Yellowstone Net Newspaper

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YELLOWSTONE WEATHER Highs 50s, Lows 20s Partly Sunny		Yellowstone Net Home Page Vacation Reservations	IN THE NEWS TODAY: Protecting Yellowstone -- Bruce Gourley Norris Geyser Basin Update -- News Brief Dunraven Lodge Under Construction -- News Brief Snow Lodge Dedicated -- News Brief NEW! Daily Environmental News -- from ISyndicate
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ROAD REPORT All entrances except the NE entrance are now open.		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) -- The Yellowstone ecosystem is under attack from so many sides that at times it is hard to keep track of the many threats. Following is a list of some of the threats which Yellowstone now faces. We encourage you to write your congresspersons about these issues which threaten the health of Yellowstone National Park as it is known today. The Bison and Brucellosis Controversy -- The bison is the symbol of the American West, and Yellowstone contains the largest free-roaming herd of bison. Some of Yellowstone's bison, however, are carriers of the disease brucellosis, a disease which, if transmitted to cattle, can cause cows to abort their calves. In the winter months, some bison leave Park boundaries in their foraging. Most enter into the state of Montana, where cattle ranchers are afraid the bison will contaminate their cattle. Thus, the Montana Department of Livestock patrols the boundaries of the Park, prepared to kill the stray bison. In the winter of 1996-1997, nearly 1100 bison were killed. This past winter, ninety bison were slaughtered. Ironically, there has not been a proven case of Yellowstone's bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle. At this point, the Montana Department of Livestock is the one government agency insisting that the slaughter must continue. A long-term solution to this problem is needed to protect Yellowstone's bison. The Wolf Reintroduction Program -- Four years into Yellowstone's Wolf Reintroduction Program, the wolves security in the Park is in jeopardy. There is an ongoing lawsuit over a judge's ruling that the Wolf Reintroduction Program does not meet the standards of the Environmental Protection Act, with the conclusion that the wolves should therefore be removed. In the meantime, the presence of wolves in Yellowstone -- one of the Park's original inhabitants that were killed off early in this century only to be reintroduced recently -- hangs in the balance. Wolves are vital to the natural ecosystem of Yellowstone and are very popular with visitors. On the other hand, nearby ranchers have been staunchly opposed to the presence of wolves in the Park. The future of wolves in Yellowstone is now in the hands of the courts. Non-Native Plants and Animals -- The Yellowstone ecosystem is under constant pressure from certain non-native plants and animals whose presence threatens the vitality of the native species. The presence of Lake Trout in Yellowstone Lake, which has gotten much attention in recent years, is one example of a non-native species intrusion. The prolific Lake Trout are a danger to the health of the native Cutthroat population in the lake, and Yellowstone officials are taking direct steps to eradicate the Lake Trout, with a good measure of success. Vandalism of Thermal Features -- In the early years of the Park, before scientists understood how geysers worked, many of the thermal features of Yellowstone were harmfully impacted by the actions of visitors, who often threw all manner of items into the geysers and hot springs. Today, signs warn visitors not to through objects into or otherwise disturb the thermal features. Yet, vandalism of the thermal features does still occur, and Park officials have to periodically clean out certain hot springs and pools to ensure their continued health. These are a few of the ongoing problems which Yellowstone faces today, problems which endanger the health and vitality of the Yellowstone ecosystem. Park officials are doing their best to deal with these and other problems. Yellowstone also needs the continued support of the American public. BACK TO TOP
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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		NORRIS GEYSER BASIN UPDATE News Brief Following several swarms of earthquakes in the Norris Geyser Basin area, some of the Basin's geysers are now displaying changes. The most noticeable change is in Echinus Geyser, one of the Park's most popular and most predictable geysers. The time between eruptions of Echinus in recent months has been as much as four hours, whereas the geyser had been erupting roughly every 70 minutes previously. On the other hand, the Park's largest geyser, Steamboat, continues to show signs of new life. Last having a major eruption in 1991, Steamboat can project water about 250 feet into the air, making it the tallest geyser in the world. Within the past few months, Steamboat has tossed water as high as thirty feet into the air, and geyser gazers speculate that the activity may be a prelude to a major eruption at some point in the not-to-distant future. BACK TO TOP
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		DUNRAVEN LODGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION News Brief Although Old Faithful Snow Lodge (see below) has gotten most of the publicity these past few months, a second new lodging facility is underway in Yellowstone as well. The Dunraven Lodge at Canyon is scheduled to be opened to the public in June. The lodge will replace many of the cabins currently at Canyon. The cabins have been a maintenance problem, as they are both old and poorly-designed. BACK TO TOP
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		SNOW LODGE DEDICATED OVER WEEKEND News Brief This past Saturday Old Faithful Snow Lodge was dedicated. Officials were on hand from the National Park Service, the state of Wyoming, and Amfac to dedicate the first full-service lodging facility constructed in the Park since 1911. Construction of the new lodge began in the spring of 1997, with some guest rooms opening to the public during the past summer season. More rooms were opened this month. The lodge consists of a restaurant, gift shop and ski rental shop. BACK TO TOP