Vol 3, # 38

   Monday, April 5, 1999

YELLOWSTONE
WEATHER
Highs 30s, Lows 10s
Partly Cloudy
 

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PROTECTING YELLOWSTONE
by Bruce Gourley

Yellowstone is a national treasure which is owned by the American public.  Protecting Yellowstone is the responsibility of the American public.   This weekly feature will help identify and explore the issues which are crucial to the ongoing, healthy existence of the "Crown Jewel" of America's National Park system.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- This past week in Yellowstone, both Yellowstone's bison and the "winter use" issue have been at the forefront.   In addition, the black-tailed prairie dog has garnered attention in the larger Yellowstone area.

Some 29 bison were captured by the Montana Department of Livestock near West Yellowstone this past week.  Eighteen of them tested positive for brucellosis and have been shipped to slaughter.  The other eleven tested negative and were released.   The Montana Department of Livestock continues to the one lone government agency bent upon destroying Yellowstone's bison, as they ignore scientific evidence and the advice of other agencies. There is no need for this senseless slaughter to continue.   For more information, we encourage you to read last week's press release by Jon Catton of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.  We also encourage you to email Montana Gov. Marc Racicot and ask him to stop the slaughter.

Also last week, Yellowstone officials announced that the environmental impact statement (EIS) on winter use in Yellowstone is being expanded to include analysis of a proposed snowmobile ban put forth by some sixty environmental groups earlier this winter.  The environmental groups are seeking to ban snowmobile use in all national parks (currently some thirty units allow snowmobiles), and Yellowstone officials feel it would be best to go ahead and take a look at that proposal as a part of the larger winter use impact study. Snowmobile-rental businesses in West Yellowstone are now taking steps to reduce snowmobile pollution in the Park, which has blunted some of the criticism aimed at snowmobiles in Yellowstone. The Park Service is under a court-ordered deadline of August 1 to finish the impact statement.

And finally, the black-tailed prairie dog, once common throughout the West, is getting closer attention from the U.S. Interior Department.  Considered a pest by many ranchers, the black-tailed prairie dog's habitat has been reduced to a tiny fraction of it's historical range, thanks to extermination programs implemented this century.   The Interior Department has begun a nine-month review to see if the animal should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Are you concerned about the protection and preservation of Yellowstone?  We encourage you to write your congresspersons.

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS

Ralph Maughan
Kim Steinbacher
Kevin Sanders
Steve Brashear
Clint Wilkes
Tim Gourley
Hon. Bob Gammage
Ruth Colter-Frick
Lee Whittlesey
Tom Mazzarisi
Russ Finley
David Monteith
Denise Elmer
Dr. Bob Bara

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo.(YNET) -- Weather and road information are two of the most requested types of information from persons planning vacations in Yellowstone.   Yellowstone Net has recently added new weather resources to the Park Weather page:  up-to-hour temperature and weather conditions from West Yellowstone, Montana and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  These new weather reports will make it easier for Yellowstone visitors and fans to keep up with the weather in the area.  The weather page also continues to offer access to free daily email forecasts delivered to your desktop.

Regarding road construction this summer, paving on the North Fork Highway between Cody and Yellowstone is scheduled to be completed by July 1.  This will mean that the east entrance into Yellowstone will largely be free of delays this summer, which will be welcome news to visitors.

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Mont. (YNET) -- For the second year in a row, Yellowstone officials have opened Yellowstone's roads to bicyclers only for the first two weeks of April.   Bicyclers can now tour Yellowstone without having to contend with cars or having to purchase an entrance fee.  The roads will remain open for bicyclers only until April 16, when Park roads will begin opening to automobiles for the spring season.

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BELGRADE, Mont. (YNET) -- Yellowstone Net Co-Owner Clint Wilkes will be speaking and giving a Yellowstone video presentation in Chicago at the McKinley Park Library at 7 PM on April 19. The video presentation will be the creation of Dr. Bob Bara, a long-time friend of  Yellowstone. If you live in the Chicago area this will be a fun and interesting presentation to attend.

If you are interested in having Clint give this presentation to your group, you may contact him for complete details by emailing clint@yellowstone.net

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