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| MONDAY October 23, 2000 Vol 4, # 67 |
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| MONDAY October 23, 2000 Vol 4, # 67 |
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| Site Search | Support Yellowstone! Discussion Free Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter | |
YELLOWSTONE ROAD
REPORT PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-
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 PROTECTING YELLOWSTONEby 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) -- As cold weather slowly approaches in the Yellowstone region, Yellowstone's bison face another winter full of danger and death. Danger and death not at the hands of nature's cruel arctic blasts, but rather at the hands of the Montana Department of Livestock, an agency which seemingly pays no attention to scientific research and to sound judgement. An agency, no less, which puts the interest of a mere 2000 head of cattle above that of America's last free ranging herd of bison, the very symbol of the American West. Why? Why are bison treated with distaste by the DOL while elk are embraced with open arms? There is no documented case of wild bison transmitting the disease brucellosis (the flashpoint of the bison controversy) to domestic cattle, whereas it is well established that wild elk can transmit the disease to domestic cattle. Yet the bison are killed while the elk run free. Why? Perhaps this very time of year harbors the answer to the question. Elk are big game animals which bring significant revenue to the rural Montana economy. Yellowstone's bison, on the other hand, bring no revenue to the table. Instead, they compete with nearby cattle for grazing space. Thus, they are a nuisance in the eyes of some, these symbols of the American West which stand in the way of progress and profit. And when national symbols clash with American capitalism, very rarely does the former win, unless there is money to be made. And so the struggle over the right of Yellowstone's bison to live as nature dictates continues unabated. In the face of the unrelenting DOL, federal officials continue to seek a solution that would appease the bison haters. Among those possible solutions is the ongoing search for a brucellosis vaccine are dropping oral vaccine bait from helicopters or shooting "bio-bullet" vaccines from high-powered rifles. The bullets, however, have trouble penetrating the thick hides of bison, so the search goes on. Another winter approaching, another killing season on the horizon in Montana, where the elk run free and the bison are held hostage. (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.) |
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Ralph Maughan
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SNOWMOBILE
BAN UPDATE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Although the National Park Service has not officially banned snowmobiles from Yellowstone as of yet, the ban is expected to be announced next month. The ban, however, will not actually keep snowmobiles out of Yellowstone for at least four more seasons. Last week the Park Service released projected economic impact numbers in regards to the snowmobile ban. It is projected that up to 450 jobs in the surrounding five counties may be lost, and that region's tourism industry, pegged at some $6 billion annually, will suffer an estimated $20 million in lost revenues. As such, this could be the price paid to improve the air and water quality of Yellowstone, as well as reduce stress on the animals during the critical winter months. |
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| YELLOWSTONE FALL SEASON
COMING TO A CLOSE News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Although last week here in the Park saw beautiful weather and brightly-covered leaves, the end is near for this fall season. All lodging facilities are shuttered and boarded up for the coming winter, while most campgrounds have also closed down. Madison campground, which was utilized by a few harder campers this past weekend, is now closed. Only Slough Creek, Lewis Lake and Mammoth campgrounds remain open for a short time longer. Of these three, only Mammoth, as the Park's only year around campground facility, will remain open after November 5. In addition, remaining park roads will close Sunday, November 5, with the exception of the northern roadway segment from Gardiner, Montana, to Mammoth to Cooke City, Montana, which remains open all year. After a brief respite, however, winter season will open in December. Snowmobiling, snowcoaching and cross-country skiing are popular winter activities. Winter reservations can be made by calling toll-free 1-888-255-7710. |
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| GRIZZLY UPDATE News Brief CODY, Wyo. -- Last week the Wyoming Grizzly Bear Working Group officially assembled and began working on efforts to develop a grizzly bear management plan for the state. The 21 member citizen-led group will gather comments in various public meetings in order to develop a draft management plan to be presented to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. Topics under discussion include habitat protection, a possible hunting season, and policies for dealing with nuisance bears. The group is comprised of members from diverse backgrounds. The grizzly has been on the endangered species list since 1975, and many advocates point out that even now grizzlies occupy only 1% of their former range in the lower 48 states. |
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