Snowmobile Festival Stirs Up Controversy

Snowmobilers and environmentalists are clashing over a new national snowmobile festival designed to promote the Reno-Tahoe area as “America’s Adventure Place.”

Snowmobilers say Sledfest 2004, which ends a four-day run today in Reno, is in line with local tourism officials’ efforts to promote the region as an outdoor adventure destination.

But Gail Ferrell of the Snowland Network advocacy group for nonmotorized winter sports said the event promotes a noisy, environmentally harmful sport.

She expressed her concerns in letter to Jeff Beckelman, president and chief executive of the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority.

“This isn’t the type of image Reno-Sparks should be promoting,” Ferrell said, adding that promotional efforts should focus on quieter forms of recreation such as river rafting, skiing, bicycling and horseback riding.

But Wayne Fischer of the California-Nevada Snowmobile Assn. called the Snowland Network’s criticism selfish.

And James McKimm of Rock Springs, Wyo., citing ongoing controversy over snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park, said he was tired of attacks on his sport.

“It’s public land. It should be for public use,” he said.