<+>=<+>KOLA Newslist<+>=<+>
 

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 14:09:39 -0700
To: "Stop the Slaughter" <Stop-the-Slaughter@vortex.wildrockies.org>
From: Buffalo Folks <stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org>
Subject: Buffalo News
Sender: <Stop-the-Slaughter@vortex.wildrockies.org>

Greetings!  Things have been busy at Camp: a variety of trainings;
workshops; eagle monitoring; and field patrols have kept the
volunteers busy.

Thus far, only one buffalo has migrated out of the Park. The  MT.
Department of Livestock has decided that the old bull can't even have
a little winter peace.  They have been harassed him and they also
assaulted one of our volunteers with a snowmobile.  Story at:
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/press99/releas03.html. It is
ridiculous that a bull buffalo at this time of the year poses any
risk of transmitting brucellosis--Montana's so-called reason for
hazing and slaughtering buffalo. It is further proof that Montana has
only one agenda: zero tolerance of any buffalo leaving Yellowstone,
and want complete control of the herd. Montana's policy of
controlling buffalo movement and population levels in the guise of
brucellosis management has become painfully apparent in their recent
maneuvers.

Even the U. S. Government has publicly stated that Montana is acting
irrationally and without scientific basis. They say that Montana no
longer wants to try and work on this issue with the State as a
co-lead agency. They recently filed a petition in Federal Court to
dissolve the Memorandum of Understanding that bound the federal
agencies with Montana as co-leads on the Longterm Buffalo Management
EIS in Montana and Yellowstone. Even though the feds compromised
their preferred alternative considerably in the direction that the
State wanted (in defiance of more than 60,000 comments on the DEIS
that called for less stringent management techniques), Montana
Governor Marc Racicot still publicly insists that this isn't good
enough, and that a compromise is possible. Given the DOL's current
management philosophy, nothing will suit the state until they have
eliminated the possibility that wild buffalo can roam on Montana's
soils. This is where we need your help.  10 minutes of your time and
2 phone calls/letters can make all the difference. See below...

The folks at Nightline were in camp last week, and there will be a
piece on Nightline during the week of the 7th as well as a piece on
A&E later in the month.  We'll send ya' a note when we find out
exactly when.

Thanks for all your great letters and donations!  We are only a
thousand dollars away from meeting our anonymous donor's match!  A
hearty thanks also goes out to Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
as well as the Pegasus Foundation and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
and Honor the Earth for supporting the Buffalo Field Campaign!
Thanks to all!

For the Buffalo!
_____________________________________________________________

You also can check out some new info on our web site. Particularly,
check out Dan Brister's article on Negligent Endangerment at:
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/speak/danB1.html.

Please take a sec and make a phone call or write a letter before February 4th.

Phone/ Write:
Montana Governor Marc Racicot
Capitol Building Helena, Montana 59620
Phone: (406)444-3111 Fax: (406)444-4151
or the citizens' advocate at (in-state) 800-332-2272 or (406) 444-3468
Marc hasn't figured out how to use Email yet.  But his Press
Secretary has and can be reached at: mailto:pbergen@mt.gov and can
probably pass it along.

Please CC: to Mark O'Keefe; State Auditor
Capitol Building Helena, Montana 59620
phone : (406) 444-2040, or (in- state only) 1-800-332-6148.
email: mailto:pfunk@state.mt.us

Mark O'Keefe is the leading Democrat contender for the Montana
Governor's seat. Due to the term limits Montana enacted in 1992, most
elected state officials can only hold office for eight years. This
also portends well for the Montana State Legislature, that has been
disproportionately controlled by the "good old boys,"--those folks
that voted down buffalo legislation in the last session that would
have gone a long ways towards easing the situation for the buffalo.
 

2nd call or letter to:

USDA Secretary Daniel Glickman
(Telephone: 202-720-3631; Fax: 202-720-2166)
200 A Whitten Bldg., 1400 Independence Ave. SW,
Washington, DC 20250
e-mail: mailto:Agsec@usda.gov

Please CC to: President Bill Clinton
Pres. Bill Clinton; email: mailto:president@whitehouse.gov
The White House mailing address is:
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461

"The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service plan to do over the
next 10 years what the State of Montana has done to the buffalo for the
last 10 years... and more" said Darrell Geist, Executive Director of
Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers a Missoula-based environmental and human
rights group. "2000 holy cows will continue to range on public lands
at taxpayer expense while
buffalo are denied that range and killed for trying to migrate there."

Talking Points:
* The State of Montana is incompetent in their management of the
buffalo and should not be co-lead on management decisions.  Wildlife
biologists, not cattle ranchers should be making management decisions
about the last population of wild buffalo. Trained field biologists,
not off-season and unemployed highway workers  (that the DOL hires)
should be managing the animals in the field.

* Federal lands should be used for wildlife as intended instead of
cows.  Bald Eagles (like the nesting pair at Horse Butte adjacent to
the Horse Butte Capture Facility) and the last wild buffalo should
take precedent over leases to out of state ranchers.

* This unique wild herd of buffalo should be given protected status
and managed accordingly.

* Tax payers' monies should not be used to continue this mismanagement.

* Wild buffalo should be protected at all cost... for the benefit of
the Yellowstone ecosystem as well as our children's and our cultural
heritage.

* Brucellosis is a myth.  Why is it that over 100,000 elk that also
carry brucellosis are allowed to wander freely while the 2,000
surviving buffalo are harassed?  The superior genetics traits of the
herd, those of resistance to brucellosis as well as genetic memory of
traditional migration to winter grazing lands are being sacrificed
due to non scientific based management.

* The citizens of the U.S. will not idly stand by and continue to
watch this slaughter.

Write from your heart!  for the buffalo!
Together we can be heard....

Note the Federal Court hearing on dissolving the State-Federal
agreement on the Longterm EIS was moved to 2/4/00.

There will be a rally in Helena on Friday.  Write
buffalo@wildrockies.org for more info.

_________________________________________________

http://www.billingsgazette.com/

Federal judge orders officials to meet over bison dispute

HELENA (AP) - A judge has ordered state and federal government
officials to show up in court later this month to discuss their
stalemate over developing a mutual plan for managing diseased
Yellowstone National Park bison.

U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell of Helena on Wednesday said he
will oversee one more attempt by the two sides to resolve their
differences over what the management plan should look like. He
scheduled the hearing for Jan. 28.

He also agreed to rule on the state's request for a court order
preventing the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture from
proceeding with development of the plan without the state's
involvement.

"Because the Yellowstone National Park bison freely roam from time to
time across the jurisdictions of both parties, any lasting solution
to the management of this herd seemingly requires the participation
of both parties," Lovell wrote.

His order comes about a week after the state asked Lovell to block
the federal government from pulling out of negotiations with Montana
over a long-range blueprint for handling bison when they leave the
park in search of winter forage.

Work on the plan has been under way for four years and that effort
should not be wasted by the federal agencies continuing on their own,
the state argued.

The federal government asked Lovell on Dec. 13 for permission to
abandon the cooperative effort, saying it was fed up with the state's
steadfast opposition to allowing bison to remain outside the park.

Many of the animals are believed to carry brucellosis, which can
cause cows to abort. The livestock industry fears the disease could
be transmitted to their cattle and that would require expensive
testing before beef could be shipped out of state.

Shooting became the primary method of controlling the migrating
bison, a practice that caused a national outcry after 1,100 were
killed in the winter of 1996-97. Hazing has been used more in the
past two mild winters.

The state, frustrated with what it perceived as a reluctance to help
resolve the bison problem, sued the federal government in 1995. As
part of a settlement of the suit, both governments agreed to work
together on a long-term management plan.

Lovell called it disappointing that the two governments have
apparently reached an impasse and federal officials want to proceed
on its own.

"Where so much progress has been made and a goal is almost in sight,
I do not believe that the United States should take this unilateral
action without the court first hearing and resolving Montana's
objections and motions," Lovell said.

He ordered a Jan. 28 hearing and told the state and federal
governments to have officials there with the power to make binding
agreements. Most likely, that would be Gov. Marc Racicot and
Yellowstone Superintendent Michael Finley, he said.

In addition to considering the state's request to block federal
withdrawal from the planning process, Lovell said he will supervise a
closed-door meeting for both sides "to make one final effort to
resolve these differences."

Both governments must submit to him by Jan. 21 confidential letters
describing the issues over which they disagree and suggestions for
reaching a settlement, he said.
_____________________________________________
 

To find out the "in the field" info directly from Buffalo Field
Campaign go to: http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo
Getting the word out is critical and BFC is the only group working
365 days a year in Yellowstone with the buffalo.

_________________________________________
New Compilation Buffalo Video Available

Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers has a compilation video available on the
Yellowstone buffalo. Plan B, The Buffalo's Alternative is a brief
scientific advocacy piece on long-term management strategies to allow
buffalo to roam free in Yellowstone. Buffalo Bull is a more in-depth
documentary on the Yellowstone buffalo slaughter. Where the Buffalo
Roam profiles the field campaign and their efforts to protect the
Yellowstone buffalo herd. To purchase the video send a check or money
order for $20 to Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers; PO Box 7941 Missoula MT
59807.
Elders and educators can receive a video at a discount please send a
query to mailto:cmcr@wildrockies.org or call our office at
406-728-0867.
_________________________________

Getting the word out is key... please take a moment and look at your
local paper and send us contact info for the editor.  Both email and
fax are appreciated! please send contact info to
stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org
************************************************************************

<+>=<+>
Information Pages: http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm
Online Petition: http://kola-hq.hypermart.net
Greeting Cards: http://users.skynet.be/kola/cards.htm
<+>=<+>
if you want to be removed from the KOLA
Email Newslist, just send us a message with
"unsub" in the subject or text body
<+>=<+>