Grand Tetons in winter.
A new plan to provide for limited, regulated snowmobile and snowcoach access in Yellowstone National Park for the next two winters has been approved.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) and proposed rule were released for public review last fall. Comments received have been reviewed, and a Finding of No Significant Impact has been signed.
The plan allows up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches in a day in Yellowstone for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 winter seasons. It also continues to provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and the East Entrance road.
During the next two years, the National Park Service will prepare a new Environmental Impact Statement and a new long term plan for winter use in Yellowstone National Park.
A Final Rule (148 Kb pdf) to implement the decision was published on November 20, 2009 in the Federal Register, to allow the parks to open for the winter season as scheduled on December 15, 2009. Additional information may be obtained from Yellowstone National Park at (307) 344-2019.
2008-2009 Monitoring Reports and Other Studies
These reports summarize Yellowstone's monitoring results and other winter-related studies during 2008-2009.
The following is a draft report on Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park, August 2009, 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. If you have comments or suggestions on the draft report, please provide them by October 1, 2009 at e-mail us or to Management Assistant, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.
Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park (3.6 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: e-mail us 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)
