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| WEDNESDAY May 16, 2001 Vol 5, # 49 |
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| WEDNESDAY May 16, 2001 Vol 5, # 49 |
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| Site Search | Support Yellowstone! Discussion $7.95 Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter | |
YELLOWSTONE ROAD
REPORT PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-
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YELLOWSTONE VOLCANIC
OBSERVATORY ESTABLISHED by National Park Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- To strengthen the long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake unrest in the Yellowstone National Park region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and University of Utah have entered into an agreement to establish the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). This agreement provides for improved collaborative study and monitoring of active geologic processes and hazards of the Yellowstone volcanic field and caldera, site of the largest and most diverse collection of natural hot springs, mud pots and steam vents in the world and the first national park. "The new observatory will improve our efforts to monitor Yellowstone's extraordinarily large and long-lived volcanic system," said Dr. Robert L. Christiansen of the USGS, Scientist-in-Charge of the new observatory. Christiansen was the Scientist-in-Charge of the Mount St. Helens monitoring effort during the 1980 eruption. "This agreement is a natural evolution of our collective work over the years to track and study Yellowstone's unrest. There is no increased threat of eruptive activity at Yellowstone to cause concern at this time. We will use YVO to share what we are learning with the public, Park visitors, and nearby residents, and to be in a better position to provide warning of any future hazardous activity." YVO operations will be based from existing facilities at the USGS, the University of Utah and Yellowstone National Park. The new observatory is modeled after the other USGS volcano observatories in Hawaii, Alaska, California and the Pacific Northwest. The observatories employ a variety of ground-based instruments and satellite data to monitor active and restless volcanoes and conduct a variety of studies to understand their eruptive and seismic histories and potential hazards. Together, the five observatories monitor 43 of the 70 or so potentially hazardous volcanoes in the United States. The five observatories are operated under the auspices of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The Yellowstone National Park and surrounding area encompass the largest active magmatic system in North America. The spectacular geysers, boiling hot springs, and mud pots that have made Yellowstone famous owe their existence to volcanic activity that has affected the region during the past 2 million years. "The extensive thermal features of Yellowstone National Park are fueled by heat from a large magma chamber beneath the caldera. The chamber is fed from a magma source in the Earth's deep interior that collectively form a hotspot, a significant feature in plate tectonics theory," said Dr. Robert B. Smith, University of Utah Coordinating Scientist of YVO. "In the past decades we've measured the ground across the youngest caldera rising as much as three feet and falling by a foot. This active deformation was accompanied by thousands of small earthquakes, marking the Park as a living geologic system." Cataclysmic explosive eruptions 2 million, 1.3 million, and 640 thousand years ago ejected huge volumes of molten rock and formed large overlapping elliptical depressions called calderas. The youngest caldera in the Park, about 50 miles long and 30 miles wide, has been buried by the most recent eruptions of thick lava flows between about 75,000 and 150,000 years ago. Yellowstone region is seismically active. The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (surface-wave magnitude 7.5), centered just outside the Park's northwestern boundary, caused 28 fatalities and is one of the 15 strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the contiguous U.S. "While the active geologic processes at Yellowstone do impart some risk to the public, they also make it a unique treasure - it is the volcanic and seismic energy that powers the geysers and hot springs, creates the mountains and canyons, and generates the unique ecosystems that support Yellowstone's diverse wildlife," notes Dr. Paul K. Doss, Yellowstone National Park Coordinating Scientist of YVO. "YVO will help the Park's interpretive and education programs with strong outreach efforts to inform the public about the impact of geological activity on the character of Yellowstone." |
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Russ Finley
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LAWSUIT
FILED TO PROTECT YELLOWSTONE'S WILDLIFE HELENA, Mont. -- The State of Montana's and the U.S. government's Yellowstone buffalo management plan is illegally harming bald eagles, trumpeter swans and their habitat, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Federal District Court (Helena, Montana) by Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers, Buffalo Field Campaign, and The Ecology Center, Inc. The groups charge that the Montana Department of Livestock, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are in violation of several federal environmental laws. They are seeking an injunction prohibiting the hazing and capturing of Yellowstone's wild buffalo herd on the Horse Butte Peninsula, part of the Gallatin National Forest near Yellowstone National Park. The area provides habitat for several threatened species and sensitive migratory birds including bald eagles, grizzly bears, gray wolves, and trumpeter swans. The complaint alleges that the agencies are violating the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Administrative Procedure Act by: * Failing to take the requisite hard look at all impacts and analyze the cumulative effects of hazing buffalo in habitat occupied by threatened bald eagles and sensitive trumpeter swans; * Failing to adhere to monitoring requirements for bald eagle territories in the Horse Butte area; * Repeatedly and illegally using helicopters and all-terrain vehicles to haze buffalo in and near protected bald eagle closure areas; * Flying aircraft over protected bald eagle closure areas; and by * Illegally disturbing habitat occupied by threatened and sensitive species. Additionally, the complaint alleges that: * The Montana Department of Livestock is in violation of the terms and conditions of their 10-year Special Use Permit to haze and capture wild buffalo on the Gallatin National Forest; * The Montana Department of Livestock has failed to adhere to the "nondiscretionary ... reasonable and prudent measures" imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize harm and human caused disturbance to bald eagles; * The agencies have exceeded the incidental take of threatened bald eagles; and that * The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have failed to enforce the provisions of the Special Use Permit and Biological Opinion. "We have repeatedly warned the Montana Department of Livestock and the Gallatin National Forest that they are illegally impacting threatened bald eagles and their habitat," said Darrell Geist of Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers. "There is not one biological opinion, environmental analysis, or permit that they are in compliance with, and they've misrepresented themselves in court." At a hearing before Federal District Court Judge Charles C. Lovell in May, 2000, the Montana Department of Livestock and U.S. Forest Service "represent[ed] to the Court that there is no intention for future helicopter hazing in Horse Butte Area." During the winter and spring of 2000-2001 the Montana Department of Livestock repeatedly used helicopters over the Horse Butte area to haze and capture buffalo. Five buffalo bulls have been shipped to slaughter this year. Since 1984, 3,182 buffalo have been shot or shipped to slaughter by the State of Montana with the cooperation of several federal agencies. The Yellowstone buffalo herd is targeted by the agencies for "brucellosis control" when they migrate to winter and spring range primarily on public lands surrounding Yellowstone Park. Over the next 15 years the State of Montana and the U.S. government plan to spend $40-$45 million taxpayer dollars to haze, capture, test, vaccinate and slaughter wild buffalo that migrate outside the Park. Bald eagles in the area have been disturbed by the bison hazing. "The bald eagle and the wild buffalo are the great symbols of freedom and wildness in this land," said Jim Coefield of The Ecology Center, Inc. "The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is allowing the Montana Department of Livestock to run amok and do what it pleases at any cost. The vast majority of people do not support the agencies' actions, and we trust the Court to use reason and end this disgrace." The environmental groups are based in Missoula and West Yellowstone Montana and are represented by Brenda Lindlief Hall of the law firm Reynolds, Motl and Sherwood in Helena, Montana. |
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| ELECTRONIC FIELD TRIP IN
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK by National Park Service GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, Mont. (NPS) -- Last week, Glacier National Park, School District 5 of Kalispell, Montana, and the Information and Technology Resource Center of the University of Montana teamed up to host another live electronic field trip of the park. Students from around the country learned about Glacier NP "live" over the Internet. Pre-recorded slide presentations permitted students and teachers flexibility in fitting the virtual field trip into their schedules. A live question and answer session and chat rooms provided a direct link to park subject matter experts during this annual event. This website-based tour uses 'RealAudio' and the Internet to connect students "live" with park and local subject matter experts. Students submitted questions to presenters by using a toll free phone number or email. Speakers were also available via special chat rooms for an hour after the questions and answers session. This is the fourth year that the electronic field trip has been offered. Among the presentations: FMO Fred Vanhorn explained the role of fire in the natural landscape; USGS scientists Dan Fagre and Katherine Kendall guided students through their research projects on global climate change and grizzly bears; naturalist Susan Sindt explored the awakening of the park with the coming of spring. Previous electronic field trips have included individuals and classrooms from as far away as the Florida Keys and as near as local students in Columbia Falls and Kalispell. A number of home-schooled children also joined in. |
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| YELLOWSTONE HIKING TOUR News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Many people visit Yellowstone. Be one of the few who actually experiences it.
Sign up for four days of hiking and discovery in the world's first national park. Activities include wildlife watching in the Lamar Valley, an interpretive tour of the Old Faithful area, a full-day hike in the backcountry, and shorter hikes near Yellowstone's Grand Canyon and Hayden Valley. This is an active program, and you should be prepared for daily hiking. Package features includes the following: ** Expert instruction by a naturalist/guide Call toll-free 1-888-255-7710 to make your reservations. |
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This summer take a "Lodging and
Learning" outing. Participants in these programs enjoy the best of both worlds.
During the day, they explore the park with a fun and knowledgeable naturalist. In the
evening, they return to excellent meals, comfortable accommodations, and entertaining
evening programs at historic park hotels