Arctic Cat Says Interior Department Ban on Snowmobiles Puts Politics Ahead of Facts and Due Process.

Business Editors

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2000

Arctic Cat Inc. President and CEO Chris Twomey today said a U.S. Department of the Interior ban on recreational snowmobiling in national parks is "a premature, overreaching response that bows to politics, bypasses due process and ignores genuine industry progress on emissions and noise reduction."

The ban covers snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park, where Arctic Cat earlier this year worked with the National Park Service (NPS) to test concept snowmobiles using four-stroke engines that are significantly cleaner and quieter than traditional two-stroke engines.

Twomey said: "The NPS announced in January they were `delighted' to receive the four-stroke snowmobiles, looked forward to using them in the park, and appreciated the cooperation by our industry. Today, Assistant Interior Secretary Barry called snowmobiles `antiquated machines' and charged that manufacturers haven't been working on the issue.

"Political process and partisan anti-motorized recreation opinion are drowning out facts and preventing equal treatment. Rhetoric has even become more important than significant new technology -- personally experienced by the NPS in Yellowstone all winter -- that dramatically reduces emissions and noise."

Twomey said special interest organizations and government agency appointees "have selectively ignored several realities" that prove snowmobiling is participating earnestly in product testing, environmental research and product

development aimed at reducing emissions.

"Snowmobile manufacturers have worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for several years to help develop emission-reduction standards, which will be proposed in September 2000," said Twomey. "It's inconceivable that the Department of the Interior would step in before the EPA, the government agency actually responsible for air quality management, has applied its expertise and scientific processes."

Twomey noted that the four-stroke technology that Yellowstone park personnel rode in Yellowstone resulted from several years of research and development. Arctic Cat recently finalized plans to supply its Yellowstone dealer, a park tour operator, with 50 four-stroke snowmobiles for exclusive use in the park next winter. The limited production run is part of the company's ongoing effort to perfect environmentally cleaner, quieter products for its customers.

"Arctic Cat intends to join with the other snowmobile manufacturers and snowmobile enthusiasts to aggressively fight this ban using every possible means," said Twomey.

Arctic Cat Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) under the Arctic Cat brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories.