Buffalo Field Campaign

News from the Field

January 23, 2003



In this issue:



* Update from the Field



* Buffalo News on TV



* Responding to Governor Martz



* Update on Government Brucellosis Eradication



* Last Words



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* Update from the Field



Dear friends and supporters...



The snow has arrived at last, covering the landscape in a soft white blanket. Winter finally feels like winter, which is a mixed blessing for the buffalo and us. More snow sends the buffalo wandering in search of winter forage. That wandering often leads them out of Yellowstone and into Montana's deadly political conflict. As if to remind us of this fact, yesterday we witnessed the first captures of the new year. Accompanying the captures was a confusing emotional rollercoaster ride for all of us.



The day started before sunrise with our patrols taking positions near some of the bull bison outside the Park. The usual motorcade of acronyms arrived--DOL (Department of Livestock), USFS (Forest Service), FWP (Fish, Wildlife & Parks), NPS (National Park Service), as well as county sheriffs and highway patrol officers--with an assortment of trucks, trailers, snowmobiles, and horses.



Just after sunrise, four bull bison were hazed near the Duck Creek Trap. The largest bull managed to escape just across the Park border, while the other three were hazed into the trap. The government agents then turned their attention to another two buffalo across the highway near Cougar Creek and the Bear Trap housing development. They hazed the first buffalo across the highway and toward the trap. Fortunately, he managed to slip across the border into the safety of Yellowstone. Unfortunately the other buffalo wasn't so lucky. He was also hazed across the highway and along the Park border. For nearly a mile he was pushed towards the trap and actively blocked by snowmobiles from crossing into the safety of the Park. It was a capture day--there would be no hazing into the Park.



All of us assumed that the four captured buffalo would be shipped to slaughter. The last 139 buffalo killed were not even tested for brucellosis. The last four buffalo killed this season were all bulls, which the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) considers to pose a "low risk" of brucellosis transmission to cattle. We all waited nervously as the buffalo were loaded onto trailers.



But then we had another surprise. Instead of heading north towards the slaughterhouse, the trailers moved south. Patrols followed the trailers as they moved out to Horse Butte and released the four bull buffalo. Agents on snowmobiles then proceeded to haze the buffalo further down the peninsula, deeper into the national forest, and even further from the Park. So at the end of the day, four buffalo were tested, tagged and shaved, and released about six miles outside the Park. The government managed to spend a day chasing and capturing buffalo and moving them from the proximity of Yellowstone to national forests much further away from the Park where they can be hazed again next week. Of course, the buffalo themselves were harassed, chased, trapped, confined, moved, and forced to expend much needed energy for surviving winter.



Today we will leave the buffalo in peace. Soon we will check to see how they are doing and how badly they were injured. It is hard to determine exactly why the DOL needs to harass bull bison in the middle of winter, when no cattle are present, but for now they appear to be following their plan very carefully. And despite the needless harassment of bull bison seeking winter forage, at least these four buffalo are roaming free today.



For the buffalo,

Ted



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* Buffalo News on TV



A few programs will air on television in the next weeks featuring BFC footage.



BFC will be on CNN this Saturday, January 25th at 12:00 noon Mountain Time. A short piece will air on CNN globally, so please spread the word. CNN journalists joined us in the field for an afternoon and also used some recent BFC footage from various events.



Brooklyn residents will have a chance to learn more about the buffalo by watching "Buffalo Soldier" on Brooklyn Cable Access Television. "Buffalo Soldier" will air on BCAT channels 34 and 67 on Friday, January 31st and Friday, February 7th at 6:30 PM. If you live in or near Brooklyn, NY, please spread the word so that more people learn about the senseless slaughter of the Yellowstone buffalo. Thanks to Carl Lawrence from Greenvision for producing the show.



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* Responding to Governor Martz



We have received a number of responses from last week's email, in which we quoted Judy Martz' response to our question about how she can justify Montana's policy of killing wild buffalo. Many folks expressed their gratitude for our dedication in the face of such government doublespeak. Others asked about the validity of Judy's call for bison vaccination. So here is our response to Judy...



First of all, I had an opportunity to try to continue the dialogue in person with the Governor. After her statement focusing on the risk to Montana's brucellosis free status, I informed her that a herd of cattle in Idaho contracted brucellosis from elk last year and that Idaho did not lose it's brucellosis free status. The Governor began to walk off. I continued that APHIS, the agency in charge of determining a state's brucellosis free status, does not agree with Montana's zero tolerance policy for wild bison. By this time Judy had left the room, leaving me wondering how many more buffalo would be killed under the political smoke-screen of "protecting Montana's brucellosis free status."



The buffalo slaughter is not about brucellosis. There has never been a single documented case of bison giving brucellosis to cattle in the wild. In Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, cattle and infected bison have intermingled for decades without jeopardizing Wyoming's brucellosis free status. As noted above, the last 139 buffalo killed in Montana were not even tested for the disease. The last four buffalo killed this season were bulls, which APHIS considers to pose a "low risk" of brucellosis transmission to cattle. Besides which, why are buffalo being killed in October and November when no cattle will be present in the area until at least June, if at all. Add to all these points the fact that the test the DOL uses is remarkably inaccurate and the high costs poured into a policy that affects less than 2000 head of cattle in the affected area, and you begin to see a pattern of refusing to accept reality.



As to vaccinating bison, as Governor Martz requested in her response, at present there is no safe and effective vaccine for wildlife. Furthermore, there is no way to deliver the vaccine without negatively impacting all wildlife in the area. It would be impossible to vaccinate every buffalo in the Park, let alone every member of every other species known to carry the bacteria (elk, bears, coyotes).



A far easier, more cost-effective approach, would be to focus on the cattle, which are routinely rounded up and vaccinated for a host of other diseases anyway. A fraction of the money being spent on the bison slaughter could be directed toward developing a safe and effective cattle vaccine, which would put the entire brucellosis argument to rest.



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* Update on Government Brucellosis Eradication



Below is some information, compiled by BFC board member Flo Gardipee, from a government panel that has been meeting periodically to discuss scientific issues related to brucellosis. Much of the information is fairly scientific. We will keep you updated on future developments.



The Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee (GYIBC) held its first meeting of the year last week in Bozeman. The meeting was attended by representatives from the various state and federal agencies, scientists, and interested public. Dr. Valerie Ragan, Assistant Deputy Administrator for APHIS, introduced discussion of plans to move forward with brucellosis elimination in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA). This directive was handed down from the Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Interior, who has set a target date of 2010 for this goal. Dr. Ragan emphatically reiterated that "test and slaughter" operations alone would not be on the table. Several members of the Executive Committee expressed concern that this new effort would duplicate the current function of the GYIBC. After lengthy discussion it was decided that APHIS, in conjunction with the GYIBC, would take the lead in planning a public meeting sometime early this spring. The purpose of this meeting would be to solicit input from all concerned public stakeholders regarding how to proceed towards brucellosis elimination in the GYA. Particular emphasis would be given to obtaining input from the 80 affiliated tribes who have a vested interest in YNP. The date and location for this meeting will be announced in the near future. We will include this information in a future update when we receive notification of this meeting.



Dr. Don Davis, of Texas A&M University, presented the latest results of research on a calfhood vaccination study to the GYIBC. The study, titled "Failure of RB51 as a calfhood bison vaccine against brucellosis," detected no observed differences in the number of live or dead calves between vaccinated and control groups. Non-vaccinated and one-time vaccinated bison calves were obtained from a private brucellosis free herd in South Dakota. A third group, vaccinated three times in calfhood (at 6, 12, and 18 months), was obtained from another herd in South Dakota. All bison naturally were bred at three years of age and challenged at mid-gestation with field strain 2308 brucellosis at a dose of 1 x 107 cfu via conjunctival inoculation. Results of this study are outlined below:



Numbers of live vs. dead bison calves following 2308 challenge:



GROUP LIVE CALVES Abortions/stillborns/dead calves



Non-vaccinated controls 18 9



1 x RB51 21 7

3 x RB51 20 8



Colonization of bison calves with strain 2308:



GROUP INFECTED CALVES NON-INFECTED CALVES



Non-infected calves 27 0



1 x RB51 28 0



3 x RB51 19 9





Dr. Tom Roffe discussed research on newly developed DNA vaccines and alternative delivery methods, such as micro-encapsulated vaccines which could be delivered through the oral and nasal mucosa. He also discussed ballistics problems of the "bio-bullet," which affect it's accuracy and range and suggested that further refinement is needed.



Montana Department of Livestock officials reported that they sent four seronegative bulls to slaughter last fall. The bulls were just outside of the park. One was shot in the field, three were captured and sent to slaughter. MDOL intends to continue use of the Card test alone (a qualitative test which determines the presence or absence of antibodies to brucellosis exposure) in the field for testing captured bison.



Research on the Fluorescent Polarization Assay (FPA), a quantitative test that determines the level of brucellosis antibodies present in a blood sample, is ongoing. Seronegative bison from a private herd are being used for the study. Scientists are evaluating both the sensitivity and specificity of this assay for detecting actual brucellosis infection in bison captured in the field. They want to insure that this method does not cross react with antibodies to other organisms, which may be present in blood samples. However, it will not be ready for use in the field this season.



Idaho is concerned about their brucellosis free status. Last spring migrating elk from feed grounds in Wyoming migrated into Idaho and transmitted field strain brucellosis to a cattle herd there. The owner of the herd had been feeding the elk alongside her cattle. The herd was killed and adjacent cattle herds were screened for brucellosis. No other reactors were found. The owner has replaced the cattle herd and erected a fence to keep out wildlife. Another outbreak in Idaho could jeopardize it's brucellosis free status. Since elk are vaccinated against brucellosis with strain 19 on Wyoming's feed grounds, there is a question of why these elk were infectious.



Rick Wallen, Bison Biologist for YNP, reported that Yellowstone's bison herd is in good shape this year. It has been a mild winter in the park and they are doing well. He also stated that most of the herd has remained near the interior of the park and reported adequate forage quality and quantity.



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* Last Words



The Peace of Wild Things



When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.



Wendell Berry

Buffalo Field Campaign

Special Update

01/24/03





Folks,



Your comments are urgently needed to protect potential buffalo habitat outside Yellowstone's western boundary. Please read the following information and send comments by the end of the day on Monday, January 27.



The Antelope Basin Environmental Assessment (EA) contains some interesting information. After the first edition of the EA came out in February 2002, there were a lot of negative comments on it, and the Beaverhead National Forest went back to work on it. On 5-15-02, the Bozeman Chronicle ran an editorial suggesting that Antelope Basin, if cattle grazing were to be suspended (Alternative C) or grazing were shifted to horses and/or sheep, would be prime summering and wintering grounds for bison.



Right now, there are about 11,225 Animal Unit Months (AUMs) allowed in the planning area and under Alternative A it would stay that way. Alternative B, the preferred Alternative, would reduce that number to about 10,453 AUMs. Alternative C suspends cattle grazing in the grazing allotments.



Antelope Basin is about 15 miles SW of Hebgen dam, not too far from Horse Butte, where the majority of bison slaughter has taken place in recent years. It is on the SE corner of the Gravelly Range between Cliff Lake and Raynolds Pass. Obviously, if you can graze 11,000+ cattle in the area, you could graze a lot of bison in the summer. They may even consider wintering there, instead of returning to Yellowstone, or migrate to there from Yellowstone in the winter as they did in 1997, only to be shot down by the Montana Dept. of Fish Wildlife and Parks.



This area also runs into the Centennial Valley area and the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area. To the west, north and south of Antelope Basin, there are three large roadless areas in the Gravelly, Snowcrest and Centennial Mountains, and huge basins in and between the three ranges. In other words, this could be an excellent area to consider for an expanding bison herd in search of new range.



Unfortunately, the Beaverhead NF has chosen to dodge the issue of bison habitat by concluding that because there are no bison there now, and that the Bison Management Plan for Yellowstone and Montana Environmental Impact Statement (BMP EIS) supposedly restricts bison to Yellowstone and a few minor areas outside of its boundaries, they aren't including analysis of bison or suitable habitat in its EA. The BMP EIS is an adaptive management plan, and can be revised to allow for bison migration or relocation to other areas under certain conditions.



Comments on the EA are due next Monday, January 27th, 2003 and either need to be postmarked and mailed to:



Mark Petroni, District Ranger

5 Forest Service Road

Ennis, MT 59729



--or emailed before close of business on the 27th to:

r1_b-d_comments@fs.fed.us (notice that's a number one in r1, and the spaces between are underscores.



Use the Subject: "Antelope Basin/Elk Lake AMPs in the subject line of your email.



Comments should include:



* Name, Address and telephone number, and organization represented, if any;

* The title of the document ("Antelope Basin/Elk Lake AMP Updates EA"), which the comments address; and

* Specific facts and supporting reasons for the District ranger to consider



Anonymous comments will be accepted and considered, however, those who submit anonymous comments may not have standing to appeal the decision on this EA.



Urge Mr. Petroni to decide on Alternative C, and to consider utilizing the habitat in the area for wild bison from Yellowstone.



The text of the EA is available online at:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bdnf/eas/ant_elk/ant_elk.htm



If you want to see a topographic map of the area, go to Topozone.com at:

http://www.topozone.com/map.aspz=12&n=4950747&e=462855&size=m. You can zoom in or out at Topozone, or pan sideways, cornerways, or up and down to see the surrounding area.



The editorial in the Bozeman Chronicle by Glenn Hockett can be viewed online at:

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2002/05/15/news1799.txt



"Bison migrated along the Madison River to the edge of the Antelope Basin during the winter of 1997 before they were gunned down by government agents acting on behalf of the livestock industry" --Glenn Hockett



An article in the Bozeman Chronicle, Jan. 30, 1997 entitled "Witnesses horrified by bison shoot," describes the end of the 22 mile journey from Yellowstone to Antelope Basin for 5 bison: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/1997/01/30/news35820.txt



Thanks,



Jim Coefield

Buffalo Field Campaign

News from the Field

January 30, 2003



In this issue:



* Update from the Field



* Make your conservation dollars double!



* Thanks for the Support



* What does "hazing" mean?



* Donate Vitamins to keep the Buffalo Defenders Healthy



* Last Words



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* Update from the Field



Dear friends and supporters...



It's been another week of hope and sadness, excitement and

disappointment -- another week of learning from the buffalo.



Late Wednesday afternoon two bull buffalo were captured at the Duck Creek Trap. It's been difficult for our Fir Ridge patrols, which have been in the field 24 hours a day, trying to keep the buffalo from wandering onto private property and into the trap. The buffalo, however, have been persistent and ultimately roam where they want to roam. Of course, the fact that the Department of Livestock (DOL) is baiting the trap with hay is certainly another draw to the buffalo. And so it is that many times buffalo wander over to the trap, eat some hay, bed down for the evening, and then run off in the morning when DOL agents arrive. It has been a difficult and tense cycle. Perhaps the buffalo are demonstrating their bravery, much like Native American warriors who would get close enough to their enemy to touch them with a "coup stick". Last week, this was the situation when three bull buffalo were captured and one escaped from near the Duck Creek Trap.



This Wednesday was similar. As more DOL agents arrived in town, two bull buffalo lingered near the trap. In a rather brief operation, agents on snowmobiles forced the buffalo into the trap. They remained there for two nights, ramming against the walls of the trap, trying to escape. However, there would be no escape for these bulls. This morning they were shipped off to slaughter. A spokesperson for the DOL said that they both tested positive for brucellosis. However, as many of you know, the test does not determine whether the bison actually have the disease, just whether they have been exposed to it. Montana has killed another two bull buffalo, considered "low risk" for brucellosis transmission, in the middle of winter when no cattle are present.



Yesterday was a day of more hope. Last Sunday the Yellowstone bison made the front page of the Sunday New York Times. BFC got a few paragraphs of ink, which generated more media attention. Yesterday morning Jonas and I took a crew from NBC nightly news into the field with us. And what an exciting day it was. The buildup of government agencies included the usual suspects--DOL, FWP (MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks), NPS (National Park Service) and Gallatin County Sheriffs--with snowmobiles, trucks and horses. Snowmobiles raced down the residential roads in search of buffalo. For a while it was a frenzy of noise and activity as suddenly and without warning the Lower Bear Trap housing development was turned into the site of a government operation.



Eventually, the government agents found a lone bull buffalo, after spooking a herd of about a dozen elk from a riparian area along Duck Creek. The bull was then hazed through a barbed wire fence at least four times as snowmobiles circled it in a sloppy effort to push the buffalo towards the Duck Creek Trap. The bull was hazed across the highway into the woods near the Yellowstone Park boundary where the chase continued on terrain more favorable to the persistent bull. After more confusion and waiting, agents closed Duck Creek Road in preparation for the final push to the trap. However when the bull was hazed onto the driveway, he turned and jumped a fence and disappeared back into the woods. The agents tried again, but eventually gave up, claiming that they had "successfully hazed the buffalo back into the Park." What really happened is that after running a bull buffalo for nearly three hours, the government agents were outwitted by a wise old warrior that fought to remain free.



The chaos of the day was captured by the NBC camera crew, and will hopefully be aired soon. We'll keep you updated about the time and date. For now, say your prayers for the two buffalo on their way to slaughter, and thanks to the one bull buffalo that escaped. May their spirits roam free, and the example of the one who outran the government agents spread to other buffalo this winter.



For the buffalo, Ted & Jonas



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* Make your conservation dollars double!



Greetings! Friends of the Buffalo!



I wanted to take a moment and tell you about a wonderful opportunity that we have. Our allies at Earth Friends have offered an impressive $1750 matching grant for the important work that we do.



Yellowstone's buffalo are the only wild, free roaming buffalo left. If they are not protected, that wildness will be lost. Buffalo in this ecosystem are the last remnant of the more than 60 million buffalo that once roamed North America. They are the most distinct and unique herd of buffalo on the planet and a critical reservoir of genetic diversity. As a keystone species, essential to the maintenance of native biodiversity within the Yellowstone ecosystem, they have immense ecological and evolutionary importance. By protecting this habitat, all the species that live here will benefit.



Over 1500 volunteers have walked through our doors. We have trained, outfitted, fed and housed them all. Each goes forth to other endeavors (many to other nonprofits) with great skills and integrity. We frugally stretch each donation--last year we fed the 350 volunteers that joined us healthy food for about 36 cents a meal! We have also been very successful in informing the public about the issue, and more importantly, what they can do to help affect lasting change. We follow up on our daily monitoring with successful "big picture" strategies such as litigation that holds public agencies accountable for their actions and scientific research to help secure a future for these majestic creatures and the ecosystem that they live in. We couldn't do it without support from concerned folks all over the country!



So if you can help out, your donation will be leveraged and doubled. Please consider making a donation! You can donate online at our website:



http://www.widlrockies.org/buffalo



or send your donation to:



BFC

PO Box 957

West Yellowstone, MT 59758



**** Please note: write "MATCH" in the memo



All donations are tax-deductible and we thank you for your support! We couldn't be here without you! Grassroots activism really does work--no fancy offices or high paid staff--just passionate individuals joining together!



Feel free to contact me with any questions.



For the Buffalo,

Su

bfc-programs@wildrockies.org



As an additional incentive, ten CD's are being offered to high donors. The CD's "Beauty in the Feast" were donated by the artist, Eldorado Gene. He describes the music as "an album of epic ballads." You can find out more about the CD at: www.eldoradogene.com



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* Thanks for the Support



Thank you to Allison Silveira and the Yellowstone Loons. Allison collected $705 in donations from folks in memory of James Musgrove, a great friend of wildlife and wild places. The contributions were collected in his memory by a group of "internet friends" known as the Yellowstone Loons.



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* What does "hazing" mean?



We often mention that government agents spent a day "hazing" bison. We thought we'd clear up the meaning of haze as we see it in the field, and also offer Webster's definition. Agents force buffalo to run, which is not their natural winter gait, as energy conservation is a top priority. According to Mary Meagher, who spent over 30 years studying the Yellowstone bison, for a buffalo to stand up in three feet of snow takes 35% more energy than it does during the warmer summer months. These animals are chased at high speeds, through barbed wire fences and waterways, and stressed by the unnaturally loud helicopters, snowmobiles and cracker rounds.



According to Webster's New World dictionary, haze is defined as "to oppress, punish or harass by forcing to do hard and unnecessary work. To initiate or discipline by forcing to do ridiculous, humiliating or painful things."



Hazing is wrong, just as shooting buffalo in the field or shipping them to slaughter is cruel and unjust. That the DOL regularly uses the word "haze" to describe their activities betrays their basic loathing for these magnificent beings.



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* Donate Vitamins to keep the Buffalo Defenders Healthy



In addition to keeping us well fed, our kitchen crew makes every effort to help us stay healthy. However, lately our supply of vitamins has been greatly diminished due to a "crud" that has been making the rounds in the cabin. So we are asking for donations of Vitamin C in 1000 mg capsules and any other vitamins for maintaining a healthy immune system, like Zinc and B complex.



Thanks you.



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* Last Words



What would the world be, once bereft

Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,

O let them be left, wildness and wet;

Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.



- Gerard Manley Hopkins





Buffalo Field Campaign

PO Box 957

West Yellowstone, MT 59758

(406) 646-0070

buffalo@wildrockies.org

Buffalo Field Campaign

Update From the Field

February 7, 2003



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In this Issue:





* Update from the Field



* Montana Agriculture Committee Passes a Resolution Urging Brucellosis Eradication



* Volunteers needed for Buffalo Exchange Fundraiser April 26th



*Boise Rock and Roll Benefit for the Buffalo Field Campaign





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*Update from the Field





Greetings Buffalo Supporters,



We skied out before sunrise to find them. When we did, they were still bedded down in a grove of pines beside a quiet river. As the first rays of sun tickled their backs they began to move, very slowly at first, like shadows. Later they were all on their feet, grazing in the snow as only bison can, with sweeping head-strides, plowing craters in the snowy floor of the meadow and exposing the life-giving grass hidden below.



Since October, the Montana Department of Livestock has killed seven bull buffalo. Bulls can't transmit brucellosis, the supposed reason behind Montana's slaughter of this most special herd of buffalo. Even if bulls could transmit, there are no cattle in the area, so there is zero chance of them contracting brucellosis.



Of the ten buffalo now outside the park, two have been shaved and tagged--signs that they were captured earlier this season, processed through the steel corridors of the DOL's Duck Creek trap, clamped in the hydraulic jaws at the end of the squeeze chute, and prodded, poked, shaved and syringed by men with no training in wildlife biology.



With ten buffalo facing potential capture, we were happy when our shift ended without the appearance of a single Department of Livestock (DOL) snowmobile. Relieved, we returned to the cabin at the end of our shift and went to work, as we do every day, to raise support for the buffalo and bring about an end to the needless killing.



Below you will find updates on some crucial issues facing the buffalo and ways you can become involved. The Yellowstone herd needs your help.



With the Buffalo,



Dan Brister

Project Coordinator

Buffalo Field Campaign





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* Montana Agriculture Committee Passes a Resolution Urging Brucellosis Eradication



On February 11, after very short notice, House Joint Resolution No. 15 was introduced before the Montana House Agriculture Committee. The purpose of the Resolution is to urge the federal government to expedite the process of brucellosis elimination in the Yellowstone National Park bison and elk herds. Testimony before the committee consisted of brief statements in favor of the Resolution by Jeff Hageman, Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and Arnold Gertonson, Montana's State Veterinarian, among others. Supporting testimony repeated old arguments that brucellosis in bison presents an imminent threat to Montana's livestock industry, and that herd population size and brucellosis should be dealt with inside Yellowstone National Park by the Park Service. Representative Wagman, the author of Resolution 15, stated that by eliminating brucellosis in Yellowstone bison, brucellosis in the region's elk would naturally disappear. No evidence was presented to support this assertion.



Opposition to Resolution 15 was voiced by Jim Coefield of the Ecology Center, Josh Osher, of the Buffalo Field Campaign, and Will Patrick, of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, among others. The opponents of Resolution 15 stressed the very low risk of transmission that bison present to cattle, the necessity of recognizing that wild bison exist in Montana and should be treated as wildlife, and the benefits of wild bison in Montana as a source of tourism revenue. Opposition to Resolution 15 also focused on alternatives to protecting Montana livestock such as development of a better vaccine for cattle and expanding rangeland adjacent to Yellowstone National Park by offering incentives for ranchers to remove cattle from the area.



After nearly an hour and a half of testimony and questions from the committee members, the House Agriculture Committee approved Resolution 15 in a fifteen to one vote. The Resolution will now move to the full House for hearings and a vote. It is very important that supporters of wildlife voice opposition to Resolution 15.



The federal government and the state of Montana are already in the process of developing a new plan for eradicating brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This plan would call for a massive program of capture, test, slaughter, and quarantine for bison, elk, and numerous other wildlife species known to carry brucellosis. The new plan would call for this program to be carried out both inside Yellowstone National Park and in the surrounding areas. The result would be the end of the Yellowstone bison and elk as free-roaming wild herds and an unprecedented disturbance to the entire Yellowstone ecosystem.





Everyone who cares about wild bison and elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) should take a few moments to ask Federal officials to support wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.



Call the Department of Agriculture and make the following points:



Bill Hawkes

Undersecretary of Agriculture

(202) 720-4256

bill.hawkes@usda.gov



Tell him:



* Brucellosis eradication is impossible without destroying the wildness of bison and elk in the GYE.



* It would be easier and more effective to protect cattle through the development of a livestock vaccine than it would to subject Yellowstone's wildlife to a regime of capture, test, quarantine, and slaughter.



* Tell them you don't want the Montana livestock industry to control the fate of Yellowstone's irreplaceable wildlife.





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* Volunteers needed for Buffalo Exchange Fund-raiser on April 26th



The Buffalo Exchange is celebrating Earth Day for the second consecutive year by generously hosting a fund-raiser for the Buffalo Field Campaign on April 26th. Stores across the West and in Philadelphia will host information tables and donate special proceeds to the Buffalo Field Campiagn.



We are in need of volunteers to hand out information and answer questions at the stores in various cities. If you live in or near the following and would like to help, please contact Justine at: buffalo@wildrockies.org



Albuquerque, NM

Austin, TX

Berkeley, CA

Boise, ID

Boulder, CO

Dallas, TX

Denver, CO

Eugene, OR

Flagstaff, AZ

Houston, TX

Las Vegas, NV

Los Angeles, CA

Philadelphia, PA

Phoenix, AZ

Portland, OR

Sacramento, CA

San Diego, CA

San Francisco, CA

Seattle, WA

Tucson, AZ

Tempe, AZ





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*Boise Rock and Roll Benefit for the Buffalo Field Campaign



Who: Doug Martsch (of Built to Spill), The Magnetics, and others (TBA)

What: A benefit concert to support the work of the Buffalo Field Campaign

When: Thusday February 20th,

Where: the Mardi Gras, 9th and River, downtown Boise





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Buffalo Field Campaign

PO Box 957

West Yellowstone, MT 59758

(406) 646-0070

buffalo@wildrockies.org

www.wildrockies.org/buffalo

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Colorado middle school class witnesses bison capture



For Immediate Release: February 19, 2003

Contacts: Ted Fellman, Jonas Ehudin (406) 646-0070



West Yellowstone, MT -- Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) agents hazed and captured 9 bull buffalo grazing on national forests along the Madison River while a middle school class watched nearby. The students from Sojourner Middle School in Boulder, CO have been researching the Yellowstone bison slaughter in preparation for their weeklong field trip to the Buffalo Field Campaign. Rangers from Yellowstone National Park, the US Forest Service, and game wardens with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks assisted the DOL agents in pushing the bulls over 9 miles to Duck Creek where they were captured.



Most of the students saw their first wild buffalo today. "It was nice to see their last free moments in the wild," said Analee Perez, an 8th grader from the Sojourner School, "but they were not treated like wild animals, but like livestock."



"I felt sad because the DOL ran the buffalo for ten miles alongside the highway. The buffalo were not females, they were males, and the males are not able to transmit brucellosis," remarked Noe Molina, another Sojourner student in the 7th grade, "For me, it was difficult to watch the buffaloŠ the leaders of the group tired, with their tongues hanging out, without energy and scared by the snowmobiles."



The bull bison had been grazing peacefully on national forest land outside of Yellowstone National Park for over a week. Montana justifies its "bison management" activities in response to threats of brucellosis transmission to cattle from wild bison. There are currently no cattle present in the area, and ranchers will not bring cattle onto private ranch land for several months. Bull bison are considered to pose a "low risk" of brucellosis transmission by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Two of the bulls were already marked, signifying that they have been captured, tested negative for brucellosis exposure, and released previously by the DOL.



At least 11 snowmobiles and 3 law enforcement vehicles were involved in the capture. While Montana faces an enormous budget deficit, the Montana Department of Livestock continues to spend tax dollars every week hazing, capturing and killing wild bison. The DOL has spent nearly $3.5 million since 1996 on bison management operations that have killed 1,827 wild 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.



Video footage is available upon request.

Buffalo Field Campaign

News from the Field

February 20, 2003



Apologies for the duplicate email. Our earlier email was an unfinished version. This is the completed update.



In this issue:



* Update from the Field



* Colorado Middle School Witnesses Bison Capture



* Sojourner School Shares Life Lessons at Buffalo Field Campaign



* Calls and Letters Needed to Oppose Montana Bill to Allow Sport Hunting of Bison



* Bozeman Benefit on March 9th



* Last Words



----------------------------------



* Update from the Field



Dear friends and supporters...



We bring a close to this week with a mixture of emotions, from joy to outrage, and with much good news to balance the bad. We are thankful that it has been a week of visits and field trips, with a Sierra Club chapter from Missoula journeying here last weekend to learn more about the Yellowstone bison. Also with us last weekend were the Great Old Broads for Wilderness - a group of feisty eco-defenders of all ages and genders who, "use the voices and activism of elders to increase, protect and preserve wilderness." Check out their website: www.greatoldbroads.org



Our star visitors, without a doubt, have been the students and teachers from Sojourner Middle School in Boulder, Colorado. I cannot do their experience justice with a few lines here in this update, but here's an example of the dedication and heart of these incredible young people: their caravan pulled in just before midnight on Monday, and by 10am on Tuesday, the twelve students had already witnessed their first bison capture, and were standing together with signs and cameras, trying to get DOL agents and law enforcement officers to answer their questions about bison management. They have been a true blessing -- their laughter and energy have rejuvenated our spirits. Look for their words elsewhere in this update and please take a moment to learn of the potential fate of their school.



It has been a difficult week here too, as each of us, from Great Old Broad to youthful Sojourner, has been forced to accept the death of six more wild bull buffalo. During the haze witnessed by the students, 9 bison were captured (see our press release below). The next day, after a long night of captivity and its related injuries, four were released onto Horse Butte, delivered by the DOL almost to the same lands they had peacefully grazed upon the day before. Six were loaded into cramped trailers and driven to the slaughterhouse, to be held in fear until the moment of their horribly unjust fate. We hold those six brave teachers in our hearts, and will work to defend those remaining wild and free buffalo.



For the buffalo,

Jonas Ehudin & Ted Fellman

Media Coordinators

Buffalo Field Campaign



----------------------------------



* Colorado Middle School Witnesses Bison Capture



West Yellowstone, MT -- Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) agents hazed and captured 9 bull buffalo grazing on national forests along the Madison River while a middle school class watched nearby. The students from Sojourner Middle School in Boulder, CO have been researching the Yellowstone bison slaughter in preparation for their weeklong field trip to the Buffalo Field Campaign. Rangers from Yellowstone National Park, the US Forest Service, and game wardens with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks assisted the DOL agents in pushing the bulls over 9 miles to Duck Creek where they were captured.



Most of the students saw their first wild buffalo today. "It was nice to see their last free moments in the wild," said Analee Perez, an 8th grader from the Sojourner School, "but they were not treated like wild animals, but like livestock."



"I felt sad because the DOL ran the buffalo for ten miles alongside the highway. The buffalo were not females, they were males, and the males are not able to transmit brucellosis," remarked Noe Molina, another Sojourner student in the 7th grade, "For me, it was difficult to watch the buffaloŠ the leaders of the group tired, with their tongues hanging out, without energy and scared by the snowmobiles."



The bull bison had been grazing peacefully on national forest land outside of Yellowstone National Park for over a week. Montana justifies its "bison management" activities in response to threats of brucellosis transmission to cattle from wild bison. There are currently no cattle present in the area, and ranchers will not bring cattle onto private ranch land for several months. Bull bison are considered to pose a "low risk" of brucellosis transmission by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Two of the bulls were already marked, signifying that they have been captured, tested negative for brucellosis exposure, and released previously by the DOL.



At least 11 snowmobiles and 3 law enforcement vehicles were involved in the capture. While Montana faces an enormous budget deficit, the Montana Department of Livestock continues to spend tax dollars every week hazing, capturing and killing wild bison. The DOL has spent nearly $3.5 million since 1996 on bison management operations that have killed 1,827 wild 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.



----------------------------------



* Sojourner School Shares Life Lessons at Buffalo Field Campaign



From Lee Azar, a teacher with Sojourner Middle School:



This trip to the Buffalo Field Campaign has been a really powerful way to start ending our school's short history. As a charter school in the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, we have been given a lot of autonomy and flexibility in creating and implementing our curriculum. We believe the most meaningful and lasting learning comes from service and through our trips. Our students have studied civil rights in the South, and some of our students are right now looking at community-sustainability and endangered species in Baja, Mexico.



At the Buffalo Field Campaign we have learned about activism and seen democracy in action. How can a civics teacher and textbook in the classroom compete with the lesson taught by the Montana Department of Livestock, the West Yellowstone Sheriff's Department, and the Forest Service on Tuesday? Sojourner students politely and inquisitively asked officials their serious and legitimate questions about the buffalo hazing and capture only to be met by a stonewall of silence, stern faces, and police barricades. Compare that to the Buffalo Field Campaign's nightly meetings, which are based upon consensus and volunteerism, and you have a very personal lesson on democracy that students will carry with them for life.



We have studied biology in preparation for our trip, experienced cold-weather and simple living, learned survival skills, and had physical education class snowshoeing to Houdini's Meadow or going on early morning patrol to Fir Ridge. We studied geography as we learned about where the buffalo choose to roam and where the patrols go and we have been writing and talking and thinking since we arrived.



Unfortunately, Sojourner also has some of the lowest state- administered test scores in Colorado, and our low-income students have been labeled, along with the school, as "unsatisfactory." Our compassionate, resilient, engaged students often struggle with reading, writing and other "basic skills." These factors, as well as an acute lack of funding, have left us little choice but to close our doors at the end of this school year.



Our students, however, will continue to be Sojourners wherever they go and this experience with the Buffalo Field Campaign will contribute to creating empowered and passionate young people who will continue working to create a more just world.



For more information on Sojourner Middle School, call us at 303-494-9210 or email Lee Lazar at lazar@bvsd.k12.co.us



---------------------------------



* Calls and Letters Needed to Oppose Montana Bill to Allow Sport Hunting of Bison



Senate Bill 395, introduced by Montana Senator Gary Perry (R-SD 16) and assigned to the Montana Senate Fish and Game Committee, will open a sport hunting season on bison in the state of Montana under the guise of disease control.



The bill, if passed, will immediately allow the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MDFWP) to issue special licenses to hunt bison when authorized by the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL). The bill instructs the MDFWP to adopt rules in cooperation with the MDOL that provide for, among other things, license drawing procedures, notification of license recipients as to when and where they may hunt, possession limits and transportation and exportation requirements. A copy of the text of the bill can be found at:

http://laws.leg.state.mt.us/pls/laws03/LAW0203W$BSRV.ActionQuery?P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&P_BILL_NO=395&P_BILL_DFT_NO=&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SBJ_DESCR=&P_SBJT_SBJ_CD=&P_LST_NM1=&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ



More than a decade ago, Montana stopped bison hunting due to enormous public outcry stemming from national media coverage of hunters shooting bison as they left the boundaries of Yellowstone Park. Having no fear of human presence after years of Park protection, the bison did not try to escape their gruesome fate and were gunned down at point blank range. Despite the firing line advantage, many animals suffered terribly prolonged deaths (15 minutes or more) due to hunter ineptitude, shocking the national public and contributing to a negative image of hunters and hunting. Sport hunting animals who have no fear of people can in no way be characterized as "fair chase" and should be condemned by hunters and nonhunters alike. Montana must not repeat the mistakes of the past.



Montana residents should contact your state Senator and Representative IMMEDIATELY and ask that they vote NO on Senate Bill 395. To find out who your legislators are or for contact information, please visit the following link:

http://action.fund.org/directory/



In addition to contacting your own representatives, please send a message to members of the Senate Fish and Game Committee. A list of members can be found at:

http://leg.state.mt.us/content/committees/standing/2003_senate_committees.pdf Currently, the bill is scheduled to be heard in this committee on February 25, 2003.



For those people living outside Montana, please leave a message for all Montana legislators expressing your opposition to this bill by calling 406-444-4800 or by visiting the following website for e-mail addresses for all Montana legislators:

http://leg.state.mt.us/css/sessions/58th/Roster.asp?HouseID=2&SessionID=80



Points you may want to make to legislators:



* Opening up a hunting season on Yellowstone bison will seriously damage the image of Montana, hunters and hunting in the eyes of the general public. These animals are accustomed to human presence. Hunting an animal with no fear of people is unsporting and unethical.



* Hunting bison allegedly for disease control purposes lacks scientific basis. Given that there has never been a documented case of bison transmitting the disease brucellosis to livestock in the wild, there is no justification for hunting bison for disease "management." To claim otherwise, is to mislead the public and to cave in to the unsubstantiated fears of the livestock industry.



* Allowing sport hunters to kill and remove bison will negatively impact numerous species in the Yellowstone ecosystem, including imperiled species such as the grizzly bear, by reducing the potential number of bison carcasses that these animals rely on in order to survive.



* Yellowstone bison are genetically unique. From studies recently conducted, this herd may be the only wild bison in America not tainted with cattle genes. The carnage of the last century when bison were virtually eliminated by market and recreational hunters to subdue and conquer Native American cultures should serve as a reminder that these magnificent animals deserve our protection today both inside and outside park boundaries.



Andrea Lococo

Rocky Mountain Coordinator

The Fund for Animals

P.O. Box 11294

Jackson, WY 83002

Telephone 307) 859-8840

Fax 307) 859-8846

www.fund.org





HR 15, the Resolution to expedite brucellosis eradication reported in last week's update has passed through the House and was sent to the Senate on Monday. No hearing date has been set yet. If you are a Montana resident, please contact your state senator to voice your opposition to this resolution as well.



---------------------------------



**** Bozeman Benefit on March 9th!!



The Buffalo Field Campaign and our supporters invite you to a benefit event to celebrate the wild bison of Yellowstone National Park.



Join us in Bozeman at the Emerson Cultural Center on Sunday, March 9, 2003 from 3 PM until late. We'll have improvisational comedy, children's activities, copious bison footage, great food, an open mic, and live, local music from bands such as Andrew Gromiller & The Organically Grown, Wayne Stevens, Spruce, Joe Man, O.B.1 and The Force, Two Handed People and others (perhaps even a BFC band!)



Learn about the struggle of the Yellowstone bison and our efforts to protect them. We also welcome local environmental and social justice activists to set up tables and share your information. Admission will be free for tablers.



This is an event for the entire family, so bring the gang and we'll see you there.



Entry will be by suggested donation, on a sliding scale basis.



For more information about this event, please call (406) 646-0070 or

e-mail bfc-media@wildrockies.org



And spread the word to those you know in the Bozeman area!





Also, thanks to the great city of Boise, Idaho for hosting an incredible benefit show tonight (details next week) and keep your eyes peeled for info on a BFC Film Festival in Missoula in early April!



----------------------------------



* Last Words



What do the bison mean to you?



"They mean solidarity, they mean peace, they're gentle and nice creatures and they're just innocent."



from Casey Williams, Sojourner student



Buffalo Field Campaign

PO Box 957

West Yellowstone, MT 59758

(406) 646-0070

buffalo@wildrockies.org

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

I will be posting articles on the Yellowstone region on the discussion forum, especially AP stories reported in the Casper Star-Tribune. This paper has a lot of useful stories, especially from the Grand Teton region, but they roll their stories off every few days. I want them up much longer. This discussion forum only rolls off as it gets too large.




Jim

Buffalo Field Campaign

News from the Field

February 27, 2003



In this issue:



* Update from the Field



* Sport Hunting of Bison Off Target (Legislative Updates)



* Buffalo Exchange Earth Day Benefit for BFC



* Help Keep the Buffalo Volunteers Warm



* Thanks for your Support



* Bozeman Benefit on March 9th



* Last Words



----------------------------------



* Update from the Field



Dear friends and supporters...



It has been a peaceful, yet cold, week for the buffalo. Temperatures have dropped to -30 degrees Fahrenheit several mornings this week. Volunteers along the Madison River have recounted stories of the river freezing over and then cracking and thawing with the mid-day sun - a truly rare event, even in these chilly parts. Perhaps the cold has kept the whole Department of Livestock entourage away for the week, since only a few agents showed up for brief errands and snowmobile rides in the area.



Meanwhile, the buffalo continue to seek winter forage to survive the extreme cold of winter. We have observed some of the tagged buffalo in the field, having survived the harassment of last week: being hazed over 9 miles, captured and confined, put in a headlock for testing, transported to Horse Butte where they were released and hazed another few miles to the end of the peninsula. Even the brucellosis free bison have to endure harassment at the hands of the DOL.



For the buffalo,



Ted Fellman

Media Coordinator

Buffalo Field Campaign



----------------------------------



* Sport Hunting of Bison Off Target (Legislative Updates)



On Tuesday, February 25, the Senate Fish and Game Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 395, Sport hunting of wild buffalo as a management tool. With little debate, Senators passed the bill without amendment, completely ignoring the concerns voiced by both supporters and opponents of the bill.



While it is a good sign that we are looking into new ways of managing Yellowstone buffalo, a hunt is not the appropriate step to take at this time. There are several steps the State must take before a hunt can be considered a viable management option. First, wild buffalo must be designated as wildlife in Montana and management authority be transferred from Montana Department of Livestock (MDoL) to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP). Second, range land within Montana must be created for wild buffalo so that the species can grow to sustainable levels and truly be free-ranging wild animals. Third, Montana must recognize the federal definition of low-risk wild bison. Fourth, agreements must be reached in cooperation with federal agencies whose participation is essential for the success of any changes in the Joint Bison Management Plan (JBMP). When all of these conditions are met, then a hunt can be considered as a tool to manage bison populations in Montana.



Senate Bill 395, Sport hunting of wild buffalo, is packaged as part of a disease control program, consistent with the Joint Bison Management Plan. The stated goals of this plan are to insure free-ranging wild bison and to prevent the spread of brucellosis from bison to domestic cattle. There has never been a documented transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle in the wild. Federal standards consider most wild bison a low-risk for transmission. Montana is not at risk of losing class-free brucellosis status because of infected Yellowstone bison. In fact, last year in Idaho, a documented case of transmission from elk to cattle did not jeopardize Idaho's class-free brucellosis status. This hunting bill does nothing to insure free-ranging wild buffalo or to address Montana's concerns about brucellosis transmission. This is simply a measure to control migrations of buffalo out of Yellowstone National Park by appeasing a minority hunting interest (The Montana Wildlife Federation did not endorse this bill) and to take pressure off of the MDoL for their part in killing Yellowstone bison.



According to SB 395, the MDoL would establish the terms for when, where, and which animal would be hunted. FWP would then issue a permit. There are no provisions in SB395 to insure a "fair-chase" hunt, a condition that all of the hunting interests in support of the bill required for their approval. Concerns were also raised about the need for MDoL's involvement in a hunt. Elk carry and have transmitted brucellosis but are not under MDoL authority.



Additionally, Montana is currently obligated by federal and state law to participate in the Joint Bison Management Plan. The plan that Montana agreed to specifically excludes hunting as a management tool. Initiation of a hunt would be a violation of both state and federal law, forcing the federal agencies to withdraw their participation in the Plan. This action would lead to a lengthy court battle and would cost Montana taxpayers a small fortune. Currently, the State contributes less than $3,000 of the million plus that is spent on bison management. If Montana were to lose federal support, it would also lose federal funding. There would also be public outcry over a bison hunt that could lead to costly tourism boycotts of Montana. Tourism is Montana's second largest and fastest growing industry.



SB 395 will lead Montana down a path that we have traveled before with dire consequences; massive public outcry, costly lawsuits, high costs to taxpayers, and a big black-eye for the State. I urge you all to call your State Senators and Representatives and voice opposition to SB 395.



Joshua Osher

Legal Coordinator

BFC-advocate@wildrockies.org



-- Information on Contacting Montana Legislators



The phone number for the Montana Legislative Information Office is (406) 444-4800. At this number you can receive information related to the session, and leave messages for legislators.



FAX numbers:

House of Representatives (406) 444-1865.

Senate (406) 444-4875.



Session mailing addresses:

Representative _______

MT House of Representatives

PO Box 200400

Helena MT 59620-0400



Senator ________

MT Senate

PO Box 200500

Helena MT 59620-0500



You can send a message to a legislator online. There is a web form as well as links to many legislators' personal email addresses available online at:

http://leg.state.mt.us/css/sessions/58th/default.asp



We will, of course, keep you informed as this bill reaches the floor of the Montana Senate or House of Representatives.



* Also, House Joint Resolution 15, the Resolution asking the federal government to expedite brucellosis elimination in bison will be heard in the Montana Senate Agriculture committee on March 10th in room 422 at 3pm. Any letters, calls, or personal testimonies would help the buffalo.



----------------------------------



* Buffalo Exchange Earth Day Benefit for BFC



Thank you to all BFC supporters for your timely and enthusiastic response to our open call for volunteers to help with this year's Buffalo Exchange Earth Day Benefit! It has been an inspiration to us here in the field, to know our extended BFC family is ready and willing to help in whatever capacity necessary.



The Buffalo Exchange will be hosting an all day, Earth Day, benefit for the BFC at their 28 stores in 11 states on Saturday, April 26, 2003. We have heard from willing volunteers from all but four cities. Please contact me at buffalo@wildrockies.org if you can help out in Dallas, Flagstaff, Las Vegas, or Sacramento. For those of you who have already expressed interest in participating, please bear in mind that it is an all day event and that several cities have more than one store to cover, as outlined below.



Phoenix/Tempe 2 metro area stores; 1 Buffalo Kids store

Bay Area 2 San Francisco stores; 1 Berkley store

Tucson 4 stores

San Diego 2 stores

Portland 2 stores



Other stores include: Seattle, Eugene, Boise, Philadelphia, Denver, Boulder, Albuquerque, Austin, Houston, and Bozeman.



If you have not yet responded but would like to help, don't be shy -- the more the merrier and the more effective this benefit will be. In addition, there are opportunities to help promote the event even if you cannot table on April 26. We could use assistance with posting fliers, getting out petitions, recruiting volunteers to table the event, community outreach before and/or after the event, etc. All Buffalo Exchange store managers will receive a video from the BFC entitled "Why We Exist". All interested volunteers are welcome to use this video and other promotional materials to organize a presentation in your local community and to educate Buffalo Exchange employees as to the perils facing our wild buffalo. To find the Buffalo Exchange location nearest you, go to buffaloexchange.com, go to location, then all stores. To access more information about the event go to buffalo news at the Buffalo Exchange web site -- you will find a link to the BFC there as well.



Thank you, again, for your commitment to our nation's last wild buffalo! Whether in the field or in your local community, any effort to change the current mistreatment of wild bison is important and just! Please contact me with any further questions and/or concerns.



For the Buffalo,



Justine Sanchez

Volunteer Coordinator

buffalo@wildrockies.org



----------------------------------



* Help Keep the Buffalo Volunteers Warm



As the winter progresses, our gear supplies are diminishing. Thank you to everyone who has helped us in the past by sending us gear to keep us warm and mobile in the field. Our gear gets very well used by all of our volunteers, and so it is that we are putting out another call for winter gear.



Here are a few of the things that we need:

… Winter boots. Boots need to be able to withstand extreme cold, like the -30 degree temperatures we have experienced lately.

… Wool pants. Wool pants are the survival gear of choice for our volunteers in the field. Old wool pants can often be found in Army/Navy surplus stores.

… Long underwear bottoms. We can use any polypropelene thermal bottoms. Please no cotton - it gets wet in the field.

… Long ski poles for cross country skiing. Please only send functional poles, i.e. no broken baskets.

… Also, if anyone has a good functioning sewing machine that they are no longer using, we could use it for repairing our gear. Please call or email first so that we don't get more than we can use (just for the sewing machine, that is).



Thank you in advance for any gear donations that will help us stay in the field all winter long.



----------------------------------



* Thanks for your Support



Thanks to Felixa and Jib from Minneapolis for the bulk herbs. Thanks as well to the Sisters of Camelot for donating the bulk food.



----------------------------------



* Bozeman Benefit on March 9th



The Buffalo Field Campaign and our supporters invite you to a benefit event to celebrate the wild bison of Yellowstone National Park.



Join us in Bozeman at the Emerson Cultural Center on Sunday, March 9, 2003 from 3 PM until late. We'll have improvisational comedy, children's activities, copious bison footage, great food, an open mic, and live, local music from bands such as Andrew Gromiller & The Organically Grown, Wayne Stevens, Spruce, Joe Man, O.B.1 and The Force, Two Handed People and others including the Buffalo Field Orchestra.



Learn about the struggle of the Yellowstone bison and our efforts to protect them. We also welcome local environmental and social justice activists to set up tables and share your information. Admission will be free for tablers.



This is an event for the entire family, so bring the gang and we'll see you there.



Entry will be by suggested donation, on a sliding scale basis.



For more information about this event, please call (406) 646-0070 or e-mail bfc-media@wildrockies.org



And spread the word to those you know in the Bozeman area!



----------------------------------



* Last Words



I have stood with the buffalo.

I have felt their spirit

Move through me like the wind.

Their presence I can feel

In the contours of these mountains,

In every tree,

In every bush,

In every willow,

Every track,

In my soul.

I have looked deep into their eyes

And felt their power

Run through me like

The river from which banks they have fed off,

And I too have been nurtured.

And in my hand, I have held their hair

Plucked from the side of a tree.

And I can see that it is no different from mine,

And I know that we are brothers.



I have seen the meaning of non-violent resistance,

In the face of hatred and ignorance,

In the face of oppression

I have been moved to tears

By the beauty of their gentle nature,

Their resilience - their determination.

And I am learning from them the meaning of patience,

Of love and of living the way they know is rightfully theirs,

Even if it means Death -

And I know I am only beginning to understand.



--Román Sanchez, BFC volunteer





Buffalo Field Campaign

PO Box 957

West Yellowstone, MT 59758

(406) 646-0070

buffalo@wildrockies.org

Special Update from Gardiner, Montana

3/4/03





Dear friends and supporters of the buffalo,



For the first time since the 1996-1997 season, Yellowstone National Park has reopened the Stephens Creek buffalo trap, which is inside the Park near the north entrance. Yesterday, agents from the Park and the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) captured over 100 buffalo there, and as I write this they are being driven in several trailers to area slaughterhouses. The trap can hold 125 bison, and after sending approximately 50 bison to slaughter today, the Park rounded up the other 60+ bison in the area. As many as 50 more bison will be driven to their death tomorrow. In a matter of hours, this has become the most disastrous season for the bison in the last five years.



In response to the building tension in the Gardiner area, five BFC volunteers traveled to there on Monday morning. They were present during the capture yesterday and were even allowed to document the activities inside the trap. Marsha Karle, Park spokesperson, granted access to the operation for two members of our film crew. Today, access was denied to all but a Park journalist for the reason of overall safety. We have been assured that a media tour and opportunity to gather more footage will be made available tomorrow.



This is a hard day for us all. We send our thoughts and prayers out to you, our worldwide circle of support, and look forward to the day when we will put a stop to the killing.



For the buffalo,

Jonas Ehudin & Ted Fellman

Media Coordinators





Today's press release:



Yellowstone National Park Sends Over 100 Wild Bison to Slaughter; Over 60 More Buffalo Captured Today



For Immediate Release: March 4, 2003

Gardiner contact: Mike Mease (406) 848-7414

West Yellowstone contacts: Ted Fellman, Jonas Ehudin (406) 646-0070



Gardiner, MT - Yellowstone National Park sent approximately 47 wild bison to slaughter today without testing them for brucellosis. Over 100 buffalo were captured yesterday inside the Park at the Stephens Creek trap near the north entrance. A similar number of captured buffalo will be shipped to slaughter tomorrow. Over 60 buffalo in the area near the trap were hazed and captured today. The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) assisted with the operations.



Trailers with heavy police escort moved the buffalo through Gardiner this morning on their way to the slaughterhouses. Mike Mease, a Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) coordinator, was on the scene. "The Lamar Valley herd was almost completely wiped out back in 1997 and now these bison are being killed off again inside Yellowstone National Park without even being tested, " said Mease. "There are over 50 native tribes that have requested live bison to be introduced onto their reservations, and yet the state of Montana considers killing to be the only solution."



Since the Winter of 1996-1997 when 1,084 wild bison were killed, the National Park Service (NPS) has taken a back seat to the Department of Livestock as the lead agency for bison management activities in Montana. The DOL has spent over $3 million since 1996 on bison management operations that have killed 1,833 wild bison. The NPS is one of five federal and state agencies bound by the Interagency Bison Management Plan. The plan has a $45 million budget for 15 years. This is the first time since 1997 that wild bison have been captured at the Stephens Creek trap north of Gardiner. This is also the first time since 1997 that the Park Service has been the lead agency in a capture and slaughter operation.



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. "An estimated 60 million wild bison once roamed this continent, and now 4,000 is considered too many?" remarked BFC volunteer Larry Godby.



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.



Video footage is available upon request.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

I will be posting articles on the Yellowstone region on the discussion forum, especially AP stories reported in the Casper Star-Tribune. This paper has a lot of useful stories, especially from the Grand Teton region, but they roll their stories off every few days. I want them up much longer. This discussion forum only rolls off as it gets too large.




Jim