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YELLOWSTONE WEATHER Highs 30s, Lows 0s Snow More Weather Road Conditions		Yellowstone Net Home Page Vacation Reservations	IN THE NEWS TODAY: Protecting Yellowstone -- by Bruce Gourley Bison Update -- News Brief Winter Use Update -- News Brief Yellowstone Park Classes -- News Brief NEW! Daily Environmental News -- from ISyndicate
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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) -- Since their reintroduction into the Park in 1995, wolves have become the stars of Yellowstone's many wildlife. Seeing a wolf in the wilds of Yellowstone is the most sought-after experience by many of Yellowstone's three million annual visitors. Last fall, one of the original wolves released into the Park, wolf No.9, a female, made news as she was kicked out of the pack in which she had been the alpha female for a number of years. She was run off by one of her own daughters, wolf No. 18. Wolf watchers feared the worst. No. 9 was alone, and she was old, by wolf standards -- 8 years old and turning gray. A wolf alone is quite vulnerable, and many did not expect her to last long as she wandered alone in the Cooke City region. Many well-wishers called the wolf recovery program to offer whatever help they could in supporting wolf No. 9 in her old age, some offering food for her and others offering to help place her in a sanctuary. However, U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent Tim Eicher spotted No. 9 this past Tuesday, and what he saw surprised him: No. 9 had assumed leadership of another pack in the Sunlight Basin area northwest of Cody, Wyoming. Her pack consists of three other wolves, a total of two males and two females, of which No. 9 has established herself as the alpha female. Eicher is tentatively calling this new pack the "Valentine Pack," since they were spotted the day after Valentine's Day. Wolf No. 9 is showing the world just how resilient Yellowstone's wolves are. Although the presence of wolves in Yellowstone will doubtlessly lead to continued controversy in the years ahead, the wolves have captured the imagination of the American public, as the ongoing story of wolf No. 9 attests. (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
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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		BISON UPDATE News Brief Even as the State of Montana and various federal agencies seek to work out a solution to the ongoing bison controversy, the issue continues to garner more national attention, with ABC television recently running a special about the Yellowstone bison slaughter. Meanwhile, a very mild winter in the Yellowstone region has averted the killing of bison thus far. Only one bull has left the Park, and the Montana Department of Livestock, despite repeated attempts, has been unable to haze the animal back inside Park boundaries. On-site Bison advocacy group Buffalo Nations has been closely monitoring the situation, and continues to raise awareness about the plight of the bison. If the mild weather continues throughout this winter season, Yellowstone's bison may be granted a temporary reprieve from the killing. BACK TO TOP
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		WINTER USE UPDATE News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- The National Park Service is working on a final version of its Yellowstone Winter Use Plan, an effort to make Yellowstone's winters quieter, less polluting and more affordable for visitors. During the public comment period, which ended December 1, 1999, some 20,000 people commented on the plan. The final plan is expected to be released on October 1, 2000. To view the winter use plan in its current form, click here. BACK TO TOP
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		YELLOWSTONE PARK CLASSES News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- The Yellowstone Association has released its listing of year 2000 classes offered through the Yellowstone Association Institute. These classes include field courses and nature study vacations, and are suitable for all ages. Only a limited number of participants are allowed in each class. The Institute is a year-round educational field program offering a series of short courses in natural history, cultural history, and humanities topics where people learn about and experience the wild, natural wonders of Yellowstone. It is sponsored by The Yellowstone Association, a non-profit, tax-exempt membership organization in cooperation with the National Park Service. For a listing of courses being offered, please click here. BACK TO TOP