Yellowstone opens for winter travel, ends wildlife program

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park is opening its roads to oversnow travel after suspending a wildlife monitoring program that found snowmobiles and other such vehicles were having minimal effects on wildlife.

The park's winter season began Wednesday.

Its monitoring program for snowmobiles and multi-passenger snow coaches began in 2012 after Yellowstone put caps on the number of winter vehicles allowed in the park.

The restrictions came after years of legal disputes fueled by concerns that too many snowmobiles were harming air quality and disrupting bison and other wildlife.

This decision will not affect snowmobile or snowcoach use in the park or impact visitors.