Newly appointed U.S. Sen. John Barrasso said he supports snowmobile access in Yellowstone National Park in a letter to park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis.

Barrasso, R-Wyo., said he supports allowing self-guided trips into Yellowstone, something that could be prohibited in the park’s proposed winter-use plan.

“Denying access that has been responsibly enjoyed by many of us for decades is simply unacceptable,” he wrote in his letter. “Some of my fondest memories in Yellowstone were spent snowmobiling through the park. It is a truly special experience to explore the beauty of the park privately, on one’s own terms. This opportunity must not be taken away from future generations.”       

Barrasso also asked that Sylvan Pass, near the East Entrance, remain open year round despite avalanche risks and expensive avalanche-control programs.

“I understand you have concerns about the costs associated with keeping Sylvan Pass open and the safety of those NPS employees and visitors who cross the avalanche zones,” Barrasso wrote. “However, I see no credible justification that closure is warranted. I believe the challenges you assert can be addressed through alternative means, and I am happy to assist in efforts to ensure safety and secure adequate park funding.”

A proposed Park Service winter plan would allow 720 snowmobiles per day into Yellowstone and a smaller number in Grand Teton National Park, all with certain restraints. It would also close Sylvan Pass, the route from Cody, during the winter.

The plan would require snowmobilers to use commercial guides and machines that are equipped with the “best available technology.” That means snowmobiles would be required to have four-stroke engines that are considered quieter and less polluting than traditional two-stroke machines.

Barrasso said the restrictions in the proposal were contrary to the Park Service mission and would hurt local economies.

“The Organic Act of 1916, which created the NPS, clearly states that it is the agency’s duty to provide for visitor enjoyment and access,” he wrote. “Mandating all winter motorized use in Yellowstone be commercially guided and closing the East Entrance (Sylvan Pass) to snowmobile and snowcoach access is blatantly adverse to this charge. In addition, the restrictions contained in the ‘preferred alternative’ would be devastating to communities in my state who not only enjoy winter recreation in the park, but also rely on park access to sustain their winter economies.”

Barrasso’s letter comes as conservation lawyers in Washington, D.C., have claimed that allowing snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park is illegal and should be rejected by National Park Service Director Mary Bomar.

The legal opinion came in a packet sent to Bomar on Monday by former National Park Service directors, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and others.

They expressed worry about the National Park Service’s plans to allow snowmobiling to continue in the world’s first national park and in Grand Teton National Park. The National Parks Conservation Association commissioned the legal opinion from the Arnold and Porter law firm.

The legal opinion, dated June 22, states that the park’s proposal violates the Clean Air Act, the National Park Service Organic Act and recently adopted National Park Service Management Policies.

The management policies, adopted last summer by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, state that Park Service managers should put conservation before recreation when considering management decisions.

The suggestion is that allowing snowmobiling would lead to further fights, possibly a lawsuit.

Bomar is expected to act on the parks’ snowmobile plan soon.