Snowmobile Emissions, Noise Causing Conflicts

Noise and emissions from snowmobiles are responsible for most of the conflicts among winter users of the Yellowstone area, a federal report says.

The report was prepared by a federal task force that spent the last three years looking at winter use of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and six surrounding national forests.

“Snowmobile exhaust contains significantly more carbon monoxide, particulate matter and other byproducts of the combustion process than the modern automobile,” the report said. “Snowmobiles create clouds of blue smoke where the vehicles concentrate, especially in local communities, at park entrances and along crowded travel corridors.”

The Greater Yellowstone Coordination Committee, made up of the national park and forest leaders in the area, also said the Yellowstone’s air quality was degraded by the up to 2,000 snowmobiles in the park on its busiest days.

In addition, the report said, the sometimes unsafe operation of snowmobiles resulted in conflicts with cross-country skiers and other snowmobile operators.

“The most pronounced conflicts generally occur between … cross-country skiers and snowmobilers,” the report said. “(The disputes are) acute in some areas, such as near Cooke City, Mont., and along the groomed roads in Yellowstone.”

Collisions of automobiles and snowmobiles are on the rise near Cooke City and West Yellowstone, Mont., the report said.

However, the report also said strong support for snowmobiling exists in communities in the area, because the activity creates tourism during a period that might otherwise be slow.

The report said existing facilities, such as restrooms, parking lots and water and sewer systems, cannot keep up with rapid growth in winter use.