The previous web pages and numerous links within them contain glimpses of the past, the present and the possible future of winter operations in America's first national park. Those various visions-and your own views-are influenced and informed by the vast amounts of history, scientific data, legislation, legal decisions and other winter-use information that the planning efforts of the past two decades have generated.

On this webpage, we offer you Internet links to more details, documents and data about winter use in the park.

To access this library and virtual "toolbox," click on any link you choose from below.

♦ WINTER USE PLANNING AND PARTICIPATION:

• Yellowstone Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Meeting Presentation 
• DEIS (8.6 MB pdf)
• Scientific Assessment of Winter Use Report (1.5 MB pdf)
• Draft Natural Soundscape Monitoring in Yellowstone National  (1.8 MB pdf)
• Sylvan Pass Operational Risk Management Assessment Report (1.2 MB pdf)
• six-page newsletter (1.3 MB pdf)
• "Frequently Asked Questions" (3 MB pdf)
  

 ♦ WINTER PLAN SCOPING (2010):

• Yellowstone's public comment website for winter planning
• Draft Range of Alternatives and Scoping Results newsletter (670 KB pdf)
• Summary of Public Scoping (0.2 MB pdf)
• Public Scoping Comment Analysis (Volume 1) (1.5 MB pdf)
• Public Scoping Comment Analysis (Volume 2) (3.6 MB pdf) (in addition, Appendix 4 of Volume 2 is available upon request. It contains attachments to letters and is approximately 8 MB) 
• "Public scoping" newsletter for the park's winter plan (1.6 MB pdf)

♦ GENERAL:

• Main "portal" to Yellowstone winter-use planning documents and tools
• The park's winter activities and services page for visitors
• Yellowstone's winter road map
• The park's official seasonal newspaper

♦ WINTER USE HISTORY / BACKGROUND:

• A winter-use issues history for Yellowstone (see pp. 186-190)
• A history of snowmobile policy development at Yellowstone

♦ SCIENCE/TECHNICAL RESOURCES ON WINTER USE:

• Main web page for Yellowstone winter-use technical documents (more than 50 links)
• List of "best available technology" snowmobiles
• Yellowstone Resource and Issues Handbook

♦ LEGAL DOCUMENTS / BACKGROUND ON WINTER USE:

• The interim "rule" for winter use in 2009-10 and 2010-11 (Federal Register, beginning at bottom of page 60159)
• Park Service "finding of no significant impact" (FONSI) for 2009-11 rule

♦ OTHER GENERAL INFORMATION:

• A classroom teaching guide on snowmobiles in Yellowstone
• A recent book on the history of the Yellowstone snowmobile controversy
• National Parks Conservation Association Yellowstone winter-use web page
• Greater Yellowstone Coalition winter-use web page
• International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association
• BlueRibbon Coalition (public lands recreation access)

These reports summarize Yellowstone's monitoring results and other winter-related studies during 2008-2009.

The following is the final report on Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park, April 2010, prepared by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, U.S. Department of Transportation. The work reports on a study of snowcoach sound conducted in Yellowstone National Park in January 2009.

Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park (2 MB pdf)

The following is a draft report on Wildlife Responses to Motorized Winter Recreation in Yellowstone, 2009 Annual Report. If you have comments or suggestions on the draft report, please provide them by September 25, 2009 to: yell_winter_use@nps.gov or to Management Assistant, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.

Wildlife Responses to Motorized Winter Recreation in Yellowstone, 2009 Annual Report (178 kb pdf)

The following is the final report on Natural Soundscape Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park December 2008-March 2009.

Natural Soundscape Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park December 2008-March 2009 (2 Mb pdf)

The following draft memorandum reports on personal exposure monitoring work in Yellowstone over Presidents' Day Weekend 2009. If you have comments or suggestions on the draft report, please provide them by July 1, 2009 to: yell_winter_use@nps.gov or to Management Assistant, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.

Draft Personal Exposure Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park, March 30, 2009 (51 kb pdf)

2008 Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment and Rulemaking

On Nov. 3, 2008, the NPS released an environmental assessment for winter use plans for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. Public comment was accepted on the EA from Nov. 3 to 17. The EA is available here: Part I (1.9 MB pdf), Part II (745 Kb pdf). A proposed rule was published on November 5, 2008 in the Federal Register. A final rule (148 Kb pdf) to implement the decision was published was published November 20, 2009 in the Federal Register, to allow the parks to open for the winter season as scheduled on December 15, 2009. The following is the economic analysis that was prepared for the final rule.
Economic Analysis: Proposed Winter Use Plans for the Greater Yellowstone Area (118 Kb pdf)

2007-2008 Monitoring Reports and Other Studies

These reports summarize Yellowstone's monitoring results for sounds, wildlife, air quality, and exhaust exposure monitoring from the winter 2007-2008.

"Natural Sounds Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park, December 2007-March 2008, October 2008" (part 1, 1.4 MB pdf) (part 2, 2MB pdf)

"Wildlife Responses to Motorized Winter Recreation in Yellowstone: 2008 Annual Report (December 14, 2007 through March 24, 2008)" (340 Kb pdf)

"Winter Air Quality in Yellowstone National Park, 2007-2008" (818 KB pdf)

"Safety Memo" (251 Kb pdf)

The following report summarizes sound testing of selected Snowcoaches and snowmobiles at Yellowstone's South Entrance in February 2008. Similar sound testing was performed in January 2009; the draft report for this latter round of testing will be posted on this website when it becomes available.

Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Over-Snow Vehicles at Yellowstone National Park (2.5 MB pdf)

This report summarizes three related surveys of park visitors conducted in Winter 2007-2008 by researchers from the University of Montana. The surveys asked visitors about their perceptions of park sounds and of their interactions with bison; the third study asked guides about their perceptions of mandatory guiding.

Winter Experiences of Old Faithful Visitors in Yellowstone National Park (2.4 MB pdf)

2007 Winter Use Plans and Associated Documents

On September 15, 2008, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated and remanded the 2007 FEIS, ROD, and Final Rule to the agency. They are provided here, along with associated modeling reports and other analyses.

• Record of Decision Amendment – Sylvan Pass Management (345 Kb pdf)

• Final Rule (153 Kb pdf)

• Record of Decision (286 Kb pdf)

• Volume 1 Abstract, Table of Contents, and Summary (843 KB pdf)

• Volume 1 Chapters 1, 2, and 3 (2.4 MB pdf)

• Volume 1 Chapters 4, 5, and Bibliography (2.8 MB pdf)

• Volume 2 Appendices A-I (1.4 MB pdf)

• Volume 2 Appendix J (6.7 MB pdf)

Winter-use-related documents:

Below are additional winter-use documents.

•Economic Analysis of Winter Use Regulations in the GYA (Final Report) (1.75 MB pdf)

•Public Comment Report for Winter Use DEIS (294 KB pdf)

•Public Comment Report for the Proposed Rule (274 pdf)

•Scoping Report - December 2005 (748KB pdf) 

•Attachment B - Snowmobile Emissions (650 KB pdf)

Modeling reports were prepared by consultants to the National Park Service to assist the NPS in preparing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Winter Use Planning. Draft modeling reports are made available for technical review and comment. The authors address the technical comments and provide the NPS with final reports, which are posted below.

• Draft Supplemental Technical Memorandum, Regional Economic Impact Analysis of Options for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway Winter Use Management (102 KB pdf)

• Air Quality Report Addendum July '07 (94 KB pdf)

• Sound Modeling Report Addendum June 2007 (2.2 MB pdf)

Modeling Report-Sound Due to Over-Snow Vehicles:

• Final Sound Modeling Report (2.5MB pdf)
• Appendices A-F Final Sound Modeling Report (5.8MB pdf) 
• Appendices G-References (4.6MB pdf)  

• Air Quality Modeling Report (Final) (1.24MB pdf)
• Appendices E, F and I are available upon request in a zip file. If you are interested in viewing these large data files, please send an email request to yell_winter_use@nps.gov .

• Final Technical Report, Regional Economic Impact Analysis for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway Winter Use Draft Environmental Impact Statement (355 kb pdf)

• The following memorandum corrects an error in a recommendation by Dr. P.J. White and others regarding winter visitor use levels in Yellowstone. Memorandum to Tom Olliff (36 kb pdf)

Court Rulings:

• U.S. District Court for Wyoming, November 7, 2008 ruling (126 Kb pdf)

• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, September 15, 2008 ruling (or 142 Kb pdf version)

• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, September 24, 2007 ruling

• U.S. District Court for Wyoming, June 27, 2007 ruling (951 KB pdf)

• U.S. District Court for Wyoming, October 15, 2005 ruling (1.9 MB pdf)

• U.S. District Court for Wyoming, October 14, 2004 ruling (1.4MB pdf)

• U.S. District Court for Wyoming, February 10, 2004 ruling. (95KB pdf)

• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia December 16, 2003 ruling. (162KB pdf)

Previous Winter Use Planning Documents:

The first three files below guided winter use in the parks for the winters 2004-05 through 2006-07. All of these files are listed for reference only; they are not currently guiding management in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

• Final Rule Published in the Federal Register Implementing the Temporary Winter Use Plan - November 10, 2004 (351KB pdf)

• Temporary Winter Use Plans - Finding of No Significant Impact, November 2004 (735KB pdf)

• Temporary Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment (1.04MB pdf)- August 20, 2004

• Regulation Implementing the SEIS Record of Decision, December 11, 2003 (188KB pdf)

• Final SEIS, Winter Use Plans Record of Decision - March 25, 2003 (654KB pdf)

• Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Winter Use Plans - February 2003

• Final Rule Implementing the EIS Record of Decision - January 22, 2001 (451KB pdf)

• Winter Use Plans, Record of Decision- November 22, 2000 (268KB pdf)

• Please contact the Management Assistant's Office at 307-344-2019 if you would like a copy of the "Temporary Closure for a Winter Road" (1998) or the "Final Winter Use Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement" (December 2000).