Conflicts
MOTORIZED USERS ARE BECOMING MORE OF A LIABILITY TO FOREST SERVICE “Statistics from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, or CAIC, show that 13 of the 26 recorded avalanche deaths in the U.S. and Canada this winter were snowmobilers, equaling the number of skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and climbers combined…With this season’s statistical bump, CAIC figures indicate snowmobiling has surpassed climbing and backcountry skiing as the top recreational activity associated with avalanche fatalities since records were first kept in 1950. Since 1996, CAIC statistics show that 117 avalanche deaths among American snowmobilers have accounted for nearly three times the fatalities suffered by backcountry skiers.“ (SCOTT WILLOUGHBY, Denver Post, April 16, 2007)http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/04/16/news/regional/062d980a761bd000872572bc0057bf97.txtCONFLICT DOES EXIST BETWEEN MOTORIZED AND NON-MOTORIZED USERSMany non-motorized users seek out solitude, quietness, and a pollution-free recreational experience unlike motorized users. There could be 100 non-motorized users recreating in a valley and none of them would know that they were there. Put one snowmobile in that valley and all 100 non-motorized users will hear and be affected by the noise from that one machine. ”MULTI-USE” DESIGNATION LEAVES OUT THE NON-MOTORIZED USER
“In most cases the designation “multi-use” is a misnomer and is de facto single use: motorized. In other words, while skiers and snowshoers have access to multi-use areas, because of the motorized impacts listed above and elaborated in this report, the opportunity for a quality human-powered recreation experience is lost on forest lands designated as multi-use because those lands are in fact dominated by motorized use.” (Winter Wildlands Alliance, Kathleen E. Rivers, Mark Menlove, July 2006)
WYOMING NATIONAL FORESTS USER STATISTICS
The Wyoming national forests contain: - 1,592 miles of groomed winter trails - 1,449 miles of groomed trails open to snowmobiles - 143 miles of groomed trails closed to snowmobiles The Wyoming national forests contain: - 8,015,073 acres of land - 4,905,161 acres of land open to snowmobiles - 225,229 acres of non-wilderness land closed to snowmobiles - 2,867,039 acres of designated wilderness land, also closed to snowmobiles The NVUM surveys for the Wyoming forests show there are an estimated: - 281,815 cross-country ski and snowshoe visits annually - 486,675 snowmobile visits annually
November 3, 2007 at 6:56 am
Saying 4.9 million acres of land is open to snowmobiles is akin to saying that all 8 million acres of land is available to and easily accessible by backcountry skiers. It is misleading at best. Contrary to this insinuation, most of that acreage is either unridable, inaccessible, devoid of decent snow, or unappealing for riders. The truth is that good riding areas are somewhat limited. Unlike backcountry skiers who have the incredible, vast bowls and powder fields of unending wilderness areas to their disposal, sleds are limited to the few high alpine areas still open to them — areas like Togwotee pass. So, as you begin to discuss shutting off snowmobile access on Togwotee, understand this threat to snowmobilers constitutes much more than a simple reduction in the percentage of ridable area. To them, it represents the pinnacle of western riding, some of the only great riding in Wyoming open to sleds. Consider how it would make you feel if Grand Teton National Park were to shut down skiing access to something like 22 Short or the National Forest shutting off Glory Bowl. Slamming Togwotee shut to sleds is the equivalent of that — and more — to those of us that enjoy the outdoors from the back of a machine.