Protecting Public Lands
Protecting our national parks, forests, and waterways from damage caused by motorized recreation and unsustainable energy development.

Snowmobiles: The Snow Can't Hide the Wreckage

From Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve to the flagship Yellowstone National Park, our forests and parks protect and preserve some our most untamed and beautiful landmarks. Indeed, these places embody American ideals of wildness and originality.

But the trail of pollution and destruction left by snowmobiles threatens this heritage. Approximately 250,000 snowmobiles run roughshod though the Park System each year. More than 60,000 snowmobiles zoom through Yellowstone National Park alone.

Most snowmobiles are powered by two-stroke engines which dump 25-30 percent of their fuel unburned out the tailpipe. The air pollution from these dirty machines is so bad that Yellowstone Park Rangers now wear respirators to protect themselves. The piercing noise of snowmobiles can often be heard throughout our parks; studies show that these machines can be heard 90 percent of the time in Yellowstone. And snowmobiles harass and threaten wildlife. Even when restricted to approved and maintained trails, snowmobiles can push bison, wolves, elk, and moose, even the bald eagle, out of their preferred habitats.

Bluewater Network leads efforts to ban snowmobiles from our National Park system and from public lands that fall outside the Park Service authority. This work is critical to preserving the very mission of our National Parks: to protect and preserve our wild heritage for the enjoyment for future generations.

"We are not inheriting these lands from our grandparents, we are borrowing them from our grandchildren." Campaign Director Sean Smith in the spirit of Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe

Park Service knew regulation would allow wildlife disturbance in Yellowstone To read the September 30 Casper Star Tribune article, click here.

Bluewater Network Renews Its Call to the Park Service to Ban Snowmobiles at Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Bush Administration proposes rules that re-open Yellowstone to snowmobiles

Groups Fight Government Snow Job: Legal Battle Over Snowmobiles in Yellowstone

Illegal Snowmobile Activity in Yellowstone Hits All-Time High

Department of Interior Documents Show Snowmobile Use Throughout National Park System Damages Resources and Violates Federal Law

Read our Growing List of Victories

2004
Bluewater Network wins a court case against the EPA requiring the agency to revisit its lax snowmobile emissions rules.

Bluewater Network wins another lawsuit. This time DC District Court Judge Emmitt Sullivan orders the Park Service to release new snowmobile rules for Yellowstone 30 days prior to the start of the season, basically enjoining snowmobile operation and trail grooming until that time.

In direct response to Bluewater efforts, the Park Service finalizes regulations banning the recreational use of snowmobiles at Rocky Mountain National Park.

2003
During the latest comments periods, Bluewater Network members and others flood the Park Service with hundreds of thousands of letters calling for the elimination of snowmobile operation at Yellowstone. During the most recent comment period, 99 percent of the letters support eliminating snowmobiles from the park.

Bluewater Network along with our DC colleague garner 209 votes in the House of Representatives for the Yellowstone Protection Act.

Due to Bluewater Network’s snowmobile petition, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado closes all but two miles of park roads to snowmobile operation.

Bluewater Network and the Environmental Defense Fund sue the Environmental Protection Agency over new snowmobile emission standards which fail to comply with the Clean Air Act.

2002
Bluewater Network members flood the National Park Service with letters, urging the agency to uphold the ban on snowmobiles at Yellowstone National Park. The result? A staggering 77 percent of respondents urge a phase-out of snowmobiles in the park.

Bluewater Network and the Fund for Animals sue the National Park Service for its failure to protect Yellowstone and the rest of the park system from snowmobile damage.

2001
Under pressure from Bluewater Network and a coalition of 60 environmental groups, the Park Service proposes regulations to phase out snowmobile operation at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

2000
Bluewater Network successfully pressures the Park Service to ban snowmobiles in the wilderness core of Alaska's Denali Park.

1999
Bluewater Network forces five major snowmobile manufacturers to address the health hazards of snowmobiles with their consumers.

Read the Following to Learn More

Snowmobile Myths: quick facts about the impacts of snowmobiles on air quality, water quality, and wildlife

Snowmobile Position Paper: a discussion of the major environmental problems associated with snowmobile use

Get answers to some frequently asked questions:

Don't the impacts of snowmobile damage disappear with the snow melt?

Visit these related web sites:

The National Park Service: the federal agency created in 1916 to protect and preserve our National Parks