The National Park Service (NPS) mission is a dual mandate: preserve Yellowstone’s resources, and make the park available and accessible for enjoyment and appreciation. The ways in which visitors access Yellowstone in winter can affect the park’s plants, animals, and wild character in ways more profound—and potentially more damaging – than at other times of the year. To meet its mission, the NPS has worked carefully to develop a long-term plan for winter use in Yellowstone that both protects the park’s resources and provides outstanding opportunities “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
For years, the National Park Service managed the park in winter with interim management plans in the face of repeated courtroom challenges over snowmobiles
For years, the National Park Service managed the park in winter with interim management plans in the face of repeated courtroom challenges over snowmobiles