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ROAD REPORT Norris to Madison Closed for Season 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) -- A series of grants has been put into effect with the goal of helping preserve the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation grants has awarded $8.2 million to be spread over four years among various organizations to assist greater Yellowstone. The largest of the grants, $2.6 million, will go the Nature Conservancy, which aims to raise another $15.6 million in order to protect some 40,000 acres in Montana and Wyoming in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. A $2.1 million grant is going to The Conservation Fund to help protect some 10,000 acres land in Wyoming's Jackson Hole and in eastern Idaho. Both of these grants will be used to buy land or compensate owners who choose to put conservation easements on their property. Other grants include $1.8 million for Trust for Public Land to work with Gallatin Valley Land Trust in protecting 10,000 acres, mostly in Montana; $521,927 for the Sonoran Institute for the purpose of training county officials near Yellowstone and increasing business support for sound land-use planning; and $500,000 for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition for the purpose of increasing public involvement in land-use planning and growth management, plus several lesser grants. The future of Yellowstone revolves around the protection of not just the Park itself, but also the surrounding ecosystem. These grants recognize this critical element in the preservation of Yellowstone by addressing real issues between conservationists, land owners, officials, and business owners in the region. Yellowstone National Park of the future will be a better place because of these grants. (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		VISITOR BURNED IN YELLOWSTONE by National Park Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Visitor Roy Lasher, 53, of Crestline, California, received second degree burns to his left foot, ankle, and lower leg while hiking in a backcountry thermal area in the Old Faithful area on the morning of August 19th. Lasher, his wife, and their grandchildren were walking in Pocket Basin, a backcountry thermal area in the Lower Geyser Basin along the Firehole River. About a quarter of a mile into the walk, Lasher left the established trail to walk to a small pond, stepping into a muddy area near the pond. The muddy area was actually a steam vent that had become covered with organic debris after it was exposed because of low water levels (the vent is usually covered by the pond). The temperature measured in Lasher's footprint was 192°F. Lasher was able to walk out of the area on his own and was taken by his family to the Old Faithful Clinic, where he was treated for second degree burns and released. He returned to the clinic the following day for additional treatment. He was referred to the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital in Montana for additional care. BACK TO TOP
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		GRIZZLY CUB KILLED BY WOLF News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Biologists have recovered the carcass of a dead grizzly cub in the area of the Druid Peak Pack. The bear had been chewed on by wolves, and because there was hemorrhaging around the bites this indicates that the bear was alive when the wolves bit it. This is the second grizzly cub probably killed by wolves. Earlier this year a similarly dead cub was found in the Hayden Valley, in proximity to the Nez Perce Pack. The Druids and the Nez Perce are the two largest packs in the Park. Dr. Doug Smith, head of the Yellowstone Wolf Team, has speculated that the cub might have already been injured, perhaps by male grizzly. Male grizzlies often attack cubs, leading to aggressive behavior on the part of the female. For more information on Yellowstone's wolves, visit Ralph Maughan's website. BACK TO TOP
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		YOSEMITE FALLING FATALITY News Brief YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Cal. (NPS) -- Three Spanish climbers saw a person fall from the top of Half Dome and hit the ground about 250 feet from their position around 6:30 a.m. on August 17th. They then descended to Yosemite Valley and reported the incident around 9:30 a.m. The park's SAR and helitack teams and a special agent flew to the area, investigated, and recovered the body. No identification was found on the victim, and he remained unidentified until his fingerprints were matched to a 24-year-old Santa Clara man on August 21st. The death is being investigated as a possible suicide. BACK TO TOP