WASHINGTON — A coalition of eastern lawmakers plans to introduce legislation Thursday that would ban snowmobiles from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks, restoring a Clinton-era approach to snow machine management in the park.

"I am happy with the Clinton administration approach," said Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., who plans to sponsor the bill in the Senate. "I am a firm believer in the sanctity of our national parks. There should be places where snowmobiles are not allowed and national parks are one of those places."

Western legislators say Chafee and the others have latched onto the proposal to win the political support of environmental organizations.

The Bush administration reversed a decision by the Clinton administration that would have banned the snow machines from the parks by next winter. The Clinton plan would have replaced the snowmobiles with bus-like snow coaches. Under the Bush administration plan the park service will cap the number of machines allowed in Yellowstone daily at 950 and limit Grand Teton to 150.

Currently, Yellowstone averages 840 snowmobiles daily, but on holidays, the total can rise to 1,700. Supporters of the Bush administration plan also say that the proposal is based on outdated information about snowmobiles.

"I grew up riding snowmobiles in Yellowstone and I can tell you that the new machines are cleaner and quieter," Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said. In response to attacks from environmental groups, the snowmobile industry has invested in four-stroke engines that are quieter, cleaner and more efficient than the traditional two-stroke engines.

Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., who plans to sponsor the House version of the bill restoring the Clinton ban spent President's Day weekend in the park and called the blue haze generated by more than 600 snowmobiles at the West Yellowstone entrance station a "chemical assault" on rangers. During the visit Holt, who is a former Princeton University physics professor, donned a gas mask.

"I am getting tired of this gas mask stuff," Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said. "I am concerned about the Americans who will not be able to visit Yellowstone or will be forced to visit it in noisy snow coaches with fogged over windows."