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YELLOWSTONE |
IN THE NEWS TODAY: Bison Management Plan Upheld -- by Bruce Gourley Winter in Yellowstone -- by NPS Forty-Four Years with John Colter -- by Ruth Colter-Frick Overflight Ban in Rocky Mountain Park -- by NPS |
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INTERIM BISON
MANAGEMENT PLAN UPHELD by Bruce Gourley YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (YNET) --
Yesterday U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell of Helena upheld a temporary federal-state
plan for managing Yellowstone National Park bison. Conservation groups and a Native American Tribal organization have argued that the plan is not based on sufficient research. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund are planning on filing an appeal. Yellowstone's bison captured the nation's attention in the winter of 1996-97 when some 1100 who wandered out of the Park were killed because they were possible carriers of the ideas brucellosis. The slaughter reduced Yellowstone's herd by about one-third. The disease brucellosis can cause cattle to abort their calves, and ranchers fear bison may transmit it to cows, although there is no evidence that such fears are founded. Supporters of bison point out that the same ranchers do not fear the many more elk carrying the disease, although it is a proven fact that elk can transmit brucellosis to cattle. Only some 2000 cattle range near Yellowstone. Milder winter weather, plus the interim bison management plan, prevented mass slaughter of bison last winter. However, many meteorologists are predicting a harsh winter ahead this year.
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Ralph Maughan
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WINTER WEATHER IN
YELLOWSTONE by NATIONAL PARK SERVICE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Winter is around the corner in the Yellowstone region, and visitors need to plan ahead and take proper precautions. Winter temperatures often hover near zero (-20C) throughout the day but may reach highs in the 20s (-5C). Subzero over-night temperatures are common. Occasionally, warm "chinook" winds will push daytime temperatures into the 40s (5-10C), causing significant melting of snowpack--especially at lower elevations. Yellowstone also typically experiences periods of bitterly cold weather. The lowest temperature recorded in Yellowstone was -66F (-54C) near West Yellowstone on February 9, 1933. Annual snowfall averages near 150 inches (380cm) in most of the park. At higher elevations, 200-400 inches (5-10m) of snowfall have been recorded. At any time of year, be prepared for sudden changes; unpredictability, more than anything else, characterizes Yellowstone's weather. Snowmobilers and skiers should always check on temperatures and wind chill forecasts; subzero weather can make travel dangerous even with proper gear. Always carry extra clothing when hiking, skiing, or snowmobiling. Take advantage of the warming huts (heated shelters) provided in some park areas. Good walking shoes and layers of clothing are recommended throughout the year, but in the winter you'll also need warm boots. Cross-country skis or snowshoes are a 'must' in winter if you plan to go beyond the main roads and boardwalks.
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| FORTY-FOUR YEARS
WITH JOHN COLTER: COLTER'S DESCENDANTS by Ruth Colter-Frick BILLINGS, Mont. (YNET) -- Today there are hundreds of descendants of John Colter. Many of them do not know that they had an extraordinary gr-gr-gr-?-? great grandfather. They have lost contact with their elders through the years, and cannot trace their ancestry back four or five generations. One of the purposes of my writing the book, "COURAGEOUS COLTER AND COMPANIONS" was to help those lost generations to get in touch with their past. John Colter was sick when he left the U.S. Mounted Rangers under the command of Nathan Boone, May 6, 1812. He died the next day on May 7th. Letters of Administration were granted to Daniel Richardson in November 1813. By 1815, his widow, Sarah Loucy had married James Brown and they were living near the gravesite of John Colter in present day Franklin County Missouri. Colter had a son named Hiram and I am descended from him. He also had a daughter named Evalina. There may have been other children, but I found no record of them. Hiram Colter married Margaret Davis, the daughter of John and Rachel (West) Davis. When Hiram Colter's estate was administered by his widow Margaret Colter October 18, 1845, the following heirs were listed: John B. Coulter 17 years old past Evelina Colter married John Blize May 9, 1830. Evalina co-signed a document in Franklin County, Missouri for her daughter Sarah. Sarah Blize married Michael Fisher June 19, 1851. Perhaps this information in the Yellowstone Net Newspaper will help a long lost descendant of John Colter find their place in the history of a famous explorer and a deserving hero of the United States. |
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| OVERFLIGHT BAN AT
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Col. (NPS) -- Colorado Congressman David Skaggs (D-CO) succeeded in getting the permanent overflight ban included in the Interior Department's appropriations language for the Joint Committee of the House, while Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) succeeded in doing the same for the Senate side. The language passed as part of the Omnibus package and was signed by the President. The inserted language reads: "Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 78 (the temporary ban), regarding commercial air tour operators in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountain National Park, as published in the Federal Register, on January 8, 1997, shall remain in effect until otherwise provided by an Act of Congress." |
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