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| FRIDAY July 7, 2000 Vol 4, # 40 |
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| FRIDAY July 7, 2000 Vol 4, # 40 |
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| Site Search | Support Yellowstone! Discussion Free Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter | |
YELLOWSTONE ROAD
REPORT PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN- |
GUILTY VERDICT FOR ANTLER
HUNTERS by National Park Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Michael Finley has announced that on June 26, 2000, Thomas Baker, 30 years old, Ryan Bates, 19 years old, and Jimmy Kirkham, 35 years old (all of Oakley, Utah), pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen E. Cole in Mammoth Hot Springs, to hunting elk antlers and capturing and attempting to remove a mule deer fawn from the park. On June 25, 2000, a park researcher observed and reported two men carrying elk antlers near Slough Creek Campground in the park. When contacted by park rangers, the three individuals were in possession of 34 pounds of elk antlers and had cached over 300 pounds of antlers for future removal. They were arrested for possession of natural features. It was later discovered they had also captured and removed a mule deer fawn from the backcountry and concealed it within their vehicle. All three cooperated with rangers during the investigation and admitted to their actions. Each individual was ordered to pay $2,000 restitution to the park, assessed $10 to the victim/witness fund, and placed on probation for three years. During their probation, they are prohibited from entering Yellowstone National Park. The fawn was in human possession about 20 hours before rangers released it into the area from which it was captured. While possible, it is not expected to survive the reintroduction. Superintendent Finley reminds all park visitors that disturbing, collecting, and/or removal of natural features from national parks is prohibited by law and subject to fine and/or jail time. Anyone who has information regarding poaching in Yellowstone National Park is encouraged to call park headquarters at (307) 344-7381. |
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Ralph Maughan
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COMMERCIAL
VEHICLE INSPECTIONS IN YELLOWSTONE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Michael Finley has announced that the park will soon begin full level inspections on commercial vehicles within park boundaries. The inspections will be unannounced and will focus on commercial buses, as well as tractor-trailers. Staff from the Motor Vehicle Inspection Division of Wyoming Highway Patrol and Montana Highway Patrol have assisted park rangers in past years with the full level inspections and will continue to do so this year at random locations throughout the park. A full level inspection evaluates both the driver and the bus to assure full compliance under the Department of Transportation's Code of Regulations, Title 49, that govern commercial vehicles. Last year, 53 vehicles were inspected, resulting in 14 driver warnings/10 driver citations and 48 vehicle warnings/5 vehicle citations; fines totaled $1,920. Eight buses, three delivery trucks, and seven drivers were placed out of service for violations. |
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| WOLF UPDATE News Brief MISSOULA, Mont. -- Thanks to the success of wolf programs throughout the country, next week the United States Fish and Wildlife Service will take steps to downgrade the level of protection for gray wolves in most of the United States. The proposals will include downgrading the status of most populations of gray wolves from"endangered" to "threatened." Yellowstone's wolf population will continue to be labeled as "experimental," meaning that wolf managers can more easily relocate or kill wolves which kill livestock or wander into populated areas. Nationwide, there are about 3500 gray wolves in eight western and southwestern states. |
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| DRIVE CAUTIOUSLY IN
YELLOWSTONE! News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- The summer season is in full force now and the roads are teeming with motorists. There have been numerous animal-related accidents this summer, and a higher than usual number of bison have been killed on the roads. Many of the bison accidents have taken place at night, when the dark-colored animals are hard to spot. Motorists are urged to obey all speed limits and to drive cautiously throughout the park, especially during night hours. In addition, Yellowstone officials have reported that two motorcyclists were killed Wednesday when they swerved to avoid a mule deer on the road. Vernon and Carol Solomon were from Palmyra, Illinois, and were on their way to attend the Wing Ding Convention in Billings this week. |
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