Interim Winter Use Rule for Yellowstone to be Published in Federal Register

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2009 09-112
Al Nash or Stacy Vallie (307) 344-2015

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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Interim Winter Use Rule for Yellowstone
To Be Published In Federal Register
Park set to open for winter season as scheduled on December 15

A rule implementing a new plan to provide for limited, regulated snowmobile
and snowcoach access in Yellowstone National Park for the next two winters
will be published in the Federal Register on Friday, November 20.

This interim rule allows up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available
Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches
per day in Yellowstone for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011winter seasons. It
also continues to provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass
and the East Entrance road.

The park will open for guided snowmobile and snowcoach interpretive tours
on December 15, 2009.

Park roads are groomed to allow oversnow travel by commercially guided
snowmobile and snowcoach tours to destinations including Old Faithful and
Canyon. A current list of authorized concessioners can be found online at
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/wintbusn.htm.

The North Entrance and the road from Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot
Springs on to Cooke City, outside the park’s Northeast Entrance, is open to
wheeled vehicle travel all year. This provides access to a wide range of
recreational opportunities including wildlife viewing and photography,
cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

All communities near and on the way to Yellowstone are open all year, with
local businesses offering a wide range of recreation opportunities. A
wealth of information and assistance planning a visit to Yellowstone can be
found on the park’s web site at http://www.nps.gov/yell.

The Yellowstone General Store, clinic, campground, post office, and the
Albright Visitor Center at Mammoth Hot Springs are open all year. The
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, dining room, and gift shop; and the Old Faithful
Snow Lodge, dining room, fast food, and gift shop; will reopen for the
winter season in December.

Reservations and information on in-park campgrounds and lodging is
available by contacting Xanterra Parks & Resorts at 866-GEYSERLAND or
online at http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com.

Information on lodging, camping, services, and activities near the park in
the Montana communities of Gardiner, West Yellowstone, and Cooke City, is
available by contacting their respective Chambers of Commerce or from
Travel Montana at 800-847-4868 or http://visitmt.com. Those interested in
visiting the Wyoming communities of Cody and Jackson should contact the
Chambers of Commerce, or Wyoming Travel and Tourism at 800-225-5996 or
http://www.wyomingtourism.org.

The interim rule will be posted on Friday at
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/browse.html. The rule implements a Finding of
No Significant Impact (FONSI) signed last month. Both the FONSI and the
Environmental Assessment are available online at
http://parkplanning.nps.gov.

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.

- www.nps.gov/yell -

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