And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 14:29:23 -0600
To: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: Wild Rockies InfoNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Fund Condemns Court Decision in Snowmobile Lawsuit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 7, 1999
CONTACT: D.J. Schubert, (602) 547-8537
Howard Crystal, Esq., (202) 588-5206
Michael Markarian, (301) 585-2591
FUND FOR ANIMALS CONDEMNS COURT DECISION IN SNOWMOBILE LAWSUIT
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, The Fund for Animals expressed its
disappointment over a federal district court's ruling to uphold the
National Park Service's (NPS) decision not to close one or more
snowmobile trails in Yellowstone Park. The plaintiffs -- The Fund for
Animals, the Ecology Center, the Biodiversity Legal Foundation, and
several individuals -- argued that trail closures were important in
order to collect data for use in the pending Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS).
The snowmobile trails facilitate bison movement outside the park, where
many are shot, captured, and slaughtered by the Montana Department of
Livestock. Despite its ruling, the court emphasized that it is not yet
considering whether the NPS is on track in completing a comprehensive
and sufficient EIS on schedule. It also noted that the NPS stated that
trail closures "would provide useful information to researchers
attempting to understand if a link between the groomed roads and
wildlife movement exists," and that not closing trails "does not provide
an 'experimental condition' (an ungroomed road segment) under which data
could be gathered and compared with data based on the effects of current
winter-use management. This may result in an incomplete EIS analysis..."
"The Park Service's decision not to close snowmobile trails had nothing
to do with science and everything to do with placating certain
Congresspersons," said Michael Markarian, Executive Vice President of
The Fund for Animals. "The victims of such political interference are
the bison, the park ecology, and the millions of Americans who want to
protect, not abuse, the park and its wildlife."
The court's ruling will only impact the 1999-2000 winter season in
Yellowstone, because the EIS is required to be completed before the
following winter season. In the EIS, the NPS will make its long-term
decision about winter-use management in Yellowstone and Grand Teton
National Parks.
"The legal and scientific evidence clearly indicates that snowmobiling
should not be permitted in the parks," stated D.J. Schubert, a wildlife
biologist representing The Fund for Animals. "If the agency prepares a
legally sufficient and objective EIS, it must conclude that snowmobiling
should be banned in the parks. If they prepare an incomplete EIS, we
will meet them in court again and attempt to shut down the parks to
snowmobile use until the government complies with federal law."
A copy of the 20-page ruling is available by contacting The Fund for
Animals at (301) 585-2591.
-- 30 --
http://www.fund.org
************************************************************************
List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
