Yellowstone Net Newspaper


YELLOWSTONE WEATHER Highs 40s, Lows 10s Partly Sunny		Yellowstone Net Home Page	IN THE NEWS TODAY: Protecting Yellowstone -- by Bruce Gourley Help Save Yellowstone's Bison -- News Brief Grizzly Discovery Center Update -- News Brief Letter to the Editor -- NPCA NEW! Daily Environmental News -- from ISyndicate
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ROAD REPORT Some road construction delays.		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) -- Last week we reported on the sentencing of three individuals who were found guilty of defacing and removing objects from Yellowstone. Although issues such as brucellosis (a disease carried by some of the Park's bison), the wolf reintroduction program and the Winter Use controversy receive much more attention, one of the greatest threats to the Yellowstone ecosystem comes from visitors who do not heed Park regulations. The regulations which govern visitor behavior within Yellowstone are in place for a reason. They exist to protect the visitor from danger, as well as to protect the Park from unhealthy visitor impact. Defacing thermal features, whether it be throwing rocks into a hot pool, breaking off a piece of a geyser cone, or getting off the boardwalks and walking on a restricted area, have caused much harm to Yellowstone over the years. Fortunately, we do know more about the delicate nature of thermal features than in the early years of the Park, and less damage is being done today than at the turn of this century. Nonetheless, hot pools such as Morning Glory will probably never return to the bright, vibrant colors of yesteryear, thanks solely to visitors over the years who insisted on throwing various objects into the pool. One of the best ways that the general public can help protect and preserve Yellowstone National Park is to tread softly and to leave behind only footprints (that is, in places where footprints are allowed). Yellowstone has been the world's predominant national park since it was established in 1872, and the way visitors treat the Park will play a large part in determining whether or not it remains that crown jewel of national parks into the next millenium. Voice your opinion to your congresspersons and editorial sections of magazines and newspapers by clicking here. 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		HELP SAVE YELLOWSTONE'S BISON News Brief BILLINGS, Mont. (YNET) -- This past weekend bison advocates held a protest at Montana Department of Livestock headquarters in Helena, Montana. The Montana Department of Livestock is the one government organization that continues to adamantly insist that Yellowstone's bison be killed if they stray out of the Park during winter months and they test positive for exposure to the disease brucellosis. The DOL fears that Yellowstone's bison might transmit the disease to cattle (the disease can cause cows to abort their calves), although there is no documented case of such ever happening. Over 1200 bison have been killed in recent years in the brucellosis dispute, and the American public has consistently expressed its support for Yellowstone's bison as the controversy has continued to wage on year after year. You can show your support for Yellowstone's bison through petitions and by emailing your elected government officials or editors of magazines and newspapers. To learn more, click here and follow the links. BACK TO TOP
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		GRIZZLY DISCOVERY CENTER UPDATE News Brief WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (YNET) -- A Bozeman chiropractor has stepped forward to bridge the way in allowing employees of the Grizzly Discovery Center in West Yellowstone make the down payment needed to purchase the facility from the current owners, the Ogden Corporation, based in New York. Employees of the Center had been seeking grants and donations for the past two months before Dr. Steve Forte stepped in with the remaining funding that was needed. Eight bears and ten wolves live at the facility. The Center began operating as a nonprofit corporation on Friday. BACK TO TOP
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		LETTER TO THE EDITOR Editor's Note: This letter is in response to a news story last month about the conviction of a man who was found guilty of hunting within Yellowstone's boundaries. I was glad to read that a person with no regard for the law or wildlife was prosecuted harshly for his actions. What he did is inexcusable and disgusting, and his sentence sends a warning to others who might be contemplating a similar act. The headline should not have referred to this person as a hunter, though. Hunters are people who care about wildlife and its future, and pursue game by fair chase and legal means, with honorable intentions. There is a name for people like Mr. Jones, which separates him from the law abiding sportsman, and this term should be used whenever appropriate. It is POACHER!! More people need to see this term used correctly and learn the difference between it and the term hunter, for they are worlds apart. Thank you for an otherwise excellent publication, which I enjoy reading regularly. -- Stan Kite BACK TO TOP