ISLAND PARK - "It would be a ghost town, we'd be a ghost town just like West Yellowstone is," said Connie Funkhouser, the Island Park Chamber of Commerce President.

Montana Senator Jon Tester has proposed legislation to prevent snowmobilers from using Mount Jefferson, and it's got Island Park businesses up in arms. Ron Larsen currently has 18 employees, but that might change.

"I would lay them off, they'd be unemployed, and we'd close for the winter. We're a destination resort, we're kind of at the end of the trail. The people that come and stay with us are the people who come to ride the steep and the deep in the Jefferson region." said Ron Larsen with Lake Side Lodge, a resort that has 18 employees.

Kevin Phillips runs a snowmobile rental shop and feels the same way.

"If Mount Jefferson closed it would ruin my business... It would ruin it because the tourists would not come in to ride Mount Jefferson," said Kevin Phillips, who owns Mountain Mayham, a snowmobile rental shop.

And that's just it, Mount Jefferson is the most sought after terrain for hard core snowmobilers who only come to Island Park.

"We feel it's absolutely necessary to pull our forces again throughout our community to keep Mount Jefferson open. We absolutely need Mount Jefferson for our economy in Island Park." said Connie Funkhouser.

"I'm here for one reason, and that's for snow-machining, period," said Kevin Alstott.

Senator Tester wants to close Mount Jefferson because he claims it will save jobs in Montana and protect the environment, but Island Park locals will lose their own jobs if it closes, and they don't believe there's an environmental concern.

"I don't see how it has any major impact on the environment. We're riding on snow, snow depth is between 5 and 30 feet deep. We're riding at the time of year where there's really no wildlife around in the area. I just don't see how there's any impact," said Kevin Alstott.

For Senator Tester's bill to pass, it will have to go through both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives and then it would go to the president to be signed into law.

The fight between Idaho and Montana has spanned at least 5 years now. Every year business leaders from Island Park resubmit letters to prevent Mount Jefferson from being closed, and that's why many call it a never ending battle.

Senator Tester will host a field hearing on his bill to close Mount Jefferson... September 11th at 5:30pm at the University of Montana Ballroom in Missoula.