Vol 3, #70

   Friday, August 6, 1999

YELLOWSTONE
WEATHER
Highs 70s, Lows 40s
Partly Sunny
 

Yellowstone Net Home Page
 

ROAD REPORT
All entrances
are now open.
There are some
construction
delays in the
Park.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Yellowstone National Park officials have announced that a chip seal project has been scheduled for the West Entrance Road from the West Yellowstone Entrance to 7 Mile Bridge.

Chip sealing will begin on Wednesday, August 11, through Friday, August 13, 1999 between the hours of 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with up to 30 minute delays.

Chip sealing roads is a process of placing a layer of oil and a layer of chips or aggregate and then rolling it. Chip sealing is standard procedure once a new roadway has cured for two to three years, and is also used to provide a wear surface on older roads until road reconstruction can be accomplished.

The chip sealing process must be done during warm weather, and adverse weather could delay the chip sealing and require rescheduling. Park visitors are encouraged to call the park headquarters at (307) 344-7381 for current information on road projects and closures.

Editor's Note:  Other road construction projects are continuing within certain areas of the Park, resulting in short delays.  For more information, go to www.yellowstone.net/parkroads.htm.

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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. -- The fate of Yellowstone's wolves is now in the hands of federal judges, who held hearings on the future of the wolves.

Last week, environmental organizations (including the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and Defenders of Wildlife) joined Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit in testifying against a 1997 ruling by a District Judge that mandates the removal of Yellowstone's wolves.

The wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone in 1995, and have repeatedly come under attack by area ranchers, who filed a lawsuit which led to the 1997 ruling against the wolves.  Polls and surveys have repeatedly shown that the American public overwhelmingly support Yellowstone's wolves. 

The panel of judges is not expected to make a ruling for several months.

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Bear sightings have been higher than usual this summer in Yellowstone, with many visitors reporting sightings along the roadways.  Indications are that bears are seeking natural food sources closer to the roadways of Yellowstone moreso than in years past.  Visitor's should be aware that feeding or otherwise harassing Yellowstone's wildlife, including bears, is prohibited.

In other bear-related news, one conservation group has warned that bears around the world are coming under increasing danger as their populations continue to decline in the face of human encroachment. For more information, click here.

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Hopper season is now underway in Yellowstone, with the best action occurring on the Lamar and Madison rivers.  Woolly buggers are producing well on Yellowstone Lake.

For up to the moment information on fishing in Yellowstone, stop by any Ranger's station ,visitor center or Hamilton Store in the Park.

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