Yellowstone National Park

Regional conservation effort will benefit trumpter swans

Chelsea Biondolillo — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:00:01 +0000

Wildlife interest groups and agencies in Wyoming and Idaho are working to increase the populations of trumpeter swans in the region. Loss of habitat has limited numbers within the species. The Teton Regional Land Trust is working with the Wyoming Wetland Society, local offices of US Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Idaho Fish and Game departments to build a nesting colony in Teton valley.

Effort to raise money for plowing road to Yellowstone is underway in Cody

Bob Beck — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:26:28 +0000

The Cody Chamber of Commerce is trying to raise 50 thousand dollars to be used to pay for snow plows to clear off the east entrance into Yellowstone National Park.

Park officials have said they needed to delay the plowing due to federal budget cuts and that would likely mean delaying the opening of Yellowstone by two weeks. Chamber Director Scott Balyo says it’s a serious issue for the Cody business community.

Communities looking into raising money for plowing

Bob Beck — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:32:46 +0000

Gov. Matt Mead is telling communities in northwest Wyoming to go ahead and raise money to hire state snow plows to clear roads inside Yellowstone National Park.

Spring plowing in Yellowstone is postponed due to federal budget cuts. Plowing was scheduled to begin March 4 but is delayed two weeks to save money.

Business owners outside Yellowstone fret that Yellowstone won't fully open to automobiles until one to two weeks later than usual this May. Officials in Cody and Jackson have been discussing other options.

Communities looking into raising money for plowing

Bob Beck — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:32:44 +0000

Yellowstone National Park releases new winter use plan

Chelsea Biondolillo — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 00:56:53 +0000

Winter visitors to Yellowstone National Park may soon get to explore the park on self-guided snowmobile tours, according to the new proposed Winter Use Plan released today.

The plan includes guidelines for how many visitors can enter the park on snowmobiles and snow coaches, and also allows for visitors to tour the park without a professional guide, which is currently required.

However, Park Superintendent Dan Wenk says that participants of non-commercially guided tours will still have to meet minimum standards.

Yellowstone's new hydroelectric plant is up and running

Luke Hammons and Chelsea Biondolillo — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 01:24:44 +0000

Yellowstone National Park is now generating one third of its electricity from a hydroelectric facility. Located near the Mammoth Hot Springs Headquarters, the plant’s engineers estimate that it will save the Park about $70,000 a year.

Park spokesman, Dan Hottle, says that the hydroelectric plant will also be good for the environment.

“This is one example,” Hottle says, “of a project where we were able to cut our greenhouse emissions by almost 800 metric tons every year.”

Yellowstone Public Hearings Discuss Snowmobiles and Sylvan Pass

Bob Beck — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:08:35 +0000

Yellowstone National Park officials are trotting out their latest proposed winter use plan for public comment this week. The plan describes how park officials believe they can increase the number of snowmobiles per day into the Park, while reducing environmental impacts.

New Plan Allows More Snowmobiles In Yellowstone

Bob Beck — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:47:42 +0000

Yellowstone National Park officials have released the park’s latest winter use plan, which increases the number of snowmobiles that will be allowed in the park.

The plan would allow 60 snow coaches, but increase the maximum number of snowmobiles from the current limit of 318 up to 480. It’s the seventh time that Yellowstone has released an environmental document on what has become a controversial issue. Environmental groups have called for the elimination of snowmobiles inside Yellowstone.