New pack trip rules for Y'stone
A new long-term plan to manage commercially guided saddle and pack stock trips in Yellowstone National Park has been approved.
Soon, �saddle and pack stock operations under the new contracts will be subject to a new day-ride reservation system and temporary closures to address resource and safety concerns� the release said. Current saddle and pack stock contracts expire Dec. 31, 2015, the park said in a release. A prospectus for new contracts comes out this fall, with up to 42 new contracts to be awarded to take effect Jan. 1, 2016, the release said.
Public input was gathered between early 2013 and January 2014.
The park will also implement a new management strategy based on monitoring the impacts of commercial stock use on vegetation, water, wildlife, and other resources, recommending operational changes and mitigation measures to keep impacts an acceptable level.
More information can be found on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/stockEA.
