In the News

Snowmobiling Controversial at Tahoe
date posted: January 21 2004

By John Cobourn, Water Resource Specialist;
Heather Segale, Environmental Education Coordinator; University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

The beautiful mountains and high meadows of the Tahoe Basin are echoing with the sound of controversy over snowmobile use. Many snowshoers and cross-county skiers say snowmobiles can spoil the serenity of their backcountry experiences. Snowmobile riders, on the other hand, say that they have already been locked out of many prime riding areas, and they don’t want to lose any more access to the backcountry.

A number of local and national groups and clubs have formed to present their cases on the pros and cons of snowmobiling. The Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Association normally meets in the South Lake Tahoe area, and the North Tahoe Snow Travelers Club generally meets in or near Kings Beach. Information about these clubs can be obtained at www.tahoesnowmobiling.org.

Wayne Fischer, president of North Tahoe Snow Travelers, says that his club members are working to educate other snowmobilers about riding safety, wilderness boundaries and being good backcountry citizens. Last year, his volunteers performed over 1,000 hours of these types of services, including teaching riders how to minimize environmental impacts from their sport.

One of the organizations concerned about the estimated 10 percent growth of snowmobiling, is the Snowlands Network. This California-Nevada nonprofit represents the interests of skiers, snowshoers and snowboarders who seek backcountry, wilderness-like opportunities. The group seeks to educate agencies and the public about the environmental damage and human conflicts that result from uncontrolled use of snowmobiles on public lands. They say such use poses a threat to a healthy environment, threatens the safety of human-powered recreationists, and negates the reasons they go into the backcountry. They insist that recreation activities on public land that cause environmental damage should be restricted, and that the operation of vehicles for recreation on public land is a privilege and not a right. Their Web site is www.snowlands.org.

One of the problems with snowmobiling cited by Snowlands and other groups is the inefficiency of the two-stroke engines that power most snowmobiles. They cite California Air Resource Board data that indicates many snowmobiles can pollute as much as 238 times more than a late-model automobile traveling at 60 mph. They state that even with new EPA standards for reducing hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions 50 percent by 2010, snowmobiles would still be 119 times more polluting than cars. A Government Accounting Office (GAO) study in 2000 cited EPA statistics showing that as much as 30 percent of snowmobile fuel, which contains numerous toxic compounds, is discharged into the environment unburned and unfiltered. Manufacturers say they are developing cleaner and quieter engines, but opponents argue that this kind of pollution should be severely limited in the Tahoe Basin.

Snowmobiles can also cause erosion and damage to vegetation if they are operated in areas without a protective snowpack. Impacts are worse in areas of higher the traffic volume. Riders should be careful to watch for signs of soil or plant disturbance and to prevent such environmental damage.

Another concern is the safety record of the vehicles. The GAO report says that each year hundreds of people are treated in emergency rooms after snowmobiling accidents. Snowshoers and cross-country skiers worry that they could be seriously injured if an out-of-control snowmobiler were to hit them.

Tahoe Meadows, at the top of the Mount Rose Highway, is a popular hiking, skiing and snowmobiling area that is managed by the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. In 2001, the U.S. Forest Service banned snowmobiles from much of the 4-square-mile meadow, including the entire portion south of the Mount Rose Highway. While Snowlands members applauded this move, they have continued to complain about some riders who enter the wilderness or other prohibited areas or who exceed speed limits. On Jan. 14, the Carson Ranger District announced that they have received funding to allow them to double the time rangers spend patrolling the Tahoe Meadows and issuing fines for violations. Representatives from both sides of the controversy have welcomed the rangers’ presence.

Fortunately, a desire to reach reasonable compromises and play by the rules is promoted by both the snowmobile clubs and the advocates of human-powered sports. While people continue to express opposing views on these issues, many winter recreationists are making a point of being friendly and polite to each other out in the mountains. If this kind of courtesy and mutual respect prevails, it is probable that all lovers of the backcountry will be able to continue to go there for the beauty and peace it provides.

Watch for “The Lake Tahoe Report” in the local Tahoe newspapers each week, and tune in to KOLO-TV News Channel 8 Tuesdays at 5 p.m. to learn more. Next week, learn more about outdoor recreation activities in the Tahoe Basin. “The Lake Tahoe Report” is a collaborative effort of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, UC Davis and the USDA Forest Service. For more information, contact Heather Segale, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) 832-4138, or logon to www.lteec.org or www.unce.unr.edu.