In a move praised by enviros, the National Park Service said on Monday that it is leaning toward banning snowmobiles from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. The NPS has been considering a number of winter-use plans for Yellowstone, but the EPA recently told the agency that the only acceptable plan is the one that would exclude snowmobiles from the park. Snowmobiles cause air pollution, disturb wildlife, and make a lot of noise, problems that many park visitors have complained about, according to Yellowstone spokesperson Marsha Karle. Enviros have pushed for a snowmobile ban for years, while many locals argue that a ban would hurt tourism.
