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| MONDAY June 4, 2001 Vol 5, # 54 |
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| MONDAY June 4, 2001 Vol 5, # 54 |
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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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 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) -- The Bush administration is sending mixed signals in regards to America's national parks. Interior Secretary Gale Norton visited Yellowstone a week ago. Like all Yellowstone visitors, she experienced the deteriorating, pot-holed roads which characterize much of the Park. Like some visitors, she caught a glimpse of a grizzly from the roadside (near Buffalo Ford picnic area). And like a few visitors, she was debriefed in detail on the problems which Yellowstone is facing, problems which threaten the continued viability of Yellowstone. The largest of these problems is $700 million in backlogged maintenance, which includes the badly failing roads, a fleet of Park Service vehicles which is largely comprised of 10 year old or older automobiles, and 900 miles of backcountry trails which are need of attention. When it was all said and done, she voiced her commitment to helping resolve backlogged maintenance issues which plague the Park, and she expressed surprise at the extent of such problems. Will her visit help actually help Yellowstone resolve some of the more serious challenges facing the Park? Only time will tell. Then, during the course of this past week, the Bush administration on Tuesday announced that it would not challenge a proposal to clear up polluted air over national parks, and on Wednesday President Bush visited Sequoia National Park and pledged to spend $5 billion dollars over the next five years on maintenance and improvements in America's national parks. At least on the surface, the Bush administration is giving attention to the plight of our national parks. And yet, as several environmental organizations have noted in regards to Bush's environmental initiatives, the larger thrust of the Bush plan for public lands is to open more and more public lands to logging, energy exploration and other economic activity. Will the Bush legacy in regards to the environment be similar to that of Ronald Reagan, who sought to disband the Environmental Protection Agency? It is too early to tell, but the gap between Bush's words and policies seems to be substantial. (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 Russ Finley
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YELLOWSTONE
HISTORIC CENTER RE-OPENING WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. -- A new look. A new feel. A new concept. These are what you’ll find when the Museum of the Yellowstone in West Yellowstone, Mont. reopens this summer. Now being operated by the nonprofit Yellowstone Historic Center, the museum will have a "Grand Re-opening" at 9 AM on Friday, July 13. "We’ve been working since late last year to develop new displays and to renovate existing ones," said Paul Shea, Yellowstone Historic Center Executive Director. "Our goal is to interpret transportation and visitation to the Yellowstone National Park area." The Janetski family of Great Falls, who created and operated the Museum of the Yellowstone for 28 years, donated their business and many of the displays to the Yellowstone Historic Center. The foundation of their exhibits, Paul Janetski’s Native American and military collection, were not donated. The "new" museum primarily will feature the history of the area during the railroad era, 1908 to 1960, when Union Pacific Railroad’s Oregon Short Line brought people to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Included in the exhibits will be photos, postcards and memorabilia from the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads. A "Mount Washburn Express," a stagecoach used only to go from Canyon up to Mount Washburn and formerly housed in Virginia City will be on display as well as a stagecoach from the collection of Rawhide Johnson of Cody, Wyoming, and freight wagons the museum is purchasing from Mr. Johnson. "Old Snaggletooth," a famous area grizzly, will be exhibited along with a variety of wildlife which have always been one of the main attractions for visitors to Yellowstone. Exhibits held over from the previous operators include the Earthquake of 1959 and the Yellowstone Fires of 1988. "Interpreting the historic Union Pacific Depot, which houses the museum, is a long term goal of the Yellowstone Historic Center," said Shea. "For this first year, the ticket booth will be reinstated and several of the dressing rooms will be opened." The Museum of the Yellowstone will be open through October 15. Hours in July and August will be 9 AM to 9 PM and in September and October from 9 AM to 7 PM. Admissions is $7 for adults, $5 for children under 12 and for seniors and a family rate of $20. Group rates also are available. For more information contact the Museum of the Yellowstone at 406-646-1100 or the Yellowstone Historic Center, 406-646-7461. You can also email museum@wyellowstone.com |
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| WOLF UPDATE by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Observations show the Teton pack (3 black adults) has at least 4 pups (2 black and 2 gray). Pup color becomes fixed as early as 2 weeks of age. The Washakie pack (5-7 adults) has a minimum of 5 pups (3 black and 2 gray). Radio-collaring efforts on the Sunlight pack began this week with the help of volunteers. Hiring for the Service seasonal field wolf biologist positions has been delayed but hopefully crews will be hired by June 18. A black wolf was seen circling some horses in the Tom Miner Basin (just north of Yellowstone National Park) on the 31st. The rancher, who had been in contact with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service previously and had cracker shells, scared it off. A follow-up revealed that Chief Joe wolf #203 was right above the ranch a few hours later. The rancher was trained on use of bean bag shells and given a permit. |
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| GRAND CANYON SEARCH AND
RESCUE by National Park Service GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Park personnel were contacted around sunset on Sunday, May 27th, regarding an overdue group of day hikers on the Grandview Trail. Eleven members of a group holding a family reunion had headed down the trail. The hikers, who ranged in age from 17 to 34, planned to hike to Horseshoe Mesa and possibly go on to the Colorado River. That night, park personnel established containment points around the area, conducted hasty searches, and interviewed other backpackers. The inner canyon high temperature for the day reached 100 degrees at Phantom Ranch. During the day, seven other SAR operations were coordinated by SAR shift ranger Kristin Fey, including three medevacs. The search for the hikers resumed on Monday and was conducted by helicopter. The hikers were later located by searchers in the Hance Creek drainage. They had walked to Hance Rapids, normally a two-day journey, then had bivouacked there for the night. All were okay. Incidents like this one have previously resulted in hiker fatalities. It's probable that they survived because of several factors - drinking creek water, wearing hats for sun protection, eating cactus, and staying together. |
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YELLOWSTONE
NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- A dispersing wolf from the Yellowstone area #155 was located
in the West Fork of the Madison River (West of West Yellowstone, MT). She was associated
with two of the "trained" and released Sheep Mountain males during the 2001
breeding season. On the 23rd she was seen near a freshly dug den and had
apparently moved her pups.