|
||||
| WEDNESDAY January 3, 2001 Vol 5, # 1 |
|
|
||||
| WEDNESDAY January 3, 2001 Vol 5, # 1 |
|
|
. | |
| Site Search | Support Yellowstone! Discussion Free Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter | |
YELLOWSTONE ROAD
REPORT PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-
|
2000: YELLOWSTONE IN
REVIEW by Bruce Gourley BELGRADE, Mont. (YNET) -- The year 2000 was notable in several ways: predictions of massive computer crashes never materialized, whereas predictions of the winner of the U.S. presidential contest turned out to be premature; the summer olympics held the attention of the world, while the New York World Series left many people yawning; and clashes in the Middle East continued, while the situation in the American West also grew hot thanks to a bad fire season. Yellowstone National Park itself drew considerable attention, as has been customary in recent years. Foremost in the news was the August death of Sara Hulphers, a summer Amfac employee who was scalded to death after falling into a hot pool. The tragic death, as well as the struggles of Sara's two friends who survived the ordeal, served as a somber reminder of the dangers inherent in the Yellowstone backcountry. Perhaps the most closely watched development throughout the year was the eventual decision to ban snowmobiles from the Park beginning in the winter of 2003-2004. Although the ban was not entirely unexpected, it did not please pro-snowmobile groups and many Yellowstone-area business owners. Environmentalists rejoiced over the ban, noting that there will be a dramatic reduction in winter pollution in the Park as a result. Also in 2000, Yellowstone's three most popular wildlife species -- the bison, wolf and grizzly -- continued to make headlines. Throughout the year the Montana Department of Livestock continued to insist that bison straying from Yellowstone into Montana during the winter months must be killed if they carry the disease brucellosis. However, in the waning days of the year, the state of Montana did finally did align itself with the new federal bison management plan announced on December 20 (see below for the press release). The federal plan itself is a middle-of-the-road approach which many environmentalists view with mixed feelings. Wolves, which are immensly popular with tourists, continued their remarkable comeback in Yellowstone during 2000, while wolf recovery officials worked towards better solutions for keeping the wolves from preying on area livestock. Wolf recovery officials expressed their opinions that the program has been a resounding success. The future of the grizzly bear, on the other hand, became more unclear in 2000. Bear advocates pointed to studies showing that grizzlies in the Rockies need more room and continued protection in order to sustain a viable population base, while at the same some government agencies and state officials served notice that they want to more tightly regulate grizzly range. And finally, Yellowstone officials continued their heroic struggles to operate the world's foremost national park on a shoestring budget that is so inadequate as to be pathetic. Now, as the year 2001 unfurls, Yellowstone National Park finds itself facing many of these same issues, albeit with a new twist: with the election (so to speak) of President George W. Bush, some observers feel that efforts to protect and preserve Yellowstone for future generations may well unravel, as the new President is not considered friendly to the nation's national parks. Yellowstone's legacy will certainly survive. The question yet to be answered is whether or not 2001 will see that great legacy tarnished or enhanced. |
|
| . | . | . |
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Russ Finley
|
YELLOWSTONE
NET BROWSER SKIN AVAILABLE
The Yellowstone Net browser skin features the photography and cinematography of Russ Finley, one of the world's foremost National Park photographers. The customized browser offers wildlife and geyser photos, video clips, mouse-overs and sounds. To download the free Yellowstone Net browser skin, click here and search for "yellowstone." |
|
| , | . | . |
| BISON PLAN IMPLEMENTED National Park Service Editors's Note: This press release is from two weeks ago and was released just after we published our last edition before the holidays. We will feature analysis of this new bison management plan in the coming weeks. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Forest Service have agreed on a Joint Management Plan for bison in Yellowstone National Park and Montana. The Plan is designed to preserve the largest wild, free-ranging population of bison in the United States while minimizing the risk of brucellosis disease transmission (between bison and cattle) to protect the economic interest and viability of the livestock industry in the State of Montana. By allowing bison the opportunity to seek critical winter range outside the park, the Plan reflects a commitment on the part of the agencies to end the unnecessary killing of bison outside Yellowstone National Park. It is the result of over eight years of negotiation and seven months of mediation between the federal agencies and the State of Montana. While the Joint Management Plan is not intended to be a brucellosis eradication plan, it employs many tools to manage and reduce the potential risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle. Limited numbers of bison will be allowed on public lands outside the park during winter when cattle are not present. Bison will not be allowed to intermingle with cattle and will be hazed back into the park when the weather typically moderates in the spring (mid-April on the north side and mid-May on the west side). The agencies will capture or remove bison still remaining outside the park that cannot be hazed. Any possible risk to cattle will be further minimized before cattle are allowed to return to public lands by waiting a sufficient amount of time to ensure that the bacteria which causes the disease is no longer alive outside the park. The agencies will further manage the risk of transmission of brucellosis to cattle by limiting the number of bison outside the park in the north (Reese Creek) and west (West Yellowstone) management areas through intensive monitoring and hazing, and when necessary, capture, test, and slaughter of seropositive bison. Management activity will be increased as bison move toward the edges of management zones outside the park. The plan also provides that the agencies will maintain a spring bison population of up to 3,000 animals. The agencies also agree to increase implementation of non-lethal management measures should severe winter conditions result in a large management removal or natural winter die off. In an effort to further reduce the risk of transmission and protect cattle, the agencies will require vaccination if 100% of all vaccination-eligible cattle in north and west management zones are not vaccinated within one year. APHIS will pay for all direct vaccination costs. Allowing untested bison outside the park in the north and west boundary management zones will begin after the agencies have had experience with seronegative bison in certain areas outside the park during winter and when the National Park Service initiates vaccination of bison with a safe and effective vaccine utilizing a safe remote delivery system inside the park. With the implementation of this plan, the federal agencies and the State of Montana recognize that bison are an essential component of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and that the cooperation of several agencies is needed to fully manage the herd to reduce the risk of transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle and maintain a wild, free-ranging population of Yellowstone bison. The Joint Management Plan, included in the Record of Decision released today, is a slightly altered version of the existing plan presented in the federal agencies' final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The State of Montana incorporated and adopted the federal agencies' FEIS into its own FEIS for bison management and has recently signed their Record of Decision, which implements the same Joint Management Plan as the federal agencies. Employing an adaptive management approach, it allows the agencies to gain experience and knowledge before proceeding to the next management step, particularly with regard to managing bison on winter range outside Yellowstone National Park. |
||
| w | . | . |
| OLD FAITHFUL WEBCAM BACK
ONLINE News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- The Old Faithful Webcam, popular with fans of Yellowstone National Park, is now back online following a lengthy period of technical difficulties. The webcam, as well as archived shots of Old Faithful erupting in the year 2000, can be found by clicking here. |
||
| |
||
BELGRADE, Mont. (YNET) -- Yellowstone Net
announces a new, free web broswer "skin" for the award-winning