YNP winter rule available Friday

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- A rule implementing a new plan to provide for limited, regulated snowmobile and snowcoach access in Yellowstone National Park for the next two winters will be published in the Federal Register on Friday.

This interim rule allows up to 318 commercially guided, Best Available Technology snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 winter seasons. It also continues to provide for motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and the East Entrance road.

The park opens for guided snowmobile and snowcoach interpretive tours on Dec. 15.

The interim rule will be posted on Friday at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/browse.html. The rule implements a Finding of No Significant Impact signed last month. Both the FONSI and the Environmental Assessment are available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.

During the next two years, the National Park Service will prepare a new Environmental Impact Statement and a new long-term plan for winter use in Yellowstone National Park.

State treasurer home from hospital

CHEYENNE -- Wyoming Treasurer Joe Meyer has been released from Cheyenne Regional Medical Center where he underwent cancer surgery about a week ago.

Meyer's wife, Mary Meyer, said her husband is gaining strength every day.

Meyer had been in the hospital since undergoing surgery on Nov. 9 to remove a malignant tumor from one of his lungs.

Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Baker said Meyer was released Tuesday to continue his recovery at home.

Baker said future treatment will be determined as his recovery progresses.

The 68-year-old Meyer is expected to return to work by late December or early January.

The Republican was elected state treasurer in 2006. He also has served as Wyoming attorney general and secretary of state.

College proposes statewide sales tax

POWELL -- The Northwest College Board of Trustees is advocating a statewide sales tax to fund Wyoming community colleges.

The resolution won unanimous approval from the board, which oversees the college in Powell, and proposes that the tax eventually be put before voters.

Their proposal will be forwarded to the other six college boards for consideration.

The proposal comes after a state task force failed to decide on a plan for colleges to raise money. The state provides 60 percent of the funding for community colleges. The other 40 percent comes from tuition and property taxes levied in the seven counties with colleges.

However, the colleges each serve districts that include multiple counties that pay no taxes to support them. Sixteen of Wyoming's 23 counties pay nothing to support the community colleges.