Buffalo Field Campaign
Update 4/22/10: APHIS on Horse Butte, Last Day for Mother’s Day Cards
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
April 22, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* LAST DAY to Order Mother’s Day Cards!
* Urgent! Take Three Minutes to Help BFC Today!
* Watch the Genesis Awards: Honoring Animal Defense Media
* Help Buffalo by Spending an Evening with Jackson Browne
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Update from the Field
Baby buffalo with its mom. BFC file photo.
Along Yellowstone’s western boundary, the Duck Creek, Cougar Creek and Madison River corridors are flowing with the migration of the country’s last wild buffalo. Buffalo families, solitary bulls, and bachelor bull groups beautifully ignore the ecologically meaningless man-made boundaries between Yellowstone and Montana as they spiral through this tiny fraction of their native homeland. As they gently graze the new spring grasses, they are taking a lead role in healing the wounded land that suffers in their absence. And in so doing, they also lift our spirits. Volunteers have been engaged in a total celebration of buffalo, and this week, we were gifted with the sightings of two newborn calves.
Patrols have also been blessed with the sightings of a grizzly bear, Sandhill cranes, white pelicans, otters, ospreys, bluebirds, great blue herons, bald eagles, moose, flickers, and many of the area’s animal inhabitants. This region, while sadly just a wee dot on the map, is huge in its wild majesty.
The buffalo’s spring migration has been keeping BFC quite busy along Highway 191, which cuts through the buffalo’s migration corridors. Patrols have been out at all hours, into the early morning darkness, warning traffic and helping buffalo (and motorists) survive this aspect of their journey. BFC’s night patrols are a huge boon to the buffalo and the community, and while it’s truly the responsibility of the State, Montana looks to BFC and we are honored to offer this service that has a direct and positive impact. BFC will continue to call on Montana to do more, including construct safe-passage projects that allow wildlife to cross the highway without setting foot on the asphalt.
Bull buffalo near Duck Creek. BFC file photo by Stephany.
For bull buffalo, the celebration has turned into a confusing nightmare. After molesting 8 bull buffalo along Yellowstone’s northern boundary, the USDA-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has arrived in West Yellowstone. Beginning yesterday on Horse Butte, APHIS drugged and collected semen from five bulls – some as young as two and a half years old like this young fella – in their “study” to determine what is already known: that bull buffalo pose no measurable risk of transmitting brucellosis to cattle. Under this extremely invasive study APHIS first darts the bulls to inject a drug to knock them out, then collects their semen by inserting a large vibrating probe in their anus. Before injecting the downed bulls with the reversal agent that wakes them, they spray-paint a thick blue line across their magnificent hind quarters. There will be no benefit for wild buffalo coming from this totally unnecessary and shameful study.
While BFC was documenting the first bull that went down, one of the APHIS technicians rudely and purposefully stepped in front of our camera multiple times, trying to prevent BFC from filming, causing a confrontation. He failed to stop us. Later in the day, patrols reported that APHIS agents were cracking jokes about the invasive work they were doing, making a mockery of how they were “handling” the bulls. In another instance, after APHIS darted a mature bull out of a bachelor group, one of the buffalo’s buddies got extremely upset and wanted to investigate what had happened to his friend, much like we witness during the buffalo hunt. He approached APHIS with his tail up, ready to charge and defend his comrade. APHIS responded by pepper-spraying the bull with bear-spray. A brief discussion with APHIS after they were done with their “data collection” yesterday revealed to us that the drugs they use on the bulls can cause them to overheat, disturb gastrointestinal functions, and cause anxiety and anger. They then monitor the bulls for a mere 30 minutes and then set their sights on another. The young bull who was targeted yesterday was so confused and visibly humiliated he left his family group and ended up walking through a near-by neighborhood on Horse Butte. We wonder if APHIS is warning Horse Butte residents that they are injecting bull bison with anger-inducing drugs?
Today, APHIS is again in our backyard, on the buffalo’s home turf. At the time of this writing, patrols report that no bulls have yet been molested by APHIS. They are being escorted around the area by a MT Department of Livestock agent, looking for “test subjects.” APHIS let us know that they will continue to target bull buffalo until the DOL gives them the heads up that hazing operations will begin. BFC will be with the buffalo, as we always are, ready to document all actions made against them, so we can share their story and turn the tide – with your help – towards a future where wild buffalo take precedence over the economic interests of the cattle industry. Together, we will realize our vision of self-willed buffalo walking the earth as they please, with honor and respect bestowed upon them and their sacred relationship to the Earth.
For the buffalo, for all things wild and free, celebrate Earth Day everyday!
ROAM FREE!
——————————
* LAST DAY to Order Mother’s Day Cards!
Buffalo Field Campaign’s original, hand-colored Mother’s Day cards are selling fast. These beautiful cards make the perfect gift. For a minimum donation of $15 per card, we’ll send one to the recipient(s) of your choice, timed to arrive before Mother’s Day. Your purchase of a Mother’s Day card helps Buffalo Field Campaign continue fighting for wild bison and their rightful place on the land.
To place your order, click HERE or send a $15 check or money order (no cash please) to Buffalo Field Campaign, PO Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. Remember to clearly state the name and address of the person/people you’d like us to send the card to as well as any message you’d like us to write in the card. Deadline for placing orders is midnight tonight, Thursday, April 22nd.
——————————
* Urgent: Take 3 Minutes to Help Buffalo Field Campaign Today
If you believe in the work of BFC then please help tell the world. Here is a great opportunity to help us make even more of a difference for the buffalo. GreatNonprofits is conducting a campaign to find the top-rated environmental nonprofits based on testimonials from supporters and volunteers.
Please help us participate in the contest by posting a review of BFC’s work. All reviews will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes!
Go to: http://www.greatnonprofits.org/reviews/buffalo-field-campaign
Be sure to choose “Green Choice Campaign” from the drop down menu of campaigns when writing your review.
With your help, we can gain greater visibility and become an even stronger voice for the buffalo.
Thank You!
Dan Brister
Buffalo Field Campaign
——————————
* Watch the Genesis Awards: Honoring Animal Defense Media
Buffalo Battle, the TV documentary that highlights the buffalo issue and the work of Buffalo Field Campaign was nominated for the Humane Society’s Genesis Awards, which honors media that helps to defend and protect animals. Mike Mease traveled to Hollywood on March 20, to represent BFC at the awards ceremony, where he met many influential people that are inspired by BFC’s work. While Buffalo
Battle didn’t win, the nomination highlights BFC’s “significant contribution toward making this world a more humane place for all animals.” Animal Planet will be airing a one-hour TV Special of the 24th Genesis Awards this Saturday and Sunday, which will show highlights from Buffalo Battle. Please tune in with your friends and family on April 24 at 12:00 noon ET/PT and again on Sunday, April 25 at 1:00pm ET/PT. Many thanks to the Humane Society for the nomination of “Buffalo Battle” for the Genesis Awards. To learn more visit this link.
——————————
* Help Buffalo By Spending an Evening with Jackson Browne
Buffalo Field Campaign supporters have a special opportunity to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley on August 3 at Montana State University in Bozeman. Proceeds from these special tickets to some of the best seats in the house allow you to meet Jackson Browne in person after the show. For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here.
——————————
* Last Words
“OUR ANCIENT ONES”
Tree Limbs,
Wild Dancing Today
On the Backs,
Of Winter Winds
Water And Salt,
Cedar With Sage
Burn To Purify,
Our Ancestors Way
Grandmothers Sing,
Sweet Medicine Song
Calling Spirit Shadows,
Burials Gone Wrong
Cutting Our Mother Womb,
Down And Down
Beading Creator Prayers,
Round And Round
Clan Mother Ceremony,
River Buffalo Die
Bear Totem Wilderness,
Cross Yellowstone Lie
Rebury Our Bones,
Ancient Ones Say
Rocking The Shelves,
Prisoners In Boxes
Spirits Of Clans,
Buffalo, Wolf, Foxes
Rocky Mountain Massacre,
Buried Grandfathers Cry
Bear Grease And Ash,
Hungry Spirits Today
Hungry Spirits Today,
Hungry Spirits Today
~ by Nancy Red Star, Descendant of Wa-Li. “The Ancient Ones” is an excerpt from “Bear Grease And Ash”
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortality
—————————–
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
Baby Buffalo on Horse Butte, Agents Prepare for Hazing
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
April 15, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* Only One Week Left to Order Mother’s Day Cards!
* Going Fast! Special Jackson Browne Tickets Benefit BFC
* Volunteer with BFC this Summer in Yellowstone Country!
* BFC Wish List: Winter-Ready Tipis
* Alternet Story Gets Bison Issue Right
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————* Update from the Field
Baby buffalo with mom. Photo by Lyle Wood, BFC supporter.
Along Yellowstone’s western boundary, BFC has been basking in the natural phenomenon of buffalo migration these past few weeks. More than 300 wild American buffalo are completing the landscape with their graceful and critical presence; healing the land, lifting our spirits, helping make whole the break in the heart of the earth. With no agents harassing the buffalo yet, we have been thoroughly enjoying time with the wondrous gentle giants. This morning, patrols were given an extra special gift with the first sign of the next generation of buffalo: little tiny footprints out on Horse Butte. Patrols didn’t get a chance to spot the newborn calf itself yet, but these perfect baby tracks are the harbinger that calving season is finally upon us! Welcome to the world, buffalo! But, what kind of world awaits them? For now, the world they know is one of relative peace, time to grow strong, rest fully, play and learn how to be self-willed buffalo, walking and napping next to their protective mothers, following in the footsteps of their families.
Unfortunately, the chaos of government harassment will soon descend upon the buffalo, shattering this stillness, disrupting the sacred. The Montana Department of Livestock has said it is only a matter of time before they make their notorious efforts with their government partners to rid Montana of the last wild buffalo. On Wednesday and Thursday, BFC attended the Interagency Bison Management Plan meetings; a grueling eight hours of listening to talking heads making decisions that have dire impacts on the buffalo and all who share their landscape. The agencies have stated that as soon as enough snow melts, hazing operations will begin. These harmful and unnecessary operations, in which buffalo are chased, captured, and slaughtered, are insisted upon by Montana’s livestock industry due to the unfounded fears of the livestock industry that wild bison will transmit brucellosis to cattle that aren’t even here.
DOL agent hazes mother buffalo and her calf. BFC file photo.
Along Yellowstone’s northern boundary, near Gardiner, Montana, BFC has been running full patrols once again. The groups of buffalo that were hazed by Yellowstone National Park last week have maintained their presence on the landscape, but have not been harassed again since we last wrote. We are keeping a close eye on these buffalo, and we are also in a bit of a bind: our base of operations in Gardiner is no longer available to us until next season, and if the buffalo decide to push the Park’s man-made boundaries they will be in dire trouble and we will need to be there with them. Camping is not an option due to our video and radio needs, so we may need to set up in a hotel if the buffalo need us there. Please help us prepare by donating here.
Also in Gardiner, bull buffalo are currently being harassed and drugged as the USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has begun their bull bison study, despite the lack of public support or scientific necessity. So far, since Monday, seven adult bull bison have been darted with tranquilizer, probed, and tested. After APHIS takes what they want from the bulls, they are marking them with blue paint. BFC has been documenting the incidents and we will soon share this footage with you.
Bull buffalo. Photo by BFC volunteer Seamus.
Though cattle interests and the government that backs them are currently dominating the buffalo’s lives and landscape, the tides slowly but surely turn. Native Americans, including the Nez Perce, the Confederated Salish-Kootenai, and the InterTribal Buffalo Council (previously the InterTribal Bison Cooperative) are now fully seated at the Interagency Bison Management Plan table, and they are lending the wisdom, respect and vision for the buffalo that these U.S. and Montana government agencies so badly need. A Nez Perce representative, Larry Greene, reminded the agencies that one of the stated goals of the IBMP is to “conserve a free-ranging, wild population of buffalo” and that it is this fundamental issue to which the agencies must return. The Tribal voice will be a strong one, and buffalo advocates can expect positive change to come from First Nations who are finally represented equally in issues affecting the last wild population of buffalo.
Your voice will also count as Montana begins to look to the future for wild buffalo in Montana. You can help shape that future no matter where you live by taking part in this brief bison survey from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Please lend your voice, your heart and your vision to the future of wild buffalo roaming free on the lands that are their birthright.
Thank you all for being with us, for the buffalo. We would not be here with the buffalo without your support. You are Buffalo Field Campaign. Thank you.
Roam Free!
——————————
* Only One Week Left to Order a BFC Mother’s Day Card!
Buffalo Field Campaign’s original, hand-colored Mother’s Day cards are selling fast. These beautiful cards make the perfect Mother’s Day gift. For a minimum donation of $15 per card, we’ll send one to the recipient(s) of your choice, timed to arrive before Mother’s Day. Your purchase of a Mother’s Day card helps Buffalo Field Campaign continue fighting for wild bison and their rightful place on the land.
To place your order, click HERE or send a $15 check or money order (no cash please) to Buffalo Field Campaign, PO Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. Remember to clearly state the name and address of the person/people you’d like us to send the card to as well as any message you’d like us to write in the card. Deadline for placing orders is Thursday, April 22nd.
——————————
* Going Fast! Special Jackson Browne Tickets Benefit BFC
Buffalo Field Campaign supporters have a special opportunity to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley on August 3 at Montana State University in Bozeman. Proceeds from these special tickets to some of the best seats in the house allow you to meet Jackson Browne in person after the show. For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here for more information and to purchase your tickets.
——————————
* Volunteer with BFC this Summer in Yellowstone Country!
As the days progress in our winter/spring field season we are all aware that glorious time with the bison will soon be over. The cowboys on horseback, ATVs, and helicopter will obliterate the tranquility of the “western management area” which is, incidentally, home to many people and animals. The thought of pregnant mothers and newborn calves being chased for miles and miles for the benefit of the few livestock producers in the area is a constant reminder for us to be organized and prepared to document these occurrences. It is also a reminder of how we need to continue our summer tabling program to inform and educate the public on what is happening to these sacred animals. We have received several emails from prospective volunteers, but WE NEED MORE HELP. Please if you are able to dedicate three weeks of your time to the buffalo, have an interest in educating the public and camping in Yellowstone and Teton Parks this summer, get in touch. If you are not able to commit that time with us maybe you know people who could and are not currently aware of what is happening to the bison. We welcome all interest. Please call 406-646-0070, or email volunteer@buffalofieldcampaign.org. Let’s continue to work together to create positive and lasting change for wild bison. Thank you.
Peet
Volunteer Coordinator
Buffalo Field Campaign
——————————
* BFC Wish List: Winter-Ready Tipis
Where some of us live at Buffalo Field Campaign. BFC file photo.
Buffalo Field Campaign stands with the buffalo in one of the coldest climates in the Continental US, the high country of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Many of our long-term coordinators and volunteers have sacrificed the common comforts to live both frugally and peacefully on the landscape by taking our shelter in tipis. This may sound crazy, but it is an extremely efficient and cozy way to live here. Our tipis have stood the tests of time and extreme weather, but they can only take so much.
BFC needs a couple of 14 or 16 foot, treated canvas, winter-ready tipis for our long-term volunteers and coordinators. If you can help, please contact Mike at mease@wildrockies.org or 406-646-0070. Thank you so much for enabling BFC to be in the field with the last wild buffalo! Visit BFC’s Wish List to see about other items that help keep our campaign strong. All donations, monetary or in-kind, are tax deductible.
——————————
* News Story Gets Bison Issue Right
A great article on the Yellowstone bison has been making the rounds of alternative journalism news sites. First appearing on AlterNet, then on TruthOut.org, and now on Counterpunch, this in-depth look at the mismanagement of Yellowstone bison reminds us of how one-sided most bison-related stories are. Please check this story out and pass it on to your friends, post it to your blogs, FaceBook pages and other places that will help spread the word about the issue. Thank you!
——————————
* Last Words
“Bison are a symbol of human mismanagement of nature and getting our relationship right with nature is one of the preoccupations of the 21st century.”
~ Harvey Locke, Trustee with Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation in Banff, who hopes Banff National Park (Canada) will re-establish bison populations.
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
Volunteers Needed! Spring hazing about to begin.
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
April 8, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* Celebrate Mother’s Day and Support Wild Buffalo
* Special Jackson Browne Tickets Benefit BFC
* BFC Needs Summer Volunteers
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Update from the Field
Department of Livestock agents, finding too little snow to tear after buffalo on their snowmobiles and too much to chase them with their ATVs, have been prevented from hazing, capturing, and slaughtering bison near West Yellowstone this week. Free for the moment to follow their hearts across their ancestral lands to Horse Butte, buffalo families have been reawakening the land and our spirits with their return.
Things haven’t been so peaceful for their cousins on the north side. Horseback riders working for the Park Service chased 18 bison last Saturday, blocking their migration along the west side of the Yellowstone River near Gardiner. A second operation a few days later turned the herd around again.
With mixed groups of buffalo on the move along both Yellowstone’s northern and western boundaries, we are currently maintaining two camps in order to run patrols in both areas. Experienced volunteers are in short supply this year, and those who are here have been spending long and many days in the field, monitoring the bison’s migration and standing ready to document the hazing, capture, or slaughter that we know is on the way. If you are an experienced volunteer (and even if you are not) we could definitely use your help this spring. Please contact us and make plans to come volunteer.
The truth is that our strength lies in our community, and we’re going to need your help to be as effective as we can this spring. There are myriad creative ways for you to help the bison right now including: writing an article or posting a blog, sending a Mother’s Day card, seeing Jackson Browne in concert, volunteering in person, and supporting field patrols with a tax-deductible contribution.
Eva Vincent, a long-time Buffalo Field Campaign supporter from Helena, shows how it’s done this week with her excellent article (excerpted in “Last Words,” below) on the Yellowstone bison that she wrote and had published on the Australian web site Habitat Advocate.
Laurel Ripple-Capenter, a field volunteer in 2003, describes what BFC’s Mother’s Day cards mean to her in the piece that follows, which she posted on her personal blog and on BFC’s Facebook page.
To everyone who pitches in to keep BFC a strong and effective force in the field and on the policy front, we thank you!
——————————
* Celebrate Mother’s Day and Support Wild Buffalo
Every year, I wish my mama a happy mother’s day with a handmade card from the Buffalo Field Campaign. She knows to expect the card in the mail each year, and when she opens it, she knows that she’s holding a piece of my heart in her hands.
Back in 2003, I was lucky enough to spend the winter, spring and summer in the wilderness just outside Yellowstone National Park, hiking through the forest and spending my days alongside some of the most majestic and awe-inspiring creatures that walk this earth, the buffalo. Buffalo Field Campaign is a direct action campaign working in the field 365 days per year, to stop the slaughter of the last continuously wild herd of American bison. As a BFC volunteer, I went into the field everyday, documenting the actions of government agencies against these free-roaming bison, and taking a stand against the injustice of their harassment, capture, and slaughter.
Although I can’t be there doing the important work of advocating for wildlife anymore, I contribute a tiny bit each year through BFC’s Mother’s Day Card Fundraiser. –Laurel Ripple-Carpenter, former BFC field volunteer
This year our card-maker has committed to 150 original artwork, hand-colored cards with the possibility of exceeding that if she’s able; to ensure that your special recipient receives a BFC card, please order early. Your purchase of a Mother’s Day card helps Buffalo Field Campaign continue fighting for wild bison and their rightful place on the land. For a minimum $15 donation per card, we’ll send one to the recipient(s) of your choice, timed to arrive before Mother’s Day.
To order, click HERE or send a $15 check or money order (no cash please) to Buffalo Field Campaign, PO Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. Please remember to clearly state the name and address of the person/people you’d like us to send the card to as well as any message you’d like to include. Deadline for placing orders is Thursday, April 22nd.
——————————
* Special Jackson Browne Tickets Benefit BFC
Buffalo Field Campaign supporters will have a special opportunity to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley on August 3 at Montana State University in Bozeman. Proceeds from these special tickets, to some of the best seats in the house, allow you to meet Jackson Browne in person after the show, and Purchasers of these tickets intended to share the music and support BFC’s efforts will also get to meet Jackson Brown in person after the show! For more information and to purchase tickets, please click for more information and to purchase your tickets.
——————————
* BFC Needs Summer Volunteers
BFC is still looking for volunteers who can make a minimum three week commitment with the campaign. Tabling starts June 15th and runs through Labor day weekend. It will involve professionally representing BFC and discussing bison management with visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We will provide training. If you are personable, energetic and would like to spend your summer in one of the most beautiful places on earth doing meaningful work, please email or call 406-646-0070 to learn more. The bison and BFC thank you for all you do.
—————————–
*Last Words
“For the past 200 years these bison have been slaughtered to near extinction. Even as you read this the Montana Department of Livestock is getting ready for their spring hazing of these remnants. This animal that once numbered into the millions is now down to a meager 3,000 and will be even less if they are slaughtered by government agencies as in the past.”
–Eva Vincent (read the whole artice on the HabitatAdvocate web site.)
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
Spring migration begins
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
April 1, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* Big Thanks from Mike for L.A. Hospitality
* Buffalo on Capitol Hill: Make Local Contact with Your Members of Congress
* Limited Hand Crafted Mother’s Day Cards Available from BFC
* Special BFC Benefit Tickets Available for Jackson Browne Show!
* What Are You Doing This Summer? Volunteer with BFC!
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Update from the Field
Buffalo move along Horse Butte, facing into a spring blizzard. BFC file photo by Stephany.
Intense spring blizzards haven’t stopped BFC from engaging in a celebration of wild buffalo. Horse Butte and the upper Madison Valley are teeming with the prehistoric shaggy giants, and patrols have been basking in the glory of their company after a long, lonely winter. It is hard to put into words how complete the landscape feels with the buffalo’s presence. Ravens, too, are celebrating their return, flying with the herds, performing acrobatic stunts, diving in and out of family groups, and cawing out in joyful jubilation.
Lovely young female on Horse Butte looks back towards her approaching family. BFC file photo by Stephany.
We have had some fantastic, and unintentional intimate encounters with the buffalo. Patrols perched in rock outcroppings at the top of Horse Butte were watching a group of about 100 buffalo when some family groups of about 20 buffalo began to make their way toward us. To prevent spooking them, our only choice was to sit still and quietly let them know we were there. Buffalo of all ages surrounded us; we met yearlings, young bulls, adolescent cows, and gorgeous adult females heavy with calves. They were so curious at our presence, stopping to lock eyes and sniffing the air to gather our scents. They gently walked along, grazing the early grasses, and after about two hours, they walked back towards the larger group. You can view more of these photos on BFC’s FaceBook page.
Thankfully, buffalo crossing the road to reach Horse Butte haven’t collided with vehicles. BFC has been out putting up our Buffalo Crossing signs, and we were successful in getting the MT Department of Transportation to turn on the “Animals on Road” highway signs and lower the speed limit from 70mph to 55mph, which the periodic presence of a MT Highway Patrol has been enforcing.
The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) has not yet taken any actions against the buffalo, but it is only a matter of time. The weather is currently staving off management operations, as ground conditions, blizzards, and extreme winds are preventing the DOL from using their usual vehicles of harassment. For now, all is as it should be: wild buffalo roaming free on portions of the lands that are their birthright.
But what is the future of wild buffalo in Montana? You can help determine it. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) wants to hear from you about your ideas and perspectives on restoring fence-less populations of wild bison in Montana. It is important that wild bison advocates everywhere participate in this survey. The survey asks your opinions on the pros and cons of wild bison restoration. Pros to consider can include ecological, spiritual, cultural, and tourism benefits; just speak from your heart. Give FWP your vision of having American buffalo roaming wild and free, without fences, in Montana. They also ask about the cons: challenges from the livestock industry, highways, and agricultural lands are a few, but these can be met and mitigated. Imagine wild buffalo roaming out of Yellowstone, no DOL to stop them, no traps to kill them; buffalo walking where they want, filling the plains back up, coexisting with humans, humans making every effort to develop solutions to the challenges. Buffalo wild and free all over the land. It can happen. Together, we will make it so.
Share your vision with FWP and help restore wild, fenceless populations of bison in Montana!
ROAM FREE!
——————————
* Big Thanks from Mike for L.A. Hospitality
I would like to thank and honor the following people for making my trip to the Genesis Awards in Los Angeles possible. First to Matt Testa who never stops fighting for the buffalo and whose documentary Buffalo Battle earned us the nomination that was the reason for the trip. Matt and his partner Hallie hosted me as their guest my entire visit.
I also owe great thanks to Tom Rogan and Authentic Entertainment for taking the chance on BFC, donating cameras, computers, and even buying my ticket to the awards ceremony. You are truly a bright spot in Hollywood.
Jonny & Kristine Vasic have, from the start of this project, been there for Buffalo and Buffalo Field Campaign. You helped with every aspect of this production and have become true friends for life. Jonny even arranged a spectacular last minute benefit that covered all my travel costs.
And speaking of the benefit, thank you Laban Pheidias and the 2 Headed Horse for the use of your space and your great work and Prabhat Gautam of Positive TV, Cruzers Pizza and Michelle Sassy, Bettina Rosmarino and Billy Hulting for the beverages.
Many of our supporters attended the benefit and helped out everywhere. Especially helpful were Dr. Lorin Lindner and her new husband Matt; Zach & Janae Galanis; Lucas Short; Bridget Schack; and Ali, our new Summer Outreach Coordinator. Each of these people put in hard work to make the benefit a success.
Although I felt out of place in the big city, you all helped ease the pain. It was wonderful to have a family-like feeling from all of my new and old friends. Thanks again to all who made this happen. Now I think it is time you all come to Montana and let me return the favor.
With the Buffalo,
Mike Mease
——————————
* Buffalo on Capitol Hill: Make Local Contact with Your Members of Congress
BFC’s D.C. policy coordinator Josh Osher reports that while Congress is in recess for the spring (until April 11) it is key for buffalo advocates to visit local offices of your representative, make phone calls, and communicate your strong support to:
1. Stop using your tax dollars to fund Montana Department of Livestock and Yellowstone National Park operations that harm or lead to the slaughter of wild buffalo.
2. Use your tax dollars wisely by purchasing livestock grazing rights on land adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, which will open habitat for wild buffalo and other native wildlife forever.
Josh reports there is support in Congress for purchasing grazing rights – a solution to a no-end-in-sight conflict that has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars and forever removed 3,200 wild buffalo from land that is their birth right.
Buffalo advocates: Contact your member of Congress and urge them to support habitat based solutions for America’s last wild buffalo to roam free. Visit the link above, check the appropriations roster to see if your member of Congress sits on one of two subcommittees that oversee how your tax dollars are spent. If you don’t see them listed there, contact them through this link. For more detailed information on how to persuade Congress, you can review BFC’s comments to House members who oversee taxpayer funding affecting America’s last wild buffalo.
Thank you for supporting the buffalo and BFC’s efforts on Capitol Hill!
——————————
* Limited Hand Crafted Mother’s Day Cards Available from BFC
Buffalo Field Campaign is honored to present beautiful, original, hand-colored Mother’s Day cards. These cards are suitable for all the nurturing women in your life. Our card-maker has committed to 150 original artwork, hand-colored cards with the possibility of exceeding that if she’s able; to ensure that your special recipient receives a BFC card, please order early. Your purchase of a Mother’s Day card helps Buffalo Field Campaign continue fighting for wild bison and their rightful place on the land. For your minimum donation of $15 per card, we’ll send one to the recipient(s) of your choice, timed to arrive before Mother’s Day.
To place your order, click HERE or send a $15 check or money order (no cash please) to Buffalo Field Campaign, PO Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. Remember to clearly state the name and address of the person/people you’d like us to send the card to as well as any message you’d like us to write in the card. Deadline for placing orders (assuming supplies last) is Thursday, April 22nd.
——————————
* Jackson Browne Offers Special BFC Benefit Tickets
BFC supporters will have a special opportunity to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley perform on August 3 in Bozeman, Montana. Purchasers of these tickets intended to share the music and support BFC’s efforts will also get to meet Jackson Brown in person after the show! Get your tickets and find out more. See you at the show!
——————————
* What Are You Doing this Summer? Volunteer With BFC!
IT’S A GO!!! We have found a good friend and past volunteer to coordinate our summer program of information tabling. So we are currently looking for volunteers who can make at least a three week commitment with the campaign. Tabling starts June 15th and runs through Labor day weekend. It will involve talking to and educating visitor in beautiful Yellowstone and Teton Parks. You will be trained when you get here and there is information you can read and learn now to help better prepare you for the program. If you are personable, energetic and would like to spend time this summer making a real difference for wild bison please contact me at volunteer@buffalofieldcampaign.org.
Peet
Volunteer Coordinator
Buffalo Field Campaign
——————————
* Last Words
“Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another”
~ Juvenal, Roman Poet (Circa late-first, early-second century, CE/AD).
This quote can also be found in BFC’s beautiful Mother’s Day cards, available now. Honor the nurturing women in your life and support the work of BFC. Hurry though: only 150 cards are available!
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
Update from the Field 3/25/10
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
March 25, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Groups File Lawsuit Against FWP for Turner Decision
* Update from the Field
* Buffalo on Capitol Hill: Contact Congress Today!
* Thank you Jackson Browne and David Lindley, Guacamole Productions, and Equal Exchange!
* Survey: What’s the Future for Wild Bison in Montana?
* A Call Out for Experienced BFC Volunteers: Please Come Home!
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Groups File Lawsuit Against FWP Turner Decision
Good news! On Tuesday, BFC with other buffalo advocates filed a lawsuit against Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) for their decision to house quarantined Yellowstone buffalo where they can not be accessed by the public on Turner Enterprises Incorporated’s (TEI) Green Ranch, and for FWP’s decision to pay TEI with the offspring of these buffalo that began their lives as wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. We assert that FWP’s decision violates the public trust, and goes against their promise that all bison, including offspring, would be managed as public wildlife and could never be privatized or commercialized. Currently, the public has no access to these buffalo and we are unable to monitor their condition or ensure their welfare.
On Tuesday, BFC learned that FWP did not send 88 buffalo to Turner’s. They sent 87: one adult female that was not pregnant was kept behind at the Corwin Springs quarantine facility. We further learned that a day or two after the 87 buffalo arrived at Turner’s, a calf died. Turner’s ranch manager claims that the calf was sick and orphaned, but why would FWP send a calf in this condition out of quarantine, what was wrong with it, and what happened to its mother? BFC will continue to investigate. The incident, which happened over a month ago without notification to the public, is a clear demonstration of FWP’s lack of disclosure, and underscores the need for the public to have access to these bison.
Many heartfelt thanks go out to our partners in the lawsuit: Western Watersheds Project, Gallatin Wildlife Association and the Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation. You are all steadfast and true bison advocates and we are honored and grateful to fight the good fight with you!
Learn more about the Bison Quarantine Lawsuit.
——————————
* Update from the Field
Buffalo family on the move. Photo by Kim Kaiser, BFC supporter.
Buffalo migration has begun! The buffalo are coming and we celebrate their arrival; it is a very exciting time of year. Beautiful, healthy family groups with buffalo of all ages and sizes are migrating through the Madison Valley river corridor, many of them round-bellied with the budding gift of the next generation. The buffalo are making their way along the lands that are their birthright, heading to their favorite spring habitat and calving grounds. We feel blessed to be in their presence again. “You, oh Buffalo, are the Earth! May we understand this!” (Lakota Sun Dance prayer)
This is tempered, however, as we know that harm from livestock interests await the buffalo. The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) has promised to be even less tolerant this year, and we’ve already seen what their so-called tolerance looks like. Multiple DOL agents are currently in town. BFC volunteers are ready to stand with the buffalo and defend their right to roam free, documenting all actions made against them and sharing everything we learn with you, the media, and the decision-makers that can help make a difference.
Bull buffalo may soon be targets of other dangerous government action: The Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), with very little notice to the public, released an Environmental Assessment on their proposal to immobilize (dart with drugs) bull bison on Gallatin National Forest in order to study their semen and blood. There are many reasons why this futile and frivolous study should be rejected. Comments are due Friday, but BFC encourages everyone to continue to send comments.
Learn more and PLEASE TAKE ACTION FOR BULL BUFFALO NOW!
BFC is also a strong presence on the highways right now, warning motorists with our “Buffalo Ahead” and “Buffalo Crossing” signs of the presence of these massive land mammals as they make their way to Horse Butte and other habitat outside of Yellowstone’s ecologically meaningless boundaries. We have also contacted the MT Department of Transportation and Governor’s office, appealing to them for help in warning motorists to mitigate bison/vehicle collisions. The Governor’s office has promised that action will be taken.
The sun rises and sets every day, the moon waxes and wanes, the seasons turn around the wheel of the year, as the tides ebb and flow… and the buffalo will roam!
Roam Free!
——————————
* Buffalo on Capitol Hill: Contact Congress Today!
Please ask your members of Congress to support habitat-based solutions for America’s last wild buffalo. First, check the appropriations roster to see if your member of Congress sits on one of two subcommittees that oversee how your tax dollars are spent.
If you don’t see them listed there, contact them through this link.
Let Congress know that you want buffalo and their native habitat protected. Communicate your strong support for wild buffalo to Congress by asking them to:
1. Stop using your tax dollars to fund Montana Department of Livestock and Yellowstone National Park operations that harm or lead to the slaughter of wild buffalo.
2. Use your tax dollars wisely by purchasing livestock grazing rights on land adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, which will open habitat for wild buffalo and other native wildlife forever.
For more detailed information on how to persuade Congress, you can review BFC’s comments to House members who oversee taxpayer funding affecting America’s last wild buffalo.
Thank you for supporting the buffalo and BFC’s efforts on Capitol Hill!
——————————
* Thank you Jackson Browne and David Lindley, Guacamole Productions, and Equal Exchange!
BFC Supporters will have a special opportunity to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley perform on August 3 in Bozeman, MT and to meet Jackson Browne in person after the show. Tickets are available now! For more information, and for a link to purchasing these special tickets, please click here. This benefit opportunity was made possible by our good friends at the Guacamole Fund and through the good will of the artists.
In addition to the thousands of individuals who keep BFC strong in the field and on the policy front through their contributions, we are incredibly blessed to receive support from a growing number of dedicated businesses. This week we would like to send a loud shout of thanks to Equal Exchange for the incredibly generous donation of 30 pounds of fair trade coffee and 3,000 chocolates to keep our volunteers powered up and happy!
Please visit BFC’s Business Support web page for a partial list of the many companies who help keep BFC strong. If your business isn’t listed and should be, please email bfc@wildrockies.org and we’ll get you up there.
——————————
* Survey: What’s the Future for Wild Bison in Montana?
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) wants to hear from you about your ideas and perspectives on restoring wild bison in Montana without fences. It is important that wild bison advocates everywhere participate in this survey. Learn more and take the survey now! Thank You!
——————————
* A Call Out for Experienced BFC Volunteers: Please Come Home!
Hey all you buffalovers,
It is that exciting time of year again on the western boundary of Yellowstone National Park. The bison migration has begun! BFC volunteers are currently in the field before sun up and until well after dark monitoring the highways and landscape. We have an amazing crew of people this year; new and dedicated volunteers to document the government’s harassment of our shaggy friends, the buffalo. However, we are spreading the few experienced volunteers very thin filling out patrols. This is a call to any and all experienced volunteers to return to the land of the last wild bison and join us again in our efforts to stop the harassment and slaughter. The DOL has said in so many words, there will be less tolerance this season (as if there had ever been more tolerance). We need to maintain a constant presence and pressure in the field, and we need your experience to do that. Please quit your jobs, drop out of school, and do whatever you have to do to come home to the Buffalo Field Campaign! You can contact me at volunteer@buffalofieldcampaign.org or 406-646-0070.
Peet
Volunteer Coordinator
Buffalo Field Campaign
——————————
* Last Words
“The whole world is coming,
A nation is coming, a nation is coming
The Eagle has brought the message to the tribe,
The father says so, the father says so.
Over the whole earth they are coming,
The Buffalo are coming, the Buffalo are coming,
The Crow has brought the message to the tribe,
The father says so, the father says so.”
~ Lakota Ghost Dance Song
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
Special BFC Benefit Tickets Available for Jackson Browne with David Lindley Show in Bozeman
Buffalo Field Campaign Supporters,
We are pleased and proud to announce that Jackson Browne, David Lindley and our good friends and long-time BFC supporters The Guacamole Fund are teaming up to offer the Buffalo Field Campaign community a special opportunity to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley in concert in Bozeman. The Guacamole Fund is offering special benefit tickets to the August 3, 2010 show, including some of the best seats in the house and a post-show, backstage meet-and-greet reception with Jackson Browne.
These special tickets, located in the center portions of rows 4 through 8 on the Floor (floor section has only 8 rows), are available for $250 and benefit Buffalo Field Campaign, the only group working in the field and on the policy front 365 days a year to protect America’s last wild buffalo. Part of the purchase price of each ticket is tax-deductible.
These very limited tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served, best-seats-first basis and can be ordered on the Guacamole Fund Website.
The show will take place August 3 at the Theater at the Brick on the campus of Montana State University.
For more information on the historical Jackson Browne with David Lindley Tour, please visit this link.
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
Groups File Suit to Protect Quarantined Bison & Public Trust
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 23, 2010
Contacts:
Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign 406-646-0070, bfc-media@wildrockies.org
Summer Nelson, Western Watersheds Project, 406-830-3099, summer@westernwatersheds.org
Glenn Hockett, Gallatin Wildlife Association, 406-586-1729, glhockett@bresnan.net
Buffalo in quarantine - Kim Acheson
GALLATIN COUNTY, MONTANA: Four conservation organizations filed a legal challenge today against the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ (FWP) decision to complete one phase of its Quarantine Feasibility Study on a private ranch of Turner Enterprises, Inc. (TEI), and to give TEI a percentage of the public’s bison at the end of the study. The groups assert that this action violates the state’s public trust responsibilities to protect and manage wildlife for public and not private benefit. The decision privatizes a full 75% of any offspring born to the 86 bison now held on TEI’s Green Ranch. Throughout earlier phases of the study, FWP indicated all bison, including offspring, would be managed as public wildlife and could never be privatized. The plaintiffs assert FWP’s final decision goes against these promises, and against FWP’s public trust duties.
Download the complaint
“Fish, Wildlife, and Parks would like to have us believe that slaughter was the only other option for these bison,” said Dan Brister of Buffalo Field Campaign. “The truth is that the state ignored or rejected many options that didn’t involve slaughter, privatization, or domestication.”
Under the agreement, which was finalized in February, Turner Enterprises, Inc. will keep 86 Yellowstone bison and their offspring on his Green Ranch for five years. Rather than receive monetary compensation, Turner will be given 75% of the bison’s offspring as payment for the deal made with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to house the bison.
The groups, including Western Watersheds Project, Buffalo Field Campaign, Gallatin Wildlife Association, and the Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation assert that the agreement with Turner violates commitments made by FWP throughout the quarantine process not to sell or privatize the bison. Fish, Wildlife, and Parks does not have the authority to sell the public’s wildlife.
According to Glenn Hockett, volunteer president of the Gallatin Wildlife Association, “Fish, Wildlife, and Parks changed the rules in the middle of the game. They promised they would never privatize these bison or their offspring. Clearly, they failed to uphold this promise.”
The quarantined buffalo were captured from Yellowstone National Park to “determine if bison that have successfully completed quarantine are reliably negative for brucellosis and suitable for the establishment of new tribal and public herds.” The Park’s permit clearly states that buffalo collected under permit “may be used for scientific or educational purposes only, and shall be dedicated to public benefit and be accessible to the public . . .” (Emphasis added)
“Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is, in effect, selling an irreplaceable American treasure to pay for the completion of an ill-conceived plan,” said Stephany Seay of Buffalo Field Campaign. “Fish, Wildlife, and Parks made a huge mistake by starting this quarantine experiment without having an adequate plan for its completion and as a result Americans are being asked to pay for this mistake with the offspring of bison originating as wildlife from Yellowstone.”
While the public recommended options and FWP received various proposals that wouldn’t have privatized the bison or their offspring, these proposals were ignored or rejected in favor of the agreement with TEI, which failed to meet FWP’s initial stated criteria. FWP has hundreds of thousands of acres in Montana where these Yellowstone bison could be relocated to right now, yet FWP has failed to adequately assess or consider available habitat in Montana and disseminate the information to the pubic.
Summer Nelson, the attorney with Western Watersheds Project who is litigating the case, said, “Fish, Wildlife and Parks had five years to develop an alternative that would keep these bison in the public domain, and the public even suggested several reasonable options for these bison to be managed as wildlife. Instead of analyzing these options, FWP selected an alternative that results in privatizing public wildlife. By deciding on the alternative that privatizes wildlife, when it could have selected an alternative that ensured the bison remained wildlife and publicly accessible, FWP is abandoning its public trust responsibilities over these wild bison.”
Of particular concern to the groups is the fact that these bison, members of America’s only continuously wild population, will not be able to be observed, accessed, or enjoyed by the public for at least five years and the majority of their offspring will be lost to the public forever. Additionally, FWP has not committed to ensuring the bison returned to the state at the end of the study, or even the additional bison still in quarantine, will be managed as public wildlife. The decision sets a precedent for future privatization.
“By removing these bison from Yellowstone, holding them on private lands where the public is not allowed to see them, and selling their offspring to a private corporation, the State of Montana is in clear violation of its public trust responsibilities,” said Joe Gutkoski, a representative of the Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation, “How did the promise of wild buffalo in Yellowstone National Park for the enjoyment of future generations become ranched buffalo fenced behind PRIVATE, NO TRESPASSING signs?”
Buffalo Field Campaign learned on Tuesday that one bison calf had died shortly after being transported to the Green Ranch on February 17.
“The calf died more than a month ago and we were only able to learn about it today,” said Stephany Seay, “This lack of disclosure on the part of the government makes clear the need for public access to these bison.”
The groups are asking the court to restore the public trust by establishing the right of the public to access the bison while they are held on the Green Ranch, and by instructing FWP to develop and select an alternative that ensures the bison, including all their offspring, remain public wildlife and are not given to TEI or any other private party.
PLAINTIFFS ON THE SUIT:
WESTERN WATERSHEDS PROJECT is a regional, membership, not-for-profit conservation organization, dedicated to protecting and restoring watersheds and wildlife in the American west. WWP has its headquarters at the Greenfire Preserve in Custer County, Idaho; and is supported by more than 1,400 members located throughout the United States, including in Montana. WWP’s Montana office is in Missoula, and it also has offices and other staff in Boise, Hailey, and Salmon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and California. Through these staff, and with the assistance of numerous unpaid members and supporters, WWP is deeply involved in seeking to improve livestock grazing management on federal and state public lands. WWP is actively involved in protecting and restoring populations of native, wild bison on their current and historic habitat.
BUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN is a non-profit public interest organization founded in 1997 to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone’s wild bison, protect the natural habitat of wild free-roaming bison and other native wildlife, and to work with people of all Nations to honor the sacredness of the wild bison. BFC has its headquarters in West Yellowstone, Gallatin County, Montana, and is supported by volunteers and participants around the world who value America‚s native wildlife and the ecosystems upon which they depend, and enjoy the natural wonders of our National Parks and Forests.
GALLATIN WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION is a non-profit wildlife conservation organization based in Gallatin County, Montana. GWA represents concerned hunters and anglers in Southwest Montana and elsewhere. GWA is an affiliate of the Montana Wildlife Federation, which is an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. GWA is supported and run by volunteers, who advocate for adequate habitat for native wildlife, and opportunities for the public to view, hunt, and otherwise enjoy such wildlife and public lands.
THE YELLOWSTONE BUFFALO FOUNDATION, located in Bozeman, Montana, is committed to restoring buffalo (bison) on public land managed by states and the U.S. Government. The Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation aims to build a consensus on the national importance of wild, free ranging, genetically viable core herds of the animal named bison, also known as the American Buffalo, recognizing that there is presently a problem with buffalo range and habitat as illustrated by annual migrations of these wild buffalo out of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation works to find resolutions that recognize that humans share a biological ecosystem with all other life, including the buffalo.
Update from the Field 3/18/10
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
March 18, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* Only 3,000 Wild Buffalo Left in the Nation
* BFC on Capitol Hill: Appropriations Hearings Underway
* BFC Heads to Hollywood
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Update from the Field
Two female buffalo relaxing in Yellowstone, near Gardiner, MT. BFC file photo.
Buffalo are beginning to move with the spring tide. Along Yellowstone’s western boundary, a few very small groups of buffalo are slowly approaching Montana. There is a very special family – a mother, daughter, and their two calves – who have done an amazing job of keeping themselves alive and unnoticed in Montana since last season. We couldn’t tell you about them before because it would have drawn undesirable and possibly fatal attention to them. Mike Mease, BFC’s co-founder, will share a special telling of their incredible story in a future Update.
Soon the migration will begin in earnest, as buffalo make their way to their calving grounds on and around Horse Butte and other areas of the Gallatin National Forest. With the natural phenomena of buffalo migration comes the dangers of them having to cross Highways 191 and 287. BFC will be a visible presence on the road with our hot pink “Buffalo Crossing” signs, helping warn motorists. If only signs were enough to keep the Montana Department of Livestock away from the buffalo. Patrols have seen DOL agents out on snowmobiles looking for buffalo, and they have also been seen numerous times working on the Duck Creek buffalo trap. No doubt the quiet times will soon be over.
Along Yellowstone’s northern boundary buffalo have been mostly absent since the three bulls were killed by Nez Perce hunters near Gardiner two weeks ago. The Nez Perce’s hunt ended on Monday, March 15.
BFC spent time in the Gardiner area’s amazing landscape last week, but our full presence there has been short this season due to the minimal presence of buffalo and the financial constraints of keeping two camps open without dire need. While we were there in this massive wildlife migration corridor, we were blessed with the opportunity to see big horn sheep, pronghorn, elk, mule deer, coyotes, and three lovely buffalo. Our BFC family in Gardiner has been keeping an eye on these three gorgeous females who have their own secret strategy of moving between areas where they are safe.
While in Gardiner, we also got a first-hand look at the ridiculous fencing project being developed for the Royal Teton Ranch buffalo “corridor to nowhere,” west of the Yellowstone River; a wasteful project that maintains the status quo of treating wild buffalo like livestock. The fencing will also make life more difficult for other ungulates in the area, including Yellowstone’s only population of pronghorn, which is hanging on to existence by a thread. At the same time, Yellowstone National Park and Gallatin National Forest are embarking on re-vegetation projects in this immediate area, which further fences in scores of acres for the next 20 years, to help restore native bunch and buffalo grasses. Prior to being protected as public land, years of cattle ranching nearly killed these once-rich grasslands. It’s encouraging that re-vegetation is finally taking place, but it would be far wiser to allow the buffalo to help with such a project, since they can heal the wounded land. A few miles north of Yellowstone’s boundary, we visited the poor buffalo who remain in the Corwin Springs quarantine facility. They were clearly unhappy with our presence, showing immediate signs of fear and agitation, rare things to see in buffalo, but a stark indicator of mistreatment. We can only imagine the horrors they go through being kept in confinement, treated like cattle and routinely handled by scientists. Those now locked away on Ted Turner’s land will also continue to go through five more years of such treatment.
In spite of more than a century of government and livestock industry efforts to domesticate and control wild buffalo, the buffalo continue to persist, resist, and endure and BFC will be here to help them every step of the way.
Roam Free!
——————————
* Only 3,000 Wild Buffalo Left in Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park yesterday released their 2010 buffalo population estimate. Sadly, only 3,000 wild buffalo currently exist, according to the survey. Before European settlement and westward expansion, tens of millions of buffalo coexisted with First Nations. These 3,000 wild buffalo are the nation’s last continuously wild population of American bison. Confined by politics to Yellowstone’s ecologically meaningless boundaries, American buffalo remain ecologically extinct. Even so, livestock interests still believe 3,000 buffalo is too many. Yet the U.S. is infested with nearly 100 million invasive cattle, occupying and destroying the native buffalo’s historic range. Yellowstone National Park has issued documents stating that the Park can sustain 6,200 buffalo, a number buffalo have never been allowed to reach. With surrounding Gallatin National Forest lands, and private lands that welcome buffalo, the landscape could easily support tens of thousands in the immediate area. Instead, livestock-driven government actions cut them down and continue to threaten these unique and sacred herds with extinction.
Read a short article and please consider writing a Letter to the Editor.
——————————
* BFC on Capitol Hill: Appropriations Hearings Underway in U.S. House
Buffalo Field Campaign’s Josh Osher has been in Washington, DC for the past several weeks drumming up support to protect the buffalo and reinvigorating members of Congress to take action.
Appropriation hearings are underway for the Departments of Interior and Agriculture including American taxpayer funding for the Interagency Bison Management Plan under which over 3,200 wild buffalo have been slaughtered by Yellowstone National Park and the Montana Department of Livestock.
We encourage all buffalo advocates to contact their Congressional Representatives to support habitat based solutions for wild buffalo to roam free. Look for an upcoming special alert on how to help redirect your tax dollars that are funding the slaughter of America’s last wild buffalo to purchase habitat forever.
It is up to all of us to let our representatives in Congress know that we want buffalo and their native habitat protected. Working the Hill to develop a grassroots lobby is an additional expense to our already extended budget, yet is vital to our broader campaign to protect the buffalo. Your financial support of our efforts on the front-lines and in the nation’s capital would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
——————————
* Buffalo Field Campaign Needs Your Help
As you can tell from this week’s Update, we have been extremely busy on the frontlines, in the legal arena, and in the halls of Congress. With the buffalo poised on the brink of their annual Spring migration, we will literally be working around the clock to protect them. With more than 70% of our operating funds coming from our incredible network of individual supporters, we are not beholden to corporations, large foundations, or anyone else. But we are dependent upon you. While Spring always brings BFC’s heaviest workload, it is also one of our slowest seasons in terms of donations. If you care about wild buffalo and believe in the work of Buffalo Field Campaign, please support our work with a tax-deductible contribution.
Donate HERE or send a check to: BFC, PO Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758.
Thank You!
Dan Brister
Executive Director
Buffalo Field Campaign
——————————
* BFC Heads to Hollywood
Buffalo Battle, a special TV documentary featuring the work of Buffalo Field Campaign and produced by Planet Green, has been nominated for a Prestigious Genesis Award. BFC Campaign Coordinator Mease will be in Los Angeles this week to attend the ceremony and will host a special reception on Friday night. If you live in the area, or know people who do, please join us for front-lines stories, exclusive footage, and exciting clips from Buffalo Battle. Vegan Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. $5 suggested donation.
Friday March 19, 7:00-10:00PM
2HeadedHorse
1770 Glendale Blvd Echo Park
Los Angeles
For more info and to download a flyer about the event click here
——————————
* Last Words
“A 400-page United Nations report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that cattle farming is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases. The production of cattle to feed and clothe humans is assessed to be one of the top three environmental problems in the world on a local to global scale. The report, entitled Livestock’s Long Shadow, also surveys the environmental damage from sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world’s 1.5 billion cattle are cited as the greatest adverse impact with respect to climate change as well as species extinction. The report concludes that, unless changes are made, the massive damage reckoned to be due to livestock may more than double by 2050, as demand for meat increases. One of the cited changes suggests that intensification of the livestock industry may be suggested, since intensification leads to less land for a given level of production.”
~ From “Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options.” Published by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006.
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
BFC Returns to Washington
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
March 11, 2010
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* BFC Returns to Washington
* BFC Co-Founder Mike Mease to Speak at L.A. Film Awards
* Summer Coordinator & Volunteers Needed
* Buffalo Calendar Update: We Need Your Feedback!
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Update from the Field
Young bachelor bulls north of Yellowstone. BFC file photo.
Small numbers of buffalo have begun to appear along the north and west boundaries of Yellowstone National Park.
Late last week, three bull buffalo were shot by Nez Perce hunters near Gardiner, Montana. The Nez Perce are hunting under treaty rights through Monday, March 15. Another small group of buffalo have migrated past Yellowstone’s north entrance gate, but have not yet entered areas where they are vulnerable to hunters or government actions.
Along Yellowstone’s western boundary, several buffalo have approached, but not crossed into, Montana. If and when they do enter the state, their migration corridor will carry them right past the Department of Livestock’s Duck Creek Trap, so BFC patrols are keeping a close eye on the buffalo and any government activity in the area.
The situation with the eighty-eight Yellowstone buffalo, currently locked away from the public on the private ranchlands of Ted Turner, has not changed, though their story continues to make the news.
A growing number of people are coming to the understanding that they have been purposefully mislead by the government, the media, and compromising conservation organizations.
When these 88 bison, born wild within Yellowstone Park, were transported to Ted Turner’s ranch the public lost all access to them.
If you haven’t yet seen BFC’s video about FWP’s Turner scheme, check it out and share it with your friends.
Winter was unusually mild this year and Spring has arrived early, revealing and awakening the sleeping grasses. With the greening of the earth, the buffalo will come: last years’ calves grown into dark and wooly yearlings, bulls young and frisky and adult and enormous, elegant mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers. With these families will come the pregnant buffalo who hold the gift of the next generation within them. Raise your voices loud and strong for the buffalo and help tell their story so that when they do arrive those who mean them harm will know that the buffalo’s allies are strong and growing.
Roam Free!
——————————
* BFC Returns to Washington
Buffalo Field Campaign’s Josh Osher has been in Washington, DC for the past several weeks drumming up support to protect the buffalo and reinvigorating members of Congress to take action. In the past, we have pursued several congressional strategies including Appropriations Amendments, The Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act, and a congressional oversight hearing. BFC was also instrumental in getting Congress to ask for a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) which was released in 2008 and found that the agencies implementing the Interagency Bison Management Plan were failing on several levels and needed to improve bison management. Based largely on this report, the agencies have made some limited changes that benefit buffalo outside the Park. It is these changes that the Montana Department of Livestock is currently trying to undo.
Currently, we are focusing our efforts on the upcoming Appropriations bills for the Departments of Interior and Agriculture. We are developing proactive ideas that the various agencies could implement for the benefit of buffalo. Look for more details about our efforts and strategies in next week’s Update and prepare to lend your voice to these efforts. The buffalo have not been in the forefront of the national legislative agenda recently and it is up to all of us to let our members of Congress know that we want the buffalo protected.
In the meantime, your financial support of our efforts in the nation’s capitol would be greatly appreciated. Josh’s trip to Washington comes at an additional expense to our regular operating budget, yet is vital to our broader campaign to protect the buffalo.
——————————
* BFC Co-Founder Mike Mease to Speak at L.A. Film Awards
Buffalo Battle, a special TV documentary featuring the work of Buffalo Field Campaign and produced by Planet Green, has been nominated for a Prestigious Genesis Award. BFC Campaign Coordinator Mease will be in Los Angeles next weekend to attend the ceremony and will present a special reception on Friday night. If you live in the area, or know people who do, please join us for front-lines stories, exclusive
footage, and exciting clips from Buffalo Battle.
Vegan Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served
$5 suggested donation.
Friday March 19
7:00-10:00PM
2HeadedHorse
1770 Glendale Blvd Echo Park
Los Angeles
For more info and to download a flyer about the event click here.
——————————
* Summer Coordinator & Volunteers Needed!
For the past fourteen summers BFC has staffed information tables inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. This public education program has always been a central part of BFC. During the summer tabling program we meet prospective volunteers and supporters and generate needed donations. Most importantly, we educate park visitors about the endless aggression and harassment the bison endure during the time of year when most park visitors are not here.
We are currently recruiting bright, personable, and passionate people who can volunteer a minimum of three weeks to table in the Parks. The three week commitment will allow you to gain a solid understanding of the bison issue.
If you are interested and possess the qualities described above, please apply by sending me an email at volunteer@buffalofieldcampaign.org.
We are also looking for a person more involved in the issue and all its facets, who has volunteered with the campaign for at least a month previously, to spearhead and oversee our summer program. This person would need to make a full summer commitment from June through Labor Day, and be able to train, lead and organize a small to medium-sized group of volunteers. Besides being educated and articulate on bison issues, our Summer Coordinator needs to be a licensed driver in good standing.
If you have interest in filling this role contact me to discuss details.
We thank you for everything you do for these sacred bison and for our campaign. Your support keeps us going and gives us our strength.
Peet
BFC Volunteer Coordinator
——————————
* Buffalo Calendar Update: We Need Your Feedback!
Thank you to everyone who has sent photos for BFC’s buffalo calendar project. We have enjoyed your incredible shots so much and are amazed at the terrific photographers you are and how you each capture the essence of the buffalo as seen through your eyes. It is an honor and a gift to have you share these with us.
We have some bad new and some good news regarding the calendar. The bad news is that the first publisher we submitted our proposal to turned us down. The good news is that this is not going to stop us and we are looking into publishing the calender on our own with the generous help of Art and Image Printing in Missoula.
In order for this project to succeed, we need your help! This is a huge commitment for us as we’ll need to print and sell at least 10,000 calendars. While we will be distributing some to stores in the Greater Yellowstone area and elsewhere in the country, we are relying on you, our supporters, to make this calendar a success.
In addition to making them available individually on our web site, we will be offering them in quantity at discounted prices for you to sell and distribute in your communities. Kind of like Girl Scout cookies.
Before we commit to ordering so many calendars, we’d like to get an idea of the level of support for such an undertaking. Please write bfc-media@wildrockies.org to express your level of interest and the number of calendars you think you can distribute in your community. Thank You!
——————————
* Last Words
“Bison have the best chance of full recovery as wildlife by being allowed to roam freely across hundreds of thousands or even millions of hectares. Making this possible poses one of the biggest challenges for restoring bison herds as both public and private landowners will need to give their support.”
~ From an International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) press advisory announcing the release of their report, American Bison: Status Survey & Conservation Guidelines 2010.
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 4
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 4
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,706*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It’s Free!
ROAM FREE!
Buffalo Hunt Over, Cons of Turner Plan, Buffalo Battle Nominated for Award!
Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
February 18, 2010
Buffalo Field Campaign relies on donations from people like you to fund our work to protect the bison. Please contribute today to keep us strong in the field and on the policy front.
——————————
——————————
* Update from the Field
* Why Yellowstone Bison Do Not Belong on Ted Turner’s Ranch
* Buffalo Battle Nominated for Genesis Award!
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
* Important Links
——————————
* Update from the Field
Lone bull buffalo. BFC file photo.
Montana’s buffalo hunt is finally over. This year, one bull buffalo was shot by a state hunter in early December. For the past two years, hunters have killed only one buffalo each season, even though Montana issued 144 tags to state hunters, and an additional 144 for tribal treaty hunts. The reason so few buffalo have been taken by hunters is because there have been almost no buffalo in Montana.
What kind of “hunt” is that? It’s the kind authorized by Montana’s cattle industry and sanctioned by the Interagency Bison Management Plan which defends the hegemony of livestock interests by chasing wild buffalo out of Montana or killing them if they choose to remain on their chosen ground. Two years ago more than 1,600 wild buffalo were killed by state and federal agencies, and the buffalo are having a hard time making a rebound. There is still no tolerance or year-round habitat for wild buffalo in Montana and the hunt has never been anything more than yet another means of killing buffalo that dare step over the line from Yellowstone into Montana, and if the hunters don’t kill them, the state of Montana most certainly will.
The Nez Perce will continue to hunt under treaty right through the middle of March, if any buffalo emerge from the Park. If buffalo do begin to migrate, the Nez Perce hunt could be disrupted by the Department of Livestock. As we mentioned in last week’s Update, the DOL has promised aggressive management actions – including capture and slaughter – against buffalo this year. Arbitrary numbers of buffalo on the landscape, based on the DOL’s “science” to facilitate the convenience of the agents who harass them, will instigate harsh management actions when the yearly spring migration occurs.
According to the DOL, the minimal tolerance shown to buffalo last season – which we knew was created to set buffalo up to fail these man-made tests – will not be repeated this year. So far, Yellowstone National Park and Gallatin National Forest are finally showing some courage and refusing to accept the DOL’s devolution from Adaptive Management. This doesn’t say much as last year’s “tolerance” was barely existent. But at least the agencies aren’t immediately completely caving to the demands of the livestock industry. Only time will tell how things play out in the field for the buffalo. The DOL is gearing up for aggression, that much we know: BFC patrols have seen DOL livestock inspector Shane Grube plowing snow from the Duck Creek buffalo trap.
For now, wild buffalo are eluding both hunters and the Department of Livestock.
Roam Free!
——————————
* Why Yellowstone Bison Do Not Belong on Ted Turner’s Ranch
Yesterday, escorted by Homeland Security agents, four livestock trailers hauled eighty of the eighty-eight Yellowstone buffalo to the private lands of Ted Turner. Buffalo Field Campaign was there to document. Today, the remainder of these Yellowstone buffalo – eight bulls – will be sent to his ranch. Ted Turner is a prominent commercial buffalo rancher and he will get to keep 75% of these Yellowstone buffalo’s calves that are born on his land and use them for his commercial gains to improve the genetics of his domestic herds that he raises for meat and canned buffalo hunts.
These Yellowstone buffalo have been stolen from all of us: from the American people and from First Nations who have wanted to bring their relatives home for many, many years. More importantly, these buffalo have been stolen from their wild-born families and the lands that are their birthright.
Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) and the media would have us all believe that the only options that these buffalo had were going to Turner or to slaughter, and if you are opposed to them going to Turner then you must be for slaughter. Ironic, coming from one of the agencies that participates in the slaughter of wild Yellowstone buffalo. This is a wily way to spin the facts in order gain blind public support for the Turner option, which was their last-minute bail-out plan because they completely failed to use their five years wisely. MFWP broke the promise they fed us when they initiated the Quarantine Feasibility Study: to return these Yellowstone buffalo and their calves to public or tribal lands. Privatization and commercialization were expressly forbidden. And now we are being force-fed the ultimatum of slaughter or a “good home” at Ted Turner’s big bison ranch. The fact is, there are other options including millions of acres on public and tribal lands in Montana and throughout the country. This is just one more instance of the government and livestock industry manipulating wildlife and public perceptions. In transferring these wild buffalo to corporate interests, MFWP has broken trust with the public and tribes. We believe they have broken the law. It is not enough to trust that Yellowstone buffalo going to Turner’s private lands is better than slaughter. Do not fall prey to the false government line that these are the only options.
There is another reason that Yellowstone buffalo should not go to Turner’s land: two years ago there was an anthrax outbreak on Turner’s Flying D ranch, a stone’s throw from Turner’s Green Ranch where the Yellowstone buffalo will be held for five years. Anthrax occurs in the soil and lies dormant under drought conditions until heavy rains occur. Turner lost 257 of his ranched buffalo to anthrax in 2008. It is also believed the outbreak was responsible for the deaths of wildlife: at least 2 deer and 14 elk. One domestic bull died from anthrax, and the Montana State Vet even recommended that cattle ranchers on lands adjacent to Turner’s land vaccinate their cattle against anthrax. With this highly deadly bacteria in the soil, this land should never have been an option for further quarantining Yellowstone buffalo.
Buffalo Field Campaign has opposed the Quarantine Feasibility Study from the beginning, knowing strongly that this experiment would manipulate and sacrifice the wild integrity and unique behavior of America’s last population of migrating buffalo. Proponents of quarantine would have us all believe that this is the only way that American buffalo will be restored to the landscape, but we advocate for natural bison restoration, one hoof at a time, via migration corridors to vast tracts of historic habitat enjoyed by all other wildlife. Buffalo advocates who honor the free-born bison and their right to roam their native lands should refuse to accept the privatization and commercialization of Yellowstone buffalo, and instead insist that disease-management be focused on domestic cattle. Since stress and confinement are instigators of disease, the only option that makes sense for wild buffalo is to roam free.
——————————
* Buffalo Battle Nominated for Genesis Award!
Buffalo Battle, the TV-documentary highlighting the controversy surrounding the management of wild Yellowstone buffalo and the work of Buffalo Field Campaign has been nominated for a Genesis Award, presented by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). According to HSUS, “HSUS’s annual Genesis Awards recognizes artists, writers, and others in entertainment and the media who contributed their time and talents over the past year to raise awareness of the plight and suffering of animals.” Learn more.
——————————
* Last Words
“If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.”
- President Lyndon B. Johnson, on the signing of the Wilderness Act of 1964
Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to bfc-media@wildrockies.org. Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you’ll see them here!
——————————
* Kill Tally
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2009-2010 Total: 1
2009-2010 Slaughter: 0
2009-2010 Hunt: 1
2009-2010 Quarantine: 0
2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 0
2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0
2008-2009 Total: 22
2007-2008 Total: 1,631
Total Since 2000: 3,703*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities
——————————
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.
KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY
Join Buffalo Field Campaign — It's Free!
ROAM FREE!
