Fight over snowmobiles on public lands
By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal
Insisting peaceful winter sports are increasingly being disrupted by noisy snowmobiles, critics are asking the government to alter the way the machines are managed on national forest land.
Snowmobile groups say the petition filed by a coalition of 90 conservation and recreation groups is an attempt to unfairly restrict their sport with unnecessary regulations.
The dispute is the latest example of mounting conflicts between those favoring motorized play on public land and others who insist the practice is bothersome and environmentally damaging.
“We acknowledge that snowmobiles are a popular winter use and that they have their place,” said Mark Menlove, executive director of Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Boise, Idaho-based group leading the effort.