Snowmobiles in the ADK

Snowmobile Pollution in the Adirondacks

            It is difficult to measure the precise number of snowmobiles in the Adirondacks, but statewide registrations have been rising significantly in the past years. Snowmobiles are becoming more prevalent because of the recreation they provide, the parts of the park that are made accessible only through snowmobiles, and their ability to support manual labor. As with most cases involving pollution, the dose makes the poison when it comes to snowmobiles. Using snowmobiles for work, emergency services, or gathering supplies is not under question; rather it is the snowmobiles that are used for recreation with such frequency that adversely affects the region. Intense noise and air pollution, damage to soils and vegetation, and habitat destruction are just some of the harmful byproducts.

            Snowmobiles use two-stroke engines, which mixes fuel and oil and is not able to combust close to 30% of its fuel, filling the air with harmful pollutants. Some of the pollutants they emit, such as nitrous oxides, can lead to acid rain. Additionally, snowmobiles are especially loud, which not only disrupts humans, but also organisms that rely on hearing for survival and mating. While some state and national parks have banned off road vehicles, the ADK still allows for snowmobiling on designated trails; however, there is little that can be done to enforce this, thus snowmobiles often leave the designated trails. The worst of the environmental degradation is done when the snowmobiles go off trail, as there habitats and vegetation beneath the snow cover are much more prevalent because no trail has been designated. Even staying on the delineated trails compacts and erodes soil, crushes vegetation, and damages plant roots.

            While snowmobiles currently are a major source of pollution, there are ways to curb the effects that ravage the region during the winter months. The state could enforce strict trail regulations, increase permit fees, require licenses to operate, and/ or encourage the use of cleaner engines. Recently, towns in the ADK, such as Old Forge, have become hot beds for snowmobiles, angering permanent residents, flora, and fauna alike.

Works Cited

"Sno-Buds Intro Why." Sno-Buds Intro Why. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.

"Snowmobiling in the Adirondacks." Web log post. Snowmobiling in the Adirondacks.

            N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.

Gormley, Michael. "Snowmobiling Raises Pollution Concerns." Web log post. Press

            Republican Archive. N.p., 2 Apr. 2004. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.