<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6001.18385" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>Reply to the winter use plan,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Paul you bring up some good points on the winter use plan. First of
all, I want you to know that the park is heavily patrolled currently in the
winter and I doubt that would change. I'm sure they would do a sweep if the
roads are closed at night (which I'm sure they will be). As for YPSS, I
doubt they would open in the winter, fuel is available by credit card. How
it works in the Northern Range, fuel is available at Tower and Mammoth by Credit
Card, towing is handled by The Tire Iron in Gardiner (for about 1/2 the price
YPSS charges for towing in the summer). I'm sure the West tow companies would be
happy to cover the plowed roadways.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I think it is important to point out that the snowcoaches breakdown way
more often than wheeled vehicles, this is of course because most of these
vehicles are working way harder than they are designed to. There are
<U>several</U> antifreeze, transmission fluid and oil leaks every winter, and my
experience is that I may see one in the summer, compared to about 3 in the
winter.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I feel the park does an outstanding job responding to incidents on 191 and
the Northern Range Highway at all hours of the night. I have complete
confidence that the Park will do the same between Old Faithful, Canyon Mammoth
and West.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As for West Yellowstone, more businesses have closed down this winter as
the park's capacity is now down to about 600 people per day (if that) from the
West Gate. If the roads are plowed, the park could easily get in 4 or 5000
people per day using about the same amount of fuel, which would translate into
hotel rooms, restaurants, ect. opening back up in West again. This winter
West has looked like it does in the off-season, this includes President's day
and Christmas Week. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The potential to increase visitation is really the only way to save the
town in the winter at this point, 600 people is not too far from 0. West has
kind of brought this on themselves, because if you don't evolve with change, you
die off, and I have heard a couple of the snowmobile operators say they are
ok with plowing it, as they can not make it on the low numbers that there is
this year (20 snowmobiles per company, 2 of which must be guide sleds, so 18 per
company for rent).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This would also help West by making more of the park accessible to those
staying in West by giving West access to the Lamar Valley without switching
vehicles in Mammoth or driving around through Bozeman. This allows West to
add day trips to the Canyon and Old Faithful trips that are already
offered.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In the past I would go in the park on my days off to gaze, and I can't
do that anymore because much like most Americans, I can't afford the 60 mile
trip in Yellowstone in the winter.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For those who like the ambiance of over-snow use, snowmobiles and
snowcoaches would likely continue between The South Entrance and Canyon and Old
Faithful. This area is above the inversion, has a lower traffic volume and
is unreasonable to plow because of the elevations.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As for the East gate, there were less than 100 visitors who traveled this
road last winter, and I'm sure that number is down more this year. With
the thousands of tax payer dollars spent on avalanche control the park
could save money by plowing the 12 miles between Cooke City and the
Chief Joseph Highway Jct. giving Cody a safe reasonable access.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Plowing will also save the park thousands by cutting down the spring
snowplowing miles, and grooming costs much more than plowing. It's time
for the park to buck up and do what's right for the public, and start saving
some of our taxpayer dollars. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Good for the environment, affordable to the public, no off seasons for
West, more jobs for West, cheaper for the park, plowing is win-win. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jim Holstein </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>