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Documents pertaining to winter use are available below. In November 2008, the National Park Service released the Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment for Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, with a preferred alternative that would allow up to 318 snowmobiles and 78 snowcoaches per day for Yellowstone, and 50 snowmobiles daily for Grand Teton and the Parkway. The EA is posted below. Additional information may be obtained from Yellowstone National Park at (307) 344-2019.
2008 Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment
On Nov. 3, 2008, the NPS released an environmental assessment for winter use plans for 3 years for Yellowstone and long-term for Grand Teton National Park. The EA is available here: Part I (1.9 MB pdf), Part II (745 Kb pdf). Between Nov. 3 and 17, you may file comments at The NPS’s Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. A proposed rule to implement the preferred alternative contained in the new plan will also be published in the Federal Register, and will also be open for a 15 day public review and comment period. The rulemaking process supports but is separate from the public review and comment period on the EA. The proposed rule and an electronic form to submit written comments can be found on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching the "Documents Open For Public Comment" and selecting the National Park Service as the agency.
2007-2008 Monitoring Reports and Other Studies
These draft reports summarize Yellowstone's monitoring results for soundscapes, wildlife, air quality, and exhaust exposure monitoring from last winter. The reports are available for technical review by all interested parties. Please provide focused substantive, technical comments about the information presented. In particular, comments regarding methodology, experimental design, analysis and scientific reasoning would be valuable. Once technical and internal reviews are completed and the authors have the opportunity to address any comments that are provided, the on-line draft report will be replaced with the finalized report. Please submit your comments to this office by November 30, 2008. Comments may be mailed to: Winter Use Planning, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190.
• Natural Soundscape Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park, December 2007-March 2008, June 30, 2008 (part 1, 1.3 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 (1.4 MB pdf)
• Safety Memo (251 Kb pdf)
The following draft report provides information about sound testing last February of selected snowcoaches and snowmobiles at Yellowstone's South Entrance. It was on review for several months this summer and fall. Once technical and internal reviews are completed and the author has the opportunity to address any comments that were provided, the on-line draft report will be replaced with the finalized report.
Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Over-Snow Vehicles at Yellowstone National Park (1.18 MB pdf)
This draft report summarizes three related surveys of park visitors by the University of Montana. Done last winter, the surveys asked visitors about their perceptions of park soundscapes and of their interactions with bison; the third study asked guides about their perceptions of mandatory guiding. The report is available for technical review by all interested parties. Please provide focused substantive, technical comments about the information presented. In particular, comments regarding methodology, experimental design, analysis and scientific reasoning would be valuable. Once technical and internal reviews are completed and the author has the opportunity to address any comments that are provided, the on-line draft report will be replaced with the finalized report. Please submit your comments to this office by November 30, 2008. Comments may be mailed to: Winter Use Planning, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190.
Winter Experiences of Old Faithful Visitors in Yellowstone National Park (1.4 MB pdf)
This report provides information about the effects of implementing the two alternatives on the socioeconomic environment of local communities, counties, and the region. The information in this report was used in the 2008 EA. The report is available for technical review by all interested parties. Please provide focused substantive, technical comments about the information presented. In particular, comments regarding methodology, analysis and scientific reasoning would be valuable. Please submit your comments to this office by November 30, 2008. Comments may be mailed to: Winter Use Planning, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190.
Economic Analysis: Proposed Winter Use Plans for the Greater Yellowstone Area (156 Kb pdf)
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