WASHINGTON – Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., issued the following statement Wednesday in response to the U.S. District Court ruling that will lead to a reduced number of snowmobiles in Yellowstone Park:
“The roar of engines is for NASCAR not our national parks. This ruling will help restore a sense of tranquility to the contemplative beauty of Yellowstone Park, allowing visitors and the indigenous plant and animal populations to exist undisturbed by the roar of snowmobiles and the haze of formaldehyde in the air.
“Unfortunately, the Bush Administration was so busy wasting countless hours and millions of taxpayers’ dollars trying to undo the ban that it failed to plan for more environmental friendly transportation in the park and to help affected businesses adjust. I urge the Park Service to turn its attention to implementing the ban rather than spending more effort trying to undo it. “Mismanagement in the pursuit of a political agenda, and contrary to public sentiment, is never acceptable.”