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November 2006
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Yellowstone Newspaper
founded January 15, 1999

I don't have reporters, and so you won't find stories here that aren't elsewhere on the internet.  What you will find here is Yellowstone news that I have compiled from news gathering and activist sources.  What I want is for this page to be a resource for those looking for or needing to do research on current events in Yellowstone.  For further factual research, go to The Magic of Yellowstone Fact Guide or History Guide.

Help report.  If you have a news tip or know of an online news resource, either post in the discussion forum or email Jim at jsmacdonald@yellowstonemagic.com

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News from Activists and Blogs:
News from the Newspapers:
Opinion Pieces: 
11/30/06 Update from the field (by Buffalo Field Campaign)--another bison killed; the total is now 9 dead this season (7 from Montana's canned hunt)
11/29/06 YNP wolf field notes, November 22-26, by Kathie Lynch (by Ralph Maughan)
11/29/06 Eight imprisoned Yellowstone bison calves escape quarantine facility: Facility's integrity shattered; conditions poor (press release by Buffalo Field Campaign)
11/29/06 Save the whales? Sure, but how many? (press release by Wildlife Conservation Society in Biology News Net)--Yellowstone grizzlies also considered in this old issue of carrying capacity and sustainability of wildlife populations within an ecosystem
11/29/06 Geysers: Fragile spectacles (by Morgan Jahnke in Interesting Thing of the Day)
11/28/06 Yellowstone wolf pack encircles two photographers ... ”wild and beautiful” (by Ralph Maughan)
11/25/06 Xanterra's Gardiner laundry services recycles 3,000 gallons of water daily (by Glenn Hasek Green Lodging News in Cruise Industry Wire)
11/23/06 Update from the field (by Buffalo Field Campaign)
11/21/06 January classes at the Yellowstone Association Institute (press release by Yellowstone Association in Yellowstone Net)
11/21/06 Yellowstone winter wolf watch trip (by Ralph Maughan)--ummm, for $1000 a person!
11/16/06 Update from the field (by Buffalo Field Campaign)
11/15/06 Yellowstone bison border shoot begins: It's opening day for Montana's bison hunt: Exclusive BFC videos & photos available upon request (press release by Buffalo Field Campaign)--The number of buffalo killed by slaughter or by hunt for this winter is now 4. Last year, the total was 1010.
11/15/06 Druids are returning more and more to their old haunts: Sloughs are wary (by Ralph Maughan)
11/15/06 Conservation groups intervene in Wyoming wolf lawsuit: Aim is to prevent unregulated poisoning, trapping, and shooting of gray wolves in Wyoming (press release by Earthjustice)--the six groups represented by Earthjustice are the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Wyoming Outdoor Council, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, and Biodiversity Conservation Alliance
11/15/06 Studies show Yellowstone air quality tied to sharp reduction in snowmobile numbers: New scientific reports credit drop in snowmobiles With easing of unhealthy haze and caution new 4-stroke snowmobiles remain much dirtier than automobiles; Coalition of NPS Retirees urges science to be respected in plans for nation’s first Park (press release by The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees)
11/14/06 Fight begins over oil and gas exploration on the scenic Bridger-Teton National Forest (by Ralph Maughan)
11/13/06 Grand Teton North Face one day round trip (by Steven Reiser in RockClimbing.com)
11/10/06 Yellowstone opens soon for winter fun (press release by West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce in Tooele Transcript Bullentin)
11/10/06 Nature Conservancy buys Centennial Valley Ranch: More than a third of private lands in the Centennial now protected from subdivision (press release by The Nature Conservancy)--a cause for suspicion? A little known fact about The Nature Conservancy is its ties to war profiteer Bechtel. Here, a ranch in Dillon, MT, will serve as refuge for some migratory animals from Yellowstone.
11/9/06 Update from the field (by Buffalo Field Campaign)
11/8/06 Delaware North picks up director of reservations (press release by Delaware North in Hotel & Motel Management)--for those who don't know, Delaware North runs the Yellowstone General Stores in Yellowstone and is a large concessions corporation.
11/2/06 Update from the field (by Buffalo Field Campaign)--Happily, all is quiet on the buffalo front.
11/2/06 NASA snow data helps maintain nation's largest, oldest bison herd (press release by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center in Biology News Net)
11/1/06 Researchers determine why wolves not dispersing as fast as expected in Yellowstone: In 1995, 14 wolves were transferred to Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. from the Canadian Rocky Mountains, with 17 more joining them the following year. More than 1,000 healthy wolves have descended from the original 31, with about 150 of them still residing in the park boundaries (press release by University of Alberta in Physorg.com)
11/1/06 Yellowstone coverage report (by Andy in WirelessAdvisor.com)--alas, cell phone coverage in Yellowstone - yes, it's true :( 		 
11/30/06 Let it burn (by John S. Adams Missoula Independent)
11/30/06 Six bulls shot so far in Montana's bison hunt (AP story in Helena Independent Record)--that's four more since opening day; a total of 8 bison have been killed so far this season either from hunting or slaughter
11/30/06 Eight bison escape quarantine facility (AP story in Billings Gazette)--six hours of freedom before they were re-captured
11/30/06 Park to give 1880s skull to Indian tribes: National effort under way by feds to return Indian artifacts (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/29/06 Swan song bill to allow guns in Yellowstone introduced by Sen. Allen (by Brodie Farquhar New West)--Sen. George Allen R-VA is on his way out. Incoming Democrat Jim Webb is expected to push the measure in the new Congress. What did I tell you about the "new" winds here in Washington, DC?
11/29/06 Study: Sleds can stress wildlife, but guides help: Winter use plan says controlled outings reduce conflicts in parks (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/28/06 The search for private profit in the nation’s public parks (by Jim Robbins New York Times)
11/28/06 Escaped elk may be hybrid (by Brodie Farquhar Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/28/06 Idaho hunting ranch may have had a red deer hybrid; state will retest (AP story in KIFI--ID)
11/28/06 Sides debate status of grizzlies: Activists oppose plan to take Yellowstone bears off the federal threatened species list (by Michael Martinez Chicago Tribune)
11/28/06 2012 - will earth's crust become violent? (by India Daily)
11/27/06 Nature writers to speak at Yellowstone (by Billings Gazette)--for a cool $1,629 (albeit for 5 nights, though my 17 day bike trip to Yellowstone cost significantly less than that in total, including plane tickets); I'm sure a lot of writers carry around that kind of dough!
11/26/06 Snowmobile row erupts over Yellowstone National Park (transcript of tv report by Kim Landers ABC News)
11/25/06 Officials ask drivers to use caution on roads (by Jackson Hole News & Guide)--Animal collisions in Grand Teton more than doubled from 2000-2005
11/25/06 Cody wary of pass closure (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)--The AP has since picked up chunks of this story, and it's making its way across the region.
11/24/06 Reaping the bounty (by Jeanne Klobnak-Ball planet jackson hole)--a historical piece looking at a slice of the history of Jackson Hole. A lot of tourists do not realize that "Jackson Hole" refers to the entire valley in the foreground of the Tetons along the Snake River and not simply the town of Jackson which is on the edge of the valley.
11/24/06 Cattlemen push wolf delisting: ICA calls for federal action on issue (by Dave Wilkins Capital Press--OR)
11/23/06 It only takes 262 square feet to dispense serious justice: The courtroom might be tiny, but Yellowstone has its own full-time federal magistrate, and crime is on the rise in the park (by Michael Martinez Chicago Tribune)
11/22/06 WyDOT, others try new ways to reduce roadkill (by Whitney Royster Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/22/06 USGS proposes intensified seismic monitoring in park (AP story in Havre Daily News--MT)
11/22/06 Proposal: Wire park to predict volcanic rumbling (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/22/06 Parks sled debate revs up: Greens say Park Service ignores science while snowmobilers want more access, no guides (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/22/06 Court rejects permit for helicopter skiing: Judge says wilderness act was clear intrusions should not increase in Snake River Range (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/21/06 Park plan meets with criticism (AP story in Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/21/06 Yellowstone would leave gates open to snowmobiles: The Park Service, passing over its own studies, seeks a daily cap of 720 on the loud machines (by Julie Cart Los Angeles)
11/21/06 Plan allows 720 sleds a day in park (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/20/06 Yellowstone plans to retain current snowmobile limit (by Jim Robbins New York Times)
11/20/06 Cooperating agencies get preliminary draft Of new Yellowstone and Grand Teton winter use plan for technical review (by National Park Service)
11/20/06 Snowmobilers in park get early holiday present (by Mike Soraghan Denver Post)
11/20/06 Draft Park Service plan would keep current snowmobile limits (AP story in Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/20/06 Idaho's elk ranchers fear bad publicity (AP story in The Salt Lake Tribune)
11/19/06 Claim: Wolf fight could hurt elk hunting (AP story in Billings Gazette)
11/19/06 PBS' 'Nature' looks at winter in Yellowstone (by Jean Prescott SouthCoastToday.com--MA)
11/18/06 Immigrant labor keeps hotels afloat (by Brodie Farquhar Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)--There is much more to this story - tax write offs, worker programs as part of agreements with other countries, travel agents, and immigrants not being told the whole truth; this is a story that needs much more investigation. Many workers I talked with in Yellowstone this summer were bitter.
11/18/06 Two wolves killed in Big Hole Valley (AP story in Billings Gazette)
11/18/06 Attorneys examine grizzly killing (by Whitney Royster Casper Star-Tribune)
11/17/06 Status of gray wolf recovery, week of 11/12/06 to 11/17/06 (by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
11/17/06 Director emphasizes partnerships in parks (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/16/06 Bison season has low-key but successful start: 2 animals killed by hunters, FWP says (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)--but what is the metric of "successful"?
11/16/06 Two bison killed on opening day of Montana hunt (AP story in Great Falls Tribune)
11/16/06 Nature groups fight wolf suit (AP story in Billings Gazette)
11/16/06 Coalition: Snowmobile drop helped air quality (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/16/06 Park Service retirees endorse snowcoaches (by Brodie Farquhar Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/16/06 Reauthorizing feedgrounds (by Whitney Royster Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/15/06 Grizzly soon to be delisted: Bears inhabit 48% more land than they did in 1975 (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/15/06 Salish-Kootenai to hunt bison near Yellowstone National Park (AP story in Los Angeles Times)
11/15/06 Wolves, grizzlies top Game and Fish agenda (AP story in Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/15/06 Tracking disease after the kill: Hunters play key role in surveillance of wildlife bacteria, ailments (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/15/06 What thecongressional crystal ball says on the environment (by Brodie Farquhar New West)
11/14/06 Sleeping it off (by Nicole Danna Colorado Daily)--Grand Teton black bear researcher will be talking in Boulder. This article discusses some of his work.
11/14/06 Yellowstone officials say men poached elk (by Cory Hatch Jackson Hole News & Guide)
11/14/06 Derby wildfire damages cutthroat trout habitat (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/13/06 Two Bozeman men charged with poaching elk inside Yellowstone National Park (by National Park Service)
11/13/06 Fight begins over BTNF energy exploration (by Nick Suarez planet jackson hole)
11/13/06 Two accused of poaching in Yellowstone National Park (AP story in Billings Gazette)
11/13/06 Bouncing back: Government policy thins herd, but park bison numbers still up (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/13/06 Park sees snowmobile slide (by Brodie Farquhar Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/13/06 Bison hunt to start Wed. (AP story in Helena Independent Record)
11/13/06 Still testing authority (AP story in Casper Star-Tribune)
11/12/06 The second season: Number of bison hunting permits increased to 140: State officials want bison to be treated like wildlife, not nuisance animals (by Mark Henckel Billings Gazette)
11/12/06 Despite problems, last year's bison hunters satisfied: Even citation couldn't dampen bison hunt (by Brett French Billings Gazette)
11/12/06 Other states do bison hunts differently: Montana permits are the cheapest of 4 states with hunts (by Mark Henckel Billings Gazette)
11/12/06 Passing storm: Environmentalists look forward to a Democratic Congress, but questions remain about the effectiveness of attempts to protect endangered species (by Candus Thomson Baltimore Sun)
11/11/06 Nature Conservancy of Montana buys 11,500-acre Centennial Valley ranch (AP story in Helena Independent Record)
11/10/06 Status of gray wolf recovery, week of 11/06/06 to 11/10/06 (by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
11/10/06 Park County joins wolf dispute (by Ruffin Prevost Billings Gazette)
11/7/06 Yellowstone grizzly may be off threatened list (AP story in Salt Lake Tribune)--I'm suspicious of the accounting on grizzly numbers (both the 1980s numbers as well as today), though I could well be wrong.
11/7/06 Montana trout moved because of wildfire (AP story in Pioneer Times-Journal--NM)
11/6/06 Ranches work as retreats for rich (by Patrick O'Driscoll USA Today)
11/6/06 Veterans, service members get free admission to Parks (AP story in KIFI--ID)
11/6/06 Park images sell goods, ideas (by Brodie Farquhar Jackson Hole Star-Tribune)
11/6/06 Rescue of wolves from near-extinction upsets US ranchers: After being pushed to the brink of extinction in the early 1900s, more than 1,200 of the predators are roaming Idaho, Montana and Wyoming once again (AFP story in Taipei Times)
11/6/06 Kirk, er, Shatner, kicks off book fair (by Georgina Gustin St. Louis Post-Dispatch)--Shatner says, "I always wanted to go to Yellowstone."
11/5/06 Elk escape fuels Western feud: Herd bred for hunting raises concerns about health and ethics (by Michael Martinez Chicago Tribune)
11/4/06 Election 2006: Senate District 17: Herz vs. Larsen (by Kelsi Oser planet jackson hole)--in a local legislative race, once again the Democrat and Republican have barely distinguishable views on wolf policy.
11/3/06 Status of gray wolf recovery, week of 10/30/06 to 11/03/06 (by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
11/3/06 Elk are free of disease: So far, none of the animals that escaped from a hunting preserve has tested positive for illnesses (by Matthew Evans Idaho Falls Post Register in headwatersnews.org)
11/3/06 Agents kill wolf sought in attacks on sheep (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/2/06 Parks need more money, candidates agree (by Joan Barron Casper Star-Tribune)--A bit of a non-story. Both U.S. Senate candidates agree that the Parks need more money and the Democrat Dale Groutage wants grizzlies and wolves shot outside of Yellowstone; however, there is no indication that Sen. Thomas-R will not be re-elected
11/1/06 Study sees shift away from ranching near Yellowstone (by Mike Stark Billings Gazette)
11/1/06 Trauner: 'Give me two years' (AP story in Casper Star-Tribune)--Wyoming Democratic congressional candidate Gary Trauner, who is running neck-and-neck with Rep. Barabara Cubin-R, in polls, has no position on Wyoming's lawsuit against the federal government's rejection of its wolf management plan
  (comment in the discussion forum) 
11/30/06 Anarchy in Yellowstone: A people's history of Yellowstone National Park? (by Jim Macdonald The Magic of Yellowstone)
11/30/06 The real reason national park visitation has declined (by Bill Schneider New West)
11/29/06 In Yellowstone, Randy Caulder’s story remains one for the ages (by Todd Wilkinson New West)
11/28/06 Bison management (by Alan Gregory in Alan Gregory's Conservation News)--wish he would extrapolate his ideas more
11/28/06 Restoration of Bison to Prairie Will End Yellowstone Slaughter (by STOP US GOV. Sanctioned Bison Slaughter!! in Indybay)
11/28/06 Bioprospecting: Mining our national parks one gene at a time (by Geov Parrish in AlterNet)
11/27/06 Rammell’s elk disease free and genetically pure, almost (by Bill Schneider New West)--it may help to read this column from the bottom since Bill keeps correcting his own reported information
11/27/06 Re "A walk in the park" (by Joel Mascitelli in Los Angeles Times)--2nd letter
11/26/06 Circling the welcome wagons: Equity-rich boomers who yearn for wide--open spaces are heading for the Rocky Mountain West—Montana in particular—-where the locals are waiting: With pitchforks (by Jim Robbins in Los Angeles Times)
11/25/06 Extinction or redemption for our last wild buffalo? (by Terri Crawford Hansen)
11/24/06 Ban Yellowstone's snowmobiles: How many government studies does it take to prove the vehicles are too dirty and loud? (by Los Angeles Times)
11/23/06 The greatest hunting controversy of them all (by Bill Schneider New West)--regarding wolves
11/22/06 Fourth study a charm? Nope: Here we go again (by Great Falls Tribune)
11/21/06 New federal winter use study won’t change Yellowstone (by Brodie Farquhar New West)
11/21/06 Plan allows 720 sleds a day in Yellowstone (by Ralph Maughan)
11/20/06 Yellowstone officials prefer snowmobiles (by Kurt Repanshek)
11/18/06 When it comes to managing bison, Montana needs help from hunters (by Dick Dolan in Billings Gazette)
11/16/06 Bush has undone a century of environmental progress in America (by Kaleem Omar The News--Pakistan)--some talk of Yellowstone and the history of the national parks system
11/16/06 Preservation of our national parks is a priority we cannot ignore (by Bob Youngerman Ashville Citizen-Times--NC)
11/15/06 Bison hunt: One is more than enough (by Harry Harju in Wyoming Tribune-Eagle)
11/13/06 Tracking the hunt. BFC volunteers to film hunters, not interfere (by Ralph Maughan)
11/13/06 The girl, the trout and the bikini (or, How my career as a professional fly fisherman swam away) (by Laryy Myhre Sioux City Journal--IA)
11/12/06 Yellowstone--A commercial Wonderland (by skyblu)
11/12/06 Zipping through Yellowstone: Gain a new perspective of America's beloved national park during a snowmobile adventure as you share this wonderland with bison (by Kristin Finan Houston Chronicle)
11/12/06 Keeping up with the packs: Snowy Yellowstone a wondrous backdrop for wolf-watching (by John Finn San Francisco Chronicle in Sun-Sentinel--FL)
11/11/06 More bear tales (by Sandy Carlson in Battle Creek Enquirer--MI)
11/9/06 No radical new wind in Yellowstone (by Jim Macdonald The Magic of Yellowstone)--My reactions to the Democratic win in the U.S. Congress and its irrelevance to the issues at hand in Greater Yellowstone
11/8/06 Democrats gain power nationwide, expected to weaken Bush, Republican anti-conservation policies (by Ralph Maughan)
11/7/06 Not an election story: Yellowstone grizzlies could be taken off threatened species list (by Jennifer Gelband in New West)--like the writer here, almost all the candidates and the system in which they are participating make me want to "puke"
11/6/06 Bush and the environment: A hit parade of the Bush Administration’s environmental foibles (and even a few good deeds) (by Vicotria Schlesinger Plenty)--includes several decisions related to Yellowstone and Grand Teton
11/4/06 In the eyes of a herd of buffalo (by Debra Mihalic Staples in Denver Post)--a common story in Yellowstone; I've had several similar experiences.
11/3/06 Story on Boise TV of massive sheep losses to wolves near Council, Idaho not sustained by facts (by Ralph Maughan)
Copyright 1999, 2002-2003, 2006 James S. Macdonald Jr. Only spam robots should go here.