Small Business Owners Testify That National Parks Snowmobile Ban Would be Devastating
13 July 2000
Small Business Owners Testify That National Parks Snowmobile Ban Would be Devastating
WASHINGTON, D.C.--July 13, 2000--Today business owners and a university president testified before Congress that a Department of Interior ban on snowmobiles in national parks would bankrupt small businesses and cripple communities surrounding the parks.
Rep. Stupak (D-MI) started the hearing by lambasting the National Park Service for announcing a snowmobile ban without considering those people that would be most affected.
"I am perturbed because the Park Service did not appear to analyze the economic impact of the snowmobile ban on the local communities," said Stupak. "The Small Business Administration was not notified of this announcement nor was a study conducted to determine the impact on small businesses. No mention was made of how rural communities and economies would suffer when snowmobiles would be banned from National Parks. Nor was any mention made about how the seasonal employment rate in areas near National Parks would drop following a ban on snowmobiling."
During today's hearing before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports, hotel and motel owners, snowmobile dealers, a snowmobile rental agent and a park tour operator explained how their businesses depend on snowmobiling in national parks.
"A ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone will cause great economic harm, not only to ourselves, but to our employees," said Clyde Seely, who owns a hotel, restaurant and tour operation in West Yellowstone, Mont. "Cuts will have to be made. The first cut would be employee insurance, the second cut would be employees. The third cut would be the retirement plans. The fourth would be more employee cutbacks. We believe that a ban on snowmobiles would cut our winter revenue by 60 to 70 percent. It would bankrupt us."
In his testimony, John Lyons, a Michigan snowmobile dealer, explained how even a proposed ban could panic snowmobilers about riding access, which could drastically hurt sales.
"A fear of many is that a National Park Service ban of snowmobiles will move to other national, state and private lands," testified Lyons. "The majority of snowmobile dealers are located in rural America, are family owned and represent the entire holdings and future of those families. A decrease in sales for any reason, especially unfounded claims, can be a disaster to businesses."
While National Park Service (NPS) plans would allow park officials to continue to use snowmobiles to patrol the parks, it would ban visitors from using snowmobiles. The NPS said it would investigate the viability of busing visitors through the parks during the winter months.
A poll released today by SWR Worldwide shows most Americans would be less likely to visit a national park if their only winter riding option was a snow bus. Nearly 53 percent said they would be less likely to visit a national park in the winter if a bus was their only riding option, with 32.7 percent saying they would be much less likely to visit. Only 14.5 percent said they would be much more likely to visit and only 16 percent said they would be more likely to visit. Seventeen percent were undecided.
Mr. Seely also operates a snow bus tour operation in Yellowstone and advertises throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries, placing equal emphasis on snowmobiling and snow buses.
"...only about five percent of the people choose to use the snow coach, whereas 95 percent prefer the snowmobile," testified Seely. "We can offer Yellowstone trips and hype it up as much as possible, but when it comes right down to it, the snow coach only satisfies a niche market and will fail dismally in satisfying the public's rights and wishes to access Yellowstone. If that fails, so will our economy."
Two recent polls show nearly 80 percent of Americans believe snowmobiles should be allowed in national parks.