The Fund for Animals Condemns Snowmobile Litigation Settlement Agreement

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The Fund for Animals Condemns Snowmobile

Litigation Settlement Agreement

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TO NATIONAL, LEGAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

The Fund for Animals Condemns Snowmobile

Litigation Settlement Agreement

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WASHINGTON, Jul. 5 -/E-Wire/-- Today, The Fund for Animals issued a statement questioning the motives of the Bush Administration in entering into a settlement agreement with snowmobile manufacturers and users regarding snowmobile use in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and John D. Rockefeller parks. The Fund, Biodiversity Legal Foundation, Ecology Center, and several individuals sued the Interior Department and the National Park Service (NPS) in 1997 to force the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on winter use in the parks. The EIS resulted in a Clinton Administration decision to phase- out snowmobiles in the parks.

The Fund believes the settlement with the snowmobile industry was unnecessary and is designed solely to provide an opportunity for the Bush Administration to rescind the snowmobile phase-out rule and implement a policy to allow snowmobiles to continue to use and abuse the parks to the detriment of park wildlife, air quality, natural quiet, and the majority of park visitors. While The Fund supports the elimination of snowmobiles from the parks, it believes the NPS must also terminate road packing/grooming to protect park wildlife, particularly Yellowstone's bison, as required by federal law.

"Given the terms of this settlement, it is clear that the Bush Administration is more interested in protecting the interests of the snowmobile industry and those who enjoy trashing America's most treasured parks from the seat of a snowmobile than in protecting park wildlife, air quality, and natural quiet," stated D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist representing The Fund. "If Americans are not yet convinced of President Bush's contempt for the environment and its preservation, this agreement should make the case."

The Fund intends to fully participate in the Supplemental EIS process outlined in the settlement. It will not only provide additional support for the elimination of snowmobiles from the parks but will also present compelling evidence about the adverse impact of road packing on park wildlife, particularly Yellowstone's beleaguered bison. The Fund believes that snowmobiles, snowcoaches, and road packing must all be terminated if the NPS intends to comply with federal law and protect park wildlife.

The Fund for Animals was founded in 1967 by author and humanitarian Cleveland Amory. Since 1985, The Fund has been working to prevent the slaughter of Yellowstone bison. A copy of The Fund's statement released today is available at http://www.fund.org.

The Fund for Animals

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