The Park Service seems to be resisting the organizing in Cody to continue the subsidized winter maintenance for snowmobiles over Sylvan Pass.
It’s hard to believe that Cody businesses may for once have their sense of entitlement to the money you pay to enter the Park slapped down.
Story in the Casper Star Tribune. Sides clash as Sylvan Pass deadline looms. These freeloaders, including ex-senator Alan Simpson, are masters at fuzzing the issue.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project and the creator of The Wildlife News.
Something I have found ironic in all the commentary by the Cody economic community on keeping Slyvan pass open in the winter. In past years Cody has subsidized daily jet service between Cody and Denver by as much as $100,000, per sumer. yet there has been no offer to contribute to the cost of avalanche control by those economically vested in opening the pass in the winter.
I also think Bob Coe of Pahaska is ignoring the potential his resort has for a destination cross country ski area. There is already a very nice community run trail system that Pahaska could support and draw a customer base from.
The Park Service needlessly fanned the flames with the closure dates proposed in the plan. Just sticking with the current opening and closing schedual would likely have reduced the local outcry about a winter closure of Slyvan pass. Currently the Park opens around the first of May and closes with the first significant snow fall, usually around the end of October. An October 1, to June 1 closure would lose Cody 2 months of access to the Park that have seen growing tourist use of the last 10 years, and this is business in otherwise slim months that is not related to the winter safety issue of Slyvan pass.