John Keck, Director, Wyoming Department of Parks and Cultural Resources
We've determined that if the snowmobile ban goes in what we can anticipate
is a loss of 38 million dollars in direct losses from expenditures, another
1.5 million from tax revenues, and labor income from lost jobs, roughly $ 12
million, so altogether we anticipate a loss of $50 million from Wyoming alone,
not counting Idaho and Montana.
If you look at what's available in the Big Horn, what's available in the Targhee,
in the Medicine Bow which is the most heavily used part of the state, we're
talking the 150 million-dollar range. It's a substantial part of our winter
source.
To bring people in throughout the year so people can make a living and have
something to do on a 12-month basis, snowmobiling has really been an attractant.
Colorado and Utah have a large number of ski areas and Wyoming doesn't. They've
got a market in that that's expensive and difficult to get into so snowmobiling
us a niche.
For the snowmobiler they're interested in seeing Yellowstone, if they just
wanted to go snowmobiling somewhere they probably use the forest service land.
What they're interested in is seeing Yellowstone in winter, seeing the wildlife,
seeing the geyser basin in winter, seeing the steam rise, that's the experience
you can't get if you go to the bighorns, if you go to the Shoshone, the Targhee.
It is a singular experience you can't get anywhere else in the world, and seeing
it in winter is much different than in the summer.
When you come in on a snowcoach, you're in what's jokingly referred too as
canned Spam. A small metal enclosure if the driver agrees to stop you can stop.
If you see something and other people want to keep gong because they want to
get to old faithful, you get it for that glimpse you have no control over when
you stop, enjoy the environment. It's a totally different experience. You lack
the freedom to see these things for yourself n the time components you want
to. It changes the whole experience.
I think a cleaner quieter snowmobile is the key. Current snowmobiles do have
an emissions problem they do have noise problems. The industry will move forward,
I feel very confident of that ... the demand is there, they need to meet it.
If they do that it's going to make it to where, I feel the two experiences so
that those who don't like snowmobiles and those can cohabitate in a managed
environment, and get the experience they're looking at.
What happens in Yellowstone will drive what happens in other national marks,
will drive what happens on other public lands, because if you can provide a
cleaner quieter machine in Yellowstone and use it there, you're probably gong
to use it on Forest Service lands, and provide a better experience all around.
If use is diverted to the Bridger Teton, any emissions are not going to stop
at the Yellowstone border they're going where the winds take them
The highest level of snowmobile use in Wyoming is currently occurring in the
snowy range. It's an area we're looking at as how we manage so people who cross-country
ski can also enjoy that environment.
I don't think we're overpromoting snowmobile. We just haven't had the staff
time and resources to promote the cross-country skiing at the same level.
What we need to do is there are certain conflicting interests, both are accurate.
The snowmobiler wants a more active aggressive environment. There's the testosterone
of journeying through a corridor that you can't get out of cross-country skiing.
It's a more solitary endeavor; you're in a more peaceful environment. Both those
values are valid. Neither should override the other, there are ways to manage,
split up the use so you don't have conflicts, so many cross-country skiers that
snowmobilers can't use the parking lot.
First a banning snowmobiles is saying it can't be solved it can't be managed.
It neglects to account that on other public lands as well. It has a tremendous
value for all of us
If you start to set people up that cross-country skiers are more important
than snowmobilers. Do you start to say this forest is only for equestrians?
That becomes unfair when the rationale is that we are not properly managing.
|
