Rep. Don Young Proposes to Open Denali National Park's Sensitive Wilderness Core to Snowmobiles

Alaska Congressman Don Young introduced HR 4677, legislation that would overturn a Park Service regulation that has reiterated a long standing Park Service policy that has kept snowmobiles out of Denali National Park. since it was established in 1917. Snowmobiles have never lawfully been used in the core of Denali at any time since the dedication of the area as Mt. McKinley National Park in 1917. The bill would also give the Administration free reign to permit new recreational snowmobiling in designated National Park Wilderness. The implications of this bill are that it would:

• Overturn National Park Service regulation that protects Wilderness in Denali National Park and closed the 2-million acre Wilderness core to snowmobiles underwent an exhaustive public process and had overwhelming public support. Of the comments submitted, 96% of all respondents—and 91% of Alaskans who commented—supported the regulation.
• Take away valuable quiet and pristine land from the public. Millions of acres of state and federal public lands in Alaska outside of Denali National Park are currently available for snowmobile use. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources studied snowmobile use in an area covering 34.3 million acres of federal and state lands in Southcentral Alaska (where the majority of Alaska's population resides) and concluded that about 32.8 million acres—over 95% of the total area—are currently managed as available for snowmobile use.
• Give the Secretary of the Interior proxy to make decisions over that of the National Park Service. Given the Interior's record regarding snowmobiles in other parks, the transfer of decision-making power could mean dire consequences not only for Denali's pristine Wilderness, but the pristine Wilderness of other special places.

National Monument Planning Finally Begins

After a long delay, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will finally begin to develop management plans for the nation's newest National Monuments. On April 24, the Bureau published notices in the Federal Register formally launching this process in 11 Monuments (links to notices). While this process will address many significant issues, dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles pose one of the most serious threats to the long-term health of these areas. And the BLM's track record when it comes to controlling off-road vehicle abuse is far from stellar. Participation in the planning process will be absolutely critical to implementing the prohibition on vehicular travel off road contained in most of the Presidential Proclamations that established the Monuments.