Special Regulations; Areas of the National Park System

This rule will manage winter visitation and recreational use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway for up to three winter seasons (i.e., through the winter of 2006-2007). This final rule is issued in conjunction with the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Temporary Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment (EA), approved November 4, 2004, and will ensure that visitors to the parks have an appropriate range of winter recreational opportunities for the interim period. In addition, the final rule will ensure that these recreational activities are in an appropriate setting and that they do not impair park resources or values. The final rule is also necessary to allow time to collect additional monitoring data on the strictly limited snowmobile and snowcoach use. This rule provides a structure for winter use management in the parks for an interim period and is intended to reduce confusion and uncertainty among the public and local communities about winter use. These regulations require that recreational snowmobiles and snowcoaches operating in the parks meet certain air and sound restrictions, that snowmobilers be accompanied by a commercial guide in Yellowstone, and institute new daily entry limits on the numbers of snowmobiles that may enter the parks. Traveling off designated oversnow routes remains prohibited.