Letter: Reid’s stand on snowmobile ban saluted

Friday, July 28, 2000 | 9:29 a.m.

On behalf of Bluewater Network and the more than 1 million people we represent, we wish to express our deep appreciation for Sen. Harry Reid's spirited defense of the National Park Service's ban on snowmobiles.

In January 1999 Bluewater Network, the leader of a coalition of more than 60 organizations, petitioned the National Park Service to prohibit recreational snowmobiling from the entire National Park System.

As your readers are probably already well aware, snowmobiles are designed and marketed as adrenaline-pumping thrill-craft. Unfortunately, the thrills of a few come at a high price to the national parks in the form of degraded air and water quality, diminished visitor enjoyment, injured wildlife, shattered natural quiet and threatened public safety and health.

In April of this year the Department of Interior responded to our petition by announcing plans to eliminate recreational snowmobile activity.

Not surprisingly, this announcement raised the fury of a small yet vocal minority of legislators.

We salute Reid for his willingness to stand up to these legislators and prevent their efforts to force these highly polluting and noisy machines back into the national parks.

We are certain that future generations will thank him as well.

SEAN SMITH Public Lands Director, Bluewater Network San Francisco