Greetings from Buffalo Nations for the week of Dec. 1,1997.
The last week around here has been a busy one. The highlight of the week was an aerial survey of bison in Yellowstone N.P. with Project Lighthawk.During the flyover 251 bison were found in the Cougar Creek drainage a mere 10 miles from the Yellowstone N.P. boundary. The good news is that the snow on the ground is still only 8-12 inches in most places. The bad news is, any significant snow will immediately drive these bison out of the park and into an emergency situation!
This is a critical time for the bison, and we hope that anyone who is considering coming out this winter will think about joining us as soon as possible in December.
We're continuing to patrol the park boundaries on a daily basis and as of today we still haven't seen any Dept. of Livestock vehicles in the area. There are 8 bison, very large bulls, outside of the park that haven't been harassed by D.O.L. yet.
We were helped out Thanksgiving weekend by 11 volunteers from the Americorps program out of Pocatello, Idaho. One of our regular volunteers is also coordinating field trips for schoolchildren should anyone wish to bring their class out here for a day to learn about the bison and what we do.
We've been getting a lot of support from people all over the place. We're especially thankful for the volunteers, the clothing and gear and the financial support. As we prepare for heavier snow, we are looking for a second snowmobile, 2 snowmobile cargo sleds/trailers, and a four-wheel drive vehicle or any donation to go toward the purchase of these items. We can offer a tax deduction for anyone willing to either donate or sell us these items.
We will use any donations of bulk foods and money to support the folks in the field.
A typical day includes a 5AM wake up and then out in the snow......
We can always use more folks in the field...contact us!
THANK YOU!
PO Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 phone
406-646-0071 fax buffalo@wildrockies.org
Note: After I received this UPDATE, I talked to the field office in West Yellowstone. The DOL was prepared to come out with their guns to shoot buffalo on Wednesday. This time they didn't...Park Service rangers and Buffalo Nations volunteers worked to haze them back into the Park. The killing was put off for one more day. Sadly, it appears thetime approaches for more slaughter...please forward this to others so that they can join our network of concerned folks. To receive 1-2 updates a month... email your name to <stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org>
********************************************************** CHECK IT OUT..... RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE WEB SITES INCLUDE:
The Washington Post -- Saturday, November 29, 1997; Page A16 Battle Grows Over Where the Yellowstone Buffalo Roam
Buffalo Nations Updates From the field.....
MUCH MORE
********************************************************* This is an all volunteer effort so thanks for your help! TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT OUR UPDATED SITE (12/97)
Lotsa easy email links and the most recent articles you can tell the folks responsible for this situation what you think!
Check out Buffalo Nations new site!
wow! http://www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo
Thank you! For the Buffalo! Mitakuye Oyasin (All My Relations)Dec. 4, 1997