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YELLOWSTONE WEATHER Highs 40s, Lows 10s Partly Sunny More Weather ROAD REPORT Some roads open to snowmobiles. More Info THE DAILY CARTOON ONLINE GREETING CARDS PUBLISHER Yellowstone Net Company EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Bruce Gourley MORE LINKS 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) -- Last week a quote from a guest contributer inadvertadly attributed Theodore Roosevelt as the sitting president at the time of the creation of Yellowstone National Park in March of 1872. Of course, the sitting president was none other than Ulysses S. Grant, who was elected president in both 1868 and 1872. Several decades later, Theodore Roosevelt would serve as president of the United States and would be a tireless advocate for Yellowstone and the larger National Park concept. The story of Yellowstone National Park is one of the great triumphs of America. By Act of Congress on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone National Park was "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and "for the preservation, from injury or spoilation, of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders. . . and their retention in their natural condition." Yellowstone is the first and oldest national park in the world. Yellowstone fascinated the American public through the amazing stories of the early explorers in the region. The outstanding features that initially attracted interest, and led to the preservation of Yellowstone as a national park, were geological: the geothermal phenomena (there are more geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone than in the rest of the world combined), the colorful Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, fossil forests, and the size and elevation of Yellowstone Lake. Today, these same attractions, as well as the great variety of wildlife, lure visitors from the world over each year to experience the unparalleled wonders of Yellowstone National Park. (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 Russ Finley Ralph Maughan Kim Steinbacher Steve Brashear Clint Wilkes Hon. Bob Gammage Lee Whittlesey David Monteith Denise Elmer Dr. Bob Bara Matthew McLean		NATIONAL PARKS PASS by Bruce Gourley BILLINGS, Mont. (YNET) -- Spring is the time of year to start planning for summer, and if you are planning a visit to America's national parks, consider the value of a National Parks Pass. Although costing only $50, the National Parks Pass offers unlimited access to the country's 379 national parks for one full year. By comparison, a year-long pass to only Yellowstone and Grand Teton costs $40. The National Parks Pass is per vehicle, rather than per person. And while it is true that not all national parks charge entrance fees, most of the largest and most popular parks do charge an entrance fee. As such, the National Parks Pass will prove to be a great value for many vacationeers who will be visiting more than one national park this summer. Furthermore, more than 80% of the proceeds from the sales of National Parks Passes go directly into supporting priority projects in national parks. The Pass is good only for entrance into America's national parks, and does not cover other expenses such as camping, parking, tours and concessions. For an additional $15, a Golden Eagle hologram may be purchased and affixed to a National Parks Pass to cover entrance fees at not only national parks, but also at sites managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U. S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. The Golden Eagle holograms are available at National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management fee stations. The Golden Eagle hologram is valid until the expiration of the National Parks Pass to which it is affixed. For American senior citizens age 62 and older, Golden Age Passports are available for a one-time fee of $10. In addition, a free lifetime Golden Access Passport is available for American citizens who are blind or permanently disabled. The Golden Access Passport covers entrance fees and also provides a 50% discount on federal use fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. The Passport is nontransferable and does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessioners. Both the Golden Age and the Golden Access Passports must be obtained in person at a federal area where an entrance fee is charged. There are four ways to buy the $50 National Park pass. On the Internet, go to www.nationalparks.org. Alternatively, call toll-free at 888-467-2757. The Pass may also be purchased at any National Park where an entry fee is charged. Lastly, a Pass may be obtained by sending a $53.95 check or money order payable to the National Park Service: National Parks Pass, 27540 Avenue Mentry, Valencia, CA 91355. BACK TO TOP
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		WOLF UPDATE by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (USFWS) -- On the morning of the 31st of March, a rancher in the Paradise Valley north of Yellowstone reported that six to eight wolves were laying near his cattle. Ed Bangs and Turner ESF biologists happened to be in the area. TESF biologists and a visiting Mexican wolf biologist investigated and found wolf #196 (2-yr-old Sheep Mountain male held for aversive conditioning and then released) trying to join a group of wolves (seven were counted) near Mill Creek (close to Chico Hot Springs). This group likely represents a uncounted breeding pair- making a total of 13 for the Yellowstone area in 2000. This group does not contain any radioed members. No depredations occurred but the wolves had visited the calving shed, causing the cattle to bunch up. The biologists approached to within about 150 meters and then fired cracker shells at the wolves and drove them into the mountains. On the 31^st, Bangs and a TESF biologist hiked into the 2000 Chief Joseph den and filled it with moth balls, sticks and rocks. There was a fresh wolf track on top of the den but no recent signs of habitation. They also visited the 2000 rendezvous sites and left moth balls and covered any potential dens. This was done in an attempt to prevent the Chief Joseph pack from denning in the Cinnabar basin (near livestock) in 2001. But the end of this week Chief Joseph had left the area and was suspected to be back in the Yellowstone near the 1997-99 den site. A receiver was left with the local rancher on whose property the wolves denned in 2000, so he could monitor the Chief Joseph pack’s radio signals and alert us if the pack appeared in the future. The female is expected to den within the next 2 weeks. The Wildlife Service confirmed that two calves were killed on two separate ranches by a lone wolf that had been involved in previous livestock depredations (calves and sheep) west of Augusta, Montana. Traps could not be set by the calf carcasses because of a spring snow storm. A kill order has been issued and this wolf will be shot at the first opportunity. A lone wolf that has repeatedly killed sheep near Pinedale, Wyoming returned to the ranch were previous depredations occurred. A kill order remains in place for this wolf. BACK TO TOP
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		YELLOWSTONE AND MARS News Brief CAPE CANAVERAL, Flor. -- Saturday NASA once again launched a spacecraft bound for the planet Mars. The past two Mars spacecraft, launced in 1999, were humiliating failures, so NASA officials are placing high hopes on Mars Odyssey, as the craft has been named. To that end, officials spent extra time and money seeking to ensure that this mission will be a success. If all goes well, the Odyssey will orbit Mars for 2 1/2 years, analyzing the surface of Mars in an attempt to find evidence of water, an indicator of life. Indeed, some geologists are hoping to find hot springs on Mars like those in Yellowstone National Park. An infrared camera will be used to search for hot spots on the surface of the Red Planet. BACK TO TOP