News from the Field
May 15, 2003
In this issue:
* Update from the Field
* Seattle School Witnesses Wild Bison Haze; Pregnant Buffalo and
Newborn Calves Repeatedly Stressed by Hazing
* Quick poll on ESA Protection for Yellowstone Bison
* Last Words
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* Update from the Field
Buffalo Supporters,
It's been another crazy week for Yellowstone's wild bison. Yesterday the Department of Livestock (along with the Forest Service, Park Service, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, and local law enforcement) mounted multiple hazing operations in the area, pushing pregnant bison and newborn calves from national forests with no cattle present. The DOL helicopter returned, filling the skies with noise and disturbing all sorts of wildlife, especially waterfowl like blue herons, pelicans, and eagles. The chopper dropped down to treetop level while hazing bison inside the Park, even breaking branches on trees. The helicopter pushed bison near Fir Ridge miles back into the Park before assisting the crew of agents on ATV's and horseback to flush out other wild bison near the Madison River. Many bison were lost in the woods by sloppy hazing efforts that succeeded mostly in stressing calves and pregnant buffalo. At one point the DOL decided to use their helicopter to haze an injured or birthing cow buffalo already inside the Park that had collapsed from exhaustion from the haze. The chaos of the day was perhaps best illustrated when one DOL agent nearly shot another with a cracker round, and then another DOL agent nearly shot their helicopter with a cracker round.
Our patrols, however, were everywhere at once, documenting the chaos. Not only were we able to track multiple hazes, but we brought a German television camera crew into the field and a group of students from Seattle. The German television crew is producing a documentary that will include the Yellowstone bison issue. The students were visiting after studying the issue in their class. The mixing of the two elements kept the DOL guessing. Picture the scene -- a yellow school bus and other cars gathered on Horse Butte, students and teachers asking tough questions to the agents in the field, an obvious outside media presence capturing the action on film, while the DOL forced a herd of over 50 bison and at least 15 calves past the onlookers with just a few yards separation.
Today, the DOL and crew are at it again. The helicopter is once again terrorizing the skies around Yellowstone and more calves and their mothers are being disturbed on public lands with no cattle present. Early reports indicate that more bison have been lost in the woods during hazing efforts, but at least three buffalo and a moose have been pushed across the highway so far. They are currently rounding up about a dozen buffalo and a calf on Horse Butte. Hopefully, the circus will leave soon and give the wildlife a rest.
Today is May 15, the "zero tolerance" date for wild bison outside of Yellowstone National Park, according to the Interagency Bison Management Plan. Although the plan is an "adaptive management" plan which allows for discretion to be applied in hazing bison back into the Park before May 15, after today the plan calls for bison to be "captured or shot to ensure none remain outside the Park in the western boundary area during the applicable temporal separation period." Who knows if the fact that the grazing allotments on national forest on Horse Butte have been cancelled will make a difference? So far the DOL and Forest Service have been hiding behind the private property excuse, and nobody knows if the Munns family plans to bring cattle to their private ranch on Horse Butte this June. As always, we will keep you informed of any moves made against the last herd of wild bison in America.
Thank you once again for your continuing support for the Yellowstone bison. Hopefully we will make it through these last tense weeks before the bison naturally return to the Park with no more bloodshed.
For the buffalo, Ted Fellman BFC Media
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* Seattle School Witnesses Wild Bison Haze; Pregnant Buffalo and Newborn Calves Repeatedly Stressed by Hazing
For Immediate Release: May 14, 2003 Contacts: Ted Fellman, Mike Mease (406) 646-0070
West Yellowstone, MT - Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) agents hazed over a hundred buffalo and dozens of newborn calves from national forests while a school class watched nearby. Thirty-six students, grades 4-8, from Alternative School #1 in Seattle, WA have been studying Yellowstone all year. When they learned about the bison slaughter from a friend, they decided to visit the Buffalo Field Campaign to learn first hand about the issue. Teacher Carmen DiDomenico explains that although they try to present both sides of an issue in order to foster critical thinking, the DOL has been unwilling to return calls or arrange a meeting to discuss the bison slaughter.
The students didn't get many answers from the agents hazing the buffalo. "I think it's disrespectful the way they treat the buffalo," said student Raven Matthews. Added Kaitlyn Texley, "Why are they only hazing buffalo when elk have brucellosis too? There are elk everywhere, but this is the last wild buffalo herd that they are killing off." Another student, Jericho Taylor-Daves, commented, "the buffalo have been giving birth here for longer than we've been ranching - they are just following their instincts. Why don't we move the ranches instead of the buffalo? There was a sign closing an area to protect wildlife, and yet they harassed the wild buffalo in the area."
The DOL with assistance from the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and local law enforcement have hazed hundreds of buffalo nearly every week this spring during their calving season. The DOL has repeatedly stressed pregnant buffalo and their calves on national forests with no cattle present. Just two weeks ago, the DOL hazed a calving buffalo who gave birth to a stillborn calf. A helicopter was used in today's hazing operation, which disturbed other wildlife in the area including bald eagles, hawks, and osprey. According to their plan, the DOL could return to slaughtering bison that migrate out of Yellowstone National Park after May 15. The DOL is not trained in wildlife management, yet has spent nearly $3.5 million since 1996 on bison management operations that have killed 2,064 wild bison. This year alone, the DOL has spent over $350,000 to kill 244 wild bison.
The Yellowstone herd is the only continuously wild herd in the United States. It is descended from just 23 wild bison that survived the mass eradication of the 19th century and is the largest remaining single population of genetically pure bison.
The Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, everyday, to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo on their traditional winter habitat and advocate for their protection. Daily patrols stand with the buffalo on the ground they choose to be on and document every move made against them.
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* Buffalo Stampede Thunders through Nation's Capital
For the second straight year, the Yellowstone bison found strong voices in the streets of Washington DC and in the halls of Congress. BFC volunteers joined forces with DC-based groups to share the buffalo's plight with more than 70 U.S. Senators and Representatives. Our efforts generated coast to coast press coverage and kicked off a concerted push to permanently protect the Yellowstone herd. Many members of Congress, after watching BFC video footage and hearing stories inspired by our time in the field, agreed to take action to protect the bison.
Clouds and showers may have darkened the skies over Friday's rally, but no amount of rain could dampen the spirit and resolve of the more than fifty supporters who donned buffalo masks and marched across the National Mall to call attention to the ongoing slaughter and to ask the Department of Interior to uphold its congressional mandate to protect the Yellowstone herd under the Endangered Species Act. Like bison standing strong and facing into a storm, we braved the wind and rain as we made our way to the Interior Department to submit the more than 2,000 citizen letters supporting our efforts to get the Yellowstone herd listed. If you want to see a photo of the event and learn more about our efforts, visit our website:
www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/press02/050903.html
You can also check out our latest videos on the web. "Buffalo Hope" provides a good overview of the issues facing the Yellowstone bison and our efforts to protect them. "Shame on Yellowstone" documents the Park Service's slaughter of 231 wild buffalo inside Yellowstone National Park during the first week of March, 2003. The videos can be accessed at:
www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/politico00/footage.html
Special thanks to Bette and Nancy at The Humane Society of the United States, Rebecca and Jeff at The Fund for Animals, and Shipi and Mitch at Clear the Air. Thanks also to die-hard BFC supporters Dave and Donna C. and Jim M. And thank you all for taking the time to write such strong letters on behalf of the bison. Each and every one of you played an indispensable role in making this year's stampede such a thundering success!
For the Buffalo, Dan Brister BFC Project Director
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* Quick poll on ESA Protection for Yellowstone Bison
The Billings Gazette is currently running an opinion poll on whether bison in Yellowstone National Park should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Go to: www.billingsgazette.com to vote!
The Gazette and other regional papers have been covering the plight of the Yellowstone bison for a while. Let's keep the issue newsworthy!
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* Last Words
During yesterday's haze, our volunteers captured an interesting bit of dialogue from Park Service rangers hazing wild buffalo:
"Why don't we kick them on down to the river so they can get some water? That'd be the nice tree hugging thing to do, wouldn't it?"
They did NOT give the buffalo a chance to get some water by the river before hazing them further into the Park.
Buffalo Field Campaign PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 646-0070 buffalo@wildrockies.org