Rep. Holt (D-NJ12), Have You Ever Been to Wyoming???
Sometimes I really wish some elected officials would just not say anything. I really try to let people have their opinions. I might disagree with them on moral, philosophical, political, or preferential reasons, but, hey, by all means, have your opinion. Even if I believe you’re wrong, I’ll try to convince you I’m right. Now, when we start talking about legislators and congresspeople, well, that’s a whole nother can of worms, and some of them are worms.
Here in Wyoming, we have treasures we value. We have huge expanses of wide open spaces where you can see for miles around. Seldom will you find a crowded highway. Some people judge Wyoming solely on Cheyenne or Casper. If you like dry cake with no frosting, Cheyenne or Casper will suit you fine, but so many long for more and in Wyoming there is. The frosting is in the northwest corner. The Grand Tetons reach high up to the heavens and juist stand there all rugged and majestic leaving the viewer in awe of how mighty God must be. Just north of the Tetons is a gem called Yellowstone which offers the visitor a wide array of thermal features, rugged landscapes, mountain passes, and wildlife of all sorts. All these are great to see in the Summer, early and late Spring, and early Fall. I have heard that the winters are a sight to behold.
Some people want to limit winter access. The Park Superintendent , Suzanne Lewis, has spearheaded an effort to close the East Gate to winter recreation because of a pass that is prone to avalanches. Now for thirty years, these avalanches have been mitigated with a howitzer and not one person has been hurt in the mitigation process, and not one avalanche has taken the life of a snowmobiler. Needless to say (and have many a time before now), we’re a bit befuddled as to why Supt. Lewis wants to restrict access on a newly rebuilt pass that cost tens of millions and has a perfect safety record when properly mitigated.
The Regional Director is supposed to enter a Record of Decision in the coming weeks on winter use throughout the park. The current proposal is to limit snowmobile access to just over 500 guided snowmobilers per day throughout the park. These snowmobilers are allocated by set numbers, and it confuses us as to why there can’t be a system that if one gate is not going to meet it’s quota for the day, they could distribute the remainder to other gates that might be able to take advantage of it.
Anyway, here’s what got me started on all this. A New Jersey Democrat, Rush Holt (D-NJ12) gathered up 85 other elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, to sign a letter to the NPS Director Mary Bomar. This letter begs and pleads that she phase snowmobiles out of Yellowstone. Ironically, Rep. Holt could not get one elected official from Wyoming, Montana, or Idaho to sign the letter. Had something to do with Yellowstone occupying those three states.
Granted, it’s a National Park, but I’m sure the socialist squirrel of New Jersey would not like it if a griz from Wyoming spearheaded a campaign to request the New Jersey Department of Tourism phase out fishing, scuba diving, surfing, and gambling on the Jersey shore for the benefit of the family environment and to preserve the pristinely coast along New Jersey. In fact, you shouldn’t be able to travel down the boardwalks without a guide, because you might trip and fall, and in the process of doing so, cause someone else to fall and there would just be an amazing chaos right there on the shore.
But see these guides need to be there for the travelers from western states like Wyoming that don’t understand how the East works. We might hurt ourselves or others, and what about the children that don’t have healthcare?!?!?!? There could be a tourism disaster on the Jersey shore. The healthcare system could be clogged for months on end. There’s just a terrible accident or worse yet, series of accidents waiting to happen, and action needs to take place before the accident does.
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