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.

Some parks get way over used. I don't know of any other way to prevent it. In other areas, they have a reservation system on float trips in the Frank Church wilderness area.

On the other side, a few years ago, the greenies tried to eliminate horses altogether in the Sawtooth Wilderness area in so. central Idaho. It wasn't a case of over use but just hikers who didn't want to see horse pucky. The proposal didn't go very far.

I wouldn't say the backcountry in YNP is overused. And dealing with the parkies is a nightmare. And they have an agenda that makes doing much of anything in there a nightmare of red tape.

They've come in to our camp, in there every year, to inspect it. The inspectors don't have a clue about grazing, grass growth, or horses/mules.

I see in the news clip that mudhen posted that they'll be recommending operational changes and mitigation measures. You actually have to know something and have experience before you can do that.

A couple years ago as we were packing up at nine mile trail head two backcountry rangers were also there getting ready. Actually they were watching their assistant do the packing. It was obvious that neither of the rangers knew much of anything about horses. And these are the guys in the backcountry enforcing the rules.

After the two rode off I talked with the guy (non gun toter) and he said virtually none of the rangers have any horse experience. Which fit right in with what I'd seen other times.

Some of the usfs types are getting just as bad.

Sad but true, all of it.

What Ralphie said... I'll keep it at that...