Wyoming dislikes snowmobile plan

BILLINGS, Mont. — The state of Wyoming on Friday asked a federal judge to force Yellowstone National Park to allow up to 740 snowmobiles daily during winter — more than twice what the Obama administration wants.

The administration said Thursday it wants to cut the number of the machines to 318 daily and require all riders to take guided tours.

That would last for two years while a permanent rule is crafted on how many are allowed.

Also Friday, six members of Congress — from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Utah — asked Interior Sec. Ken Salazar to reconsider the administration's proposal.

Since an outright ban on snowmobiles was proposed by President Bill Clinton in 2000, the number allowed has gone up and down according to competing court orders and power shifts in Washington.

Yellowstone includes portions of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

The Obama proposal also reduces the number of snowmobiles in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park and the adjacent John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, a park spokeswoman said Friday.

Under the prior plan, those parks allowed a combined 140 snowmobiles per day. The new one calls for just 50 per day, said Jackie Skaggs at Grand Teton National Park.

The administration proposal is now in a 45-day public comment period.

The number of snowmobiles desired by Wyoming would be the same as what was in place for the past several years.