The clash over snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park has spawned a blizzard of environmental studies, plans and lawsuits over the past decade. But the latest legal squall is the oddest yet, and a step backward for protecting the park and its wildlife.

In September, a federal district court in Washington, D.C., struck down a plan by the National Park Service that would have increased the daily number of snowmobiles in the park. In recent winters, it has allowed about 260, and it had proposed to hike that to 540.

The judge held, rightly, that the higher number would increase air pollution and exceed the use levels recommended by Park Service biologists to protect wildlife. It also would crank up the artificial noise. In response, the Park Service prepared a temporary plan to allow 318 snowmobiles.

But in November, a different federal judge in Wyoming issued a different ruling ordering the Park Service to reinstate a 2004 rule, the upshot of which would be to allow up to 720 snowmobiles daily. That would be a temporary measure for this season while the Park Service works on a new permanent rule. Unfortunately, the higher number of sleds would not be good for the park or its wildlife.

Environmentalists have accused the park superintendent of deliberately misinterpreting the Wyoming judge's order so that more sleds would be admitted to the park. While we agree that the use of individual snowmobiles should be phased out in favor of snowcoaches, we are not willing to conclude that the park superintendent is deliberately trying to subvert the law.

Faced with a court order to reinstate the 2004 temporary rule until she can promulgate a new rule to take its place, and a looming deadline to open the park to winter use on Dec. 15, the park superintendent chose to reinstate the 2004 rule. That is clearly what the Wyoming judge intended.

Could the park have put a new rule in place in time? We're not sure. But when confronted by a confusing legal situation and dueling federal courts, we don't see how the superintendent can be faulted for complying with a federal court order.

That said, we believe that when this mess is finally sorted out, it should come down on the side of science and prudent management. That means phasing snowmobiles out of the park.