Yellowstone Wrestles with Wireless

By Matthew Frank, 10-07-08

Yellowstone National Park is considering a wireless communication plan that could lead to more cell towers, backcountry webcams, wireless internet access in stores and hotels—and, opponents say, a compromised wilderness experience.

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle:

“Yellowstone now aspires to be an amusement park,” said Bill Boteler, from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit group advocating responsible management of public resources.

“People go out into the wild to be in nature,” Boteler said. “They don’t go out to be surrounded by cell phone towers and gadgets.”

But park representatives say Yellowstone is trying to balance visitor demands for solitude with the connectivity people have come to expect in daily life, said Al Nash, public affairs officer for Yellowstone National Park.

The communications plan will be up for debate through Oct. 31, when the public comment period closes. As it stands, the plan calls for constructing one new cell tower, which will serve the Lake and Bridge fishing areas.

Click here to download the Environmental Assessment (PDF).