicles Will Ensure Their Survival

A story in the Cape Cod Times on June 5, 2002 documents that the endangered Piping Plover is capable of surviving past infancy when off-road vehicles are prohibited from the beaches. Read the story at: http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/ploversreturn5.htm

Study shows that off-road vehicles stress wildlife

An article in the June 2002 issue of Conservation Biology entitled Snowmobile Activity and Glucocorticoid Responses in Wolves and Elk, demonstrates that snowmobile activity physiologically stresses wolves and elk. Stress hormone levels, called glucocorticoids, increase when the animals are in the presence of snowmobiles. When these hormone levels are extremely elevated, it can shut down reproductive and immune systems in the animals.

For More Information Contact:
Alix Rauschman, Communications Specialist
(202) 429-2672 phone
(202) 549-2860 cell
alix_rauschman@tws.org
www.naturaltrails.org

The Natural Trails and Waters Coalition includes conservation, recreation, hunting and other groups working to protect and restore all public lands and waters from the severe damage caused by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, jet skis and all other off-road vehicles.