Urgent! Calls needed to protect parks from snowmobiles! Background In the waning days of the 106th Congress, a few Western senators are using stealth political tactics to try to accomplish what the snowmobile industry could not do during two years of public meetings and input: ensure the perpetual use of these noisy machines in Yellowstone and other national parks. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY) are attempting to attach a rider to one of several end-of-term spending bills that would proclaim snowmobiling "an established, traditional and legitimate means of visitor uses and enjoyment" and permanently force the noisy and polluting machines into pristine parks such as Zion (UT), Olympic (WA) and Crater Lake (OR). If we are to defeat this rider, calls into the Senate are urgently needed. In particular, calls into Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA) the chair of a Senate subcommittee that oversees many National Park issues are necessary. Take Action! · Please contact Senator Slade Gorton's Washington State office (425-451-0103) and ask to speak with Kent Crawford, the senator's staff member who handles national park issues. If Mr. Crawford is unavailable ask to leave your message of displeasure with the Stevens/Thomas rider on his voice mail. In addition, please ask Mr. Crawford to pass along the suggestion that Sen. Gorton should contact Senators Thomas and Stevens urging them to drop the snowmobile rider. We expect a vote on this rider at any moment, so please make this call today. Furthermore, since the Stevens/Thomas rider will impact dozens of national park units, please contact Senator Gorton even if you aren't a resident of Washington State. Thanks for your help; your calls are making all the difference. <<<<Please forward this alert to any interested party or appropriate list serve>>>>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]