DENVER—The Environmental Protection Agency in April endorsed a ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, reasoning that their continued use would breach air pollution standards and threaten other park resources. Instead, the agency advocated the use of snowcoaches. In 2000, the National Park Service (NPS) decided to ban snowmobile use in the parks by winter 2004. When snowmobile manufacturers challenged that decision in court, though, the Bush administration asked NPS to do a supplemental environmental impact statement that outlined options ranging from implementation of the ban by winter 2003 to continued snowmobile use with caps on numbers and emissions. The public comment period ended May 29, and NPS is expected to make its final decision in the fall.
