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| MONDAY Sept 3, 2001 Vol 5, # 76 |
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| MONDAY Sept 3, 2001 Vol 5, # 76 |
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| Site Search | Support Yellowstone! Discussion $9.95 Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter | |
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) -- Fires have stolen the limelight in these waning days of summer in the Yellowstone region as the area continues to bask in hot weather with no significant rain in sight. (For the latest on the current fires in Yellowstone, read the Fire Update below.) The dry weather also is raising other concerns. If significant rain or snow does not arrive in the coming months this fall and early winter, some officials in Montana have noted that the Yellowstone River below the Park might fall so low as to freeze solid in some places with the onset of winter. Such a scenario could wreck havoc with towns and cities which depend upon the Yellowstone for their municipal water supply. But the Yellowstone River is not the only situation that is running low, so to speak. Discussions regarding the possible reversal of the snowmobile ban in Yellowstone National Park are also "bogged down." Yellowstone National Park officials met with representatives from five surrounding counties last Thursday for the purpose of talking about the latest proposed winter-use study. The Park Service has decided to include three main alternatives: allowing future snowmobile use, allowing environmentally-friendly snowmobiles (as proposed by the surrounding counties), and a "no action" alternative (which would allow the ban on snowmobiles to stand). A lawsuit by snowmobile manufacturers led the Park Service to seek to conduct yet another winter-use study, but Park officials on Thursday noted that snowmobile manufacturers have yet to provide any significant information about "clean and quiet" snowmobiles. The Blue Ribbon Coalition, a snowmobile advocate group, protested the comments by Yellowstone officials, yet still had no new information to bring to the table. It is as evident as ever that no matter what decision is reached regarding snowmobiles in Yellowstone, there are going to be some folks who are pleased, and some folks who are displeased. The image of a cat and dog fight comes to mind. Ultimately, the decision issued will address, at least to some degree, a larger question: just how much protection does Yellowstone National Park need from the effects of human usage? Keeping people out of the Park is no one's goal; minimizing the impact from increased human usage should be everyone's goal. (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 |
HELICOPTER
CRASH KILLS THREE FIREFIGHTERS YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- A helicopter assigned to the largest wildfire in Montana crashed in a brushy ravine north of Yellowstone National Park on Friday, killing all three people aboard. The chopper assigned to the 25,500-acre fire went down during a maintenance flight to check its condition. The Vertol 107, with a 44-foot fuselage and a rotor at each end, was among the largest of the 15 helicopters assigned to the blaze. The three firefighters killed in the crash were pilot Rich Hernandez, 37, co-pilot Santi Arovitx, 28, and crew chief Kip Krigbaum, 45. |
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| YELLOWSTONE FIRE UPDATE by National Park Service
The Fridley fire, burning north of Yellowstone, remains at 26,000 acres and is 40% contained. Increasing winds, however, do pose threats to containment efforts. |
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| GLACIER FIRE UPDATE News Brief GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, Mont. -- The Moose Fire in Northwest Montana grew from 19,000 acres to over 40,000 acres this weekend. Over 7000 acres are burning inside the western boundary of Glacier National Park. Winds died down Sunday, much to the relief of firefighters, who are working hard to save about 25 buildings at the north end of Lake McDonald. Some 1000 firefighters are currently working the fire. |
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Unforeseen high level
moisture moved into the area this past weekend, resulting in higher humidity and
sufficient cloud cover to reduce fire activity. Since the moisture was accompanied by
lightning (128 strikes in or near the park over a 24-hour period), it's likely that there
will be new fires over the next few burning periods.
No growth or significant activity was observed on any of the park's
fires this weekend, although smokes were still evident on all fires. Acreages are as
follows: Falcon fire (3,530 acres; 900 within the park), Sulphur fire (700 acres), Little
Joe fire (789; 150 within the park), and Stone fire (116 acres).