CODY - An in-house Yellowstone National Park document alleges that the snowmobile industry hasn't improved the environmental friendliness of its four-stroke snowmobiles since 2001.

Additionally, a long-awaited emissions study of snowmobiles and snowcoaches by Yellowstone National Park notes that even the cleanest snowmobiles have failed to meet projected improvements in emissions.

The information indicates that snowcoaches are vastly cleaner than snowmobiles, particularly on a per-visitor basis.

The study, expected to be released by the National Park Service, has data similar to a draft study obtained last September, save that snowcoaches emerge as slightly cleaner, meaning they're as much as 41 times cleaner on a per-visitor basis than the least-polluting snowmobiles operating in the park.

More startling than the final emissions data is an assessment by the National Park Service in a Powerpoint presentation titled "Update: Yellowstone and Grand Teton Winter Use Planning," which makes the following statement:

"When (best available technology) concept established, (Department of the Interior) and (National Park Service) expected that snowmobile emissions would continue to improve. However, there have been no improvements in snowmobile air or sound emissions since 4-strokes were introduced in 2001."

The snowmobile industry, however, notes that they have been working to meet the EPA's fleet emission standards for some time.

The presentation notes that some scenarios in an environmental impact statement that's being prepared will call for improved technology - lower carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and noise emissions. The authors ask, "How can we encourage snowmobile manufacturers to produce even cleaner and quieter sleds?"

The presentation has been shown to state officials in the Yellowstone region and to local environmental groups.

"I can confirm that I've seen that presentation and it contained that language," said Amy McNamara, national parks program director for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

Bill Wade, executive director of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, was scathing in his assessment.

"I've seen some of this same data, and it is clear that the snowmobile industry is not upholding its agreement to continue improving best available technology," Wade said.

Efforts to contact Yellowstone management assistant John Sacklin, the lead author of both the emissions report and the Powerpoint presentation, were unsuccessful. Al Nash, the new public affairs director for Yellowstone, said he'd not been able to contact Sacklin since Wednesday, and that Sacklin was out on Friday.

Sacklin declined to comment about the draft study results last September, but did say then that the noise and emission studies would be "important building blocks" for the park's fourth winter use study, due before the winter of 2007-08.

Areas of concern

In order to protect the health of staff and visitors alike, Yellowstone asked snowmobile manufacturers to reduce carbon monoxide emissions - relative to 1999 two-stroke machines - by 70 percent. No 2005 snowmobile has met that goal, according to the new study.

Test results include:

* A best case of 62 percent reduction for the 2005 Arctic Cat fleet of four-stroke machines.

* A worst case of 8 percent reduction for the 2005 Ski Doo fleet of four-stroke machines.

* A mean reduction of 56 percent for the entire 2005 four-stroke fleet.

Last year, the Yellowstone National Park administration wrote an environmental assessment about the use of snowmobiles in the park and found no significant impact from the continued operation of snowmobiles in the park - although snowmobile numbers were running about a third of the daily cap of 720, and with best available technology.

Under the current plan, expected to be in place for this and next winter, up to 720 snowmobiles on guided trips are allowed in Yellowstone each day, in addition to snowcoaches. Up to 140 snowmobiles, with no guiding requirement, are allowed in nearby Grand Teton National Park and on the parkway connecting the parks.

Targets unmet

In March 2003, Park Service Regional Director Karen Wade wrote, "The NPS fully expects, and the industry has stated that, technological improvements will continue and that snowmobiles entering the parks will be even cleaner and quieter than the machines evaluated for the (supplemental environmental impact statement)… As the industry has promised, I expect snowmobile technology to continue to improve, which will further reduce adverse impacts to air quality."

The following year, in the Temporary Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment, that expectation for continual progress in snowmobile technology was repeated: "The NPS expects that snowmobile manufacturers will conduct research to continually improve sound and emissions in available machines."

However, the Environmental Protection Agency warned the Park Service to not assume that four-stroke machines will always produce the best emission levels. EPA noted that manufacturers have indicated that two-stroke engines equipped with direct fuel injection systems could reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 70 to 75 percent and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 50 to 60 percent.

Industry response

Ed Klim, director of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, said he too has seen the Yellowstone Powerpoint presentation. Klim defends his manufacturers, saying they "made a quantum leap" when they introduced cleaner, quieter, four-stoke machines in 2001.

Since then, the manufacturers have been focused on meeting EPA's fleet emission standards, in an effort to lower overall emissions throughout the nation, he said.

"The Yellowstone fleet is very small, and by all indications, looks like it will remain very small," Klim said. Manufacturers are lowering overall emissions throughout their fleets, he said, but you won't see those improvements in Yellowstone.

Brodie Farquhar is a freelance writer based in Lander. He can be reached at brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com.