Groups both for and against snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park have panned a final plan for motorized winter travel in the preserve that allows guided snowmobile trips and closes Sylvan Pass.

The final environmental impact statement, released Monday, suggests 540 snowmobiles in the park each day. The snowmobiles must use the “best available technology,” namely four-stroke engines that are considered less polluting than conventional two-stroke snowmobile engines. The plan also requires professional guides for snowmobile trips and allows up to 83 snow coaches per day. Snow coaches would require “best available technology” engines by the winter of 2011-2012.

The plan now goes to Mike Snyder, director of the National Park Service’s Intermountain Region, for a final decision due out in mid-November.

Last week, the Park Service briefed Gov. Dave Freudenthal, U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY) and John Barrasso (R-WY), and U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY) on the plan. Subsequently, all four elected officials condemned the plan for recommending the closure of Sylvan Pass. Park officials say keeping the road to the East Entrance open is impractical because of excessive avalanche danger, high maintenance costs and low use.

Monday, conservation groups and snowmobile advocates took issue with the rest of the document.

“If you were going to pick a decision that would dissatisfy more people, I’m not sure you could have done a better job,” said Bill Wade, chairman of the executive council of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.

Wade said eliminating snowmobiles altogether and using snow coaches instead is the best option for the park. Snow coaches, he said, are “quieter, cleaner, more affordable, and more conducive to interpretive activities.”

Whereas snowmobiles, Wade said, are more like a ride than a means of transportation.

Wade said that, while the new plan might seem green because it decreases the number of snowmobiles allowed in recent years from 720 to 540 per day, only an average of about 290 snowmobiles entered the park each day for the last three years. Those 290 snowmobiles still had proven adverse impacts on the park’s “soundscape,” air quality and wildlife.

“We just think that they’re not justifiable in the park,” he said.  

Jack Welch, president of the BlueRibbon Coalition, an advocate for snowmobiles in the park, also expressed disappointment with plan but said, “We are somewhat thankful that, after 11 years of process, we are firmly in the park.”

Welch, who had advocated for a guide-certification program for park visitors, said he was disappointed that commercial guides are still required. Further, he said lowering the number of allowed snowmobiles will cause problems.

“Just because this is the final EIS doesn’t mean this is the final decision that will be made,” Welch continued. “We’re not satisfied with what we’ve got, and we are going to use all the tools that we have available to influence that final decision.”

Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash defended the document.

“This is a very comprehensive review and analysis of what we have learned over a decade and we believe that limited managed use of both best available technology snowmobiles and best available snow coaches provides for that range of visitor experience without impairing the integrity of park resources.”

The park will maintain the current 720-per-day level of snowmobile use during the 2007-08 winter season regardless of Snyder’s decision.