Motorized Rec Loses Conrad Burns

Looks like the motorized rec folks are going to have to find a new friend in the Senate, as Republican Conrad Burns has lost his re-election bid.
Earlier this year Burns attached a provision to an Interior appropriations bill that would, in effect, bullet-proof the snowmobile industry in the short term from what Yellowstone's latest environmental impact statement might say about snowmobiles' compatibility, or lack thereof, with the park's resources.
The folks at the National Parks Conservation Association also have been concerned of late that Burns might try to insert additional language that would force the Park Service to study the appropriateness of personal watercraft in Biscayne National Park. Since Burns officially won't leave office until January, it will be interesting to see if he goes through with that.
His defeat should be viewed as a plus for the national park system.