Yellowstone Net Newspaper

.	.	.
Site Search		Support Yellowstone! Discussion Free Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter

YELLOWSTONE WEATHER Highs 20s, Lows 0s Partly Sunny More Weather Road Conditions		Yellowstone Net Home Page Vacation Reservations	IN THE NEWS TODAY: Protecting Yellowstone -- by Bruce Gourley Snowmobile Death in Yellowstone -- by NPS Y2K Bug Update -- News Brief Yellowstone Net Expands Services -- News Brief NEW! Daily Environmental News -- from ISyndicate
.	.	.
Travel News:		Add this Travel news feed to your site free!

ROAD REPORT North entrance open only. For more road info, click here. COMMUNITY CENTER THE DAILY CARTOON ONLINE GREETING CARDS PUBLISHER Yellowstone Net Company EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Bruce Gourley MORE LINKS Vacation Discussion Newspaper Archives Send us your comments		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) -- In the Paradise Valley just north of Yellowstone, the number of elk is down to about half of 1997 figures (as counted from the air). Some hunters are convinced that the wolves are responsible for this sizable reduction. And yet, it is common knowledge that the factors which determine wildlife populations are quite complex. One of the factors responsible for the low elk count was the severe lack of snow during the fall months, which in turn kept many elk in the high country, far away from the reach of hunters (and aerial elk counters in some cases). Sportsmen concede this point. The weather in fall was most unusual, and did hamper hunters' efforts. Fish and Wildlife officials point to another factor: the elk in the Paradise Valley have changed their migration routes over the past several years. Officials also point out that the current population of elk in Northern Yellowstone, where wolves are concentrated in much greater numbers, actually remains well within pre-wolf range numbers. So why are wolves getting all of the blame for the reduced elk numbers in the Paradise Valley in some hunters' estimations? Well, feelings among area ranchers and hunters about wolves have been largely negative since wolves were reintroduced in 1995. Thus, they have become the scapegoat for a problem which may or may not exist, although there is no indication that the wolves are actually responsible for the drastic reduction in the number of elk. Are the wolves a part of the factor in this situation? Quite likely. After all, they are predators. Should blame be placed primarily upon them? Not at all. Fluctuations in elk herds were occurring well before the wolf re-entered the scene in the Yellowstone area. (Yellowstone Net provides you opportunity to voice your opinion regarding the various Yellowstone issues to your congresspersons and to editorial sections of magazines and newspapers by clicking here.) BACK TO TOP
.	.	.
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		SNOWMOBILE DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE by National Park Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Yellowstone National Park officials have identified the woman who died of massive trauma from a snowmobile accident Thursday as Florence Maureen Bolger of Putnam Valley, N.Y. The 57-year-old woman was driving into the parking area of the Mammoth Hot Springs winter warming hut just after dark Thursday when her snowmobile tipped to one side while still moving, according to park officials. At that point, Bolger either fell off the machine or jumped off and landed in a rocky area. CPR was started immediately and she was transferred to the Mammoth Clinic, but died of massive trauma, including extensive internal injuries, officials said. She was wearing a helmet Bolger was at the end of a 90-mile trip from Flagg Ranch to Mammoth. It was her first snowmobile trip. She was traveling with her husband and two other couples, all of whom were riding separate machines. Park officials said it is unclear how fast she was traveling and why the snowmobile did not slow down or stop as she approached the parking area. The investigation is continuing. BACK TO TOP
	.	.
		Y2K BUG UPDATE News Brief January 1, 2000, has come and gone, and the world is still standing. Although some experts say that some Y2K problems have yet to occur, thus far only minor glitches have been reported worldwide, much to the relief of many. Most problems with personal computers and servers stem from the display of the date. Yellowstone Net has experienced a few date-display problems, which will be addressed in coming days and weeks. Visitors to the Discussion Forums in particular will notice that the date is displayed incorrectly. It is not known when this particular problem will be fixed (it may lead to the loss of all discussion threads, thus the caution) A date-display problem on the homepage has already been corrected, and no other significant problems have been noted thus far. BACK TO TOP
	.	.
		YELLOWSTONE NET EXPANDS SERVICES News Brief BELGRADE, Mont. -- The new year has dawned, and many peoples' thoughts turn to ... summer vacation! For those who are planning a summer vacation in the Yellowstone area, Yellowstone Net has expanded their reservation services to include virtually all lodging and activities in the larger Yellowstone area, making Yellowstone Net the one-step solution for planning your Yellowstone experience. Call today toll-free at 1-888-255-7710 to make your reservations for this summer! BACK TO TOP