Dear Supporter,

Gray wolf delisting, guns in national parks and the release of a map and guide to quiet recreation around Cody, Wyo., were big news this month. Read on for stories that are sometimes political, sometimes ecological and sometimes personal accounts from Yellowstone National Park and the lands surrounding it.

Wildlife

When the feds decided to remove wolves from Endangered Species Act protection late last month, GYC surprised some folks by saying it's time to move management to wildlife agencies in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Read more about our decision and what we plan to do to ensure that wolves continue to fulfill their ecological niche across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. [Wolves]

More than 650 Bison have already been shipped to slaughter this winter - which has been colder and snowier than the last few years in Greater Yellowstone. This grim spectacle will repeat itself until the plan agencies use to guide their bison management is amended, and additional habitat outside the national park is designated. [Bison]

Waters

Nine years after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers promised to come up with a plan to protect the Yellowstone River from ecological damage caused by bank stabilization projects, GYC and other conservation groups are calling on the Corps to deliver on its promises. At stake is the longest free-flowing river in the Lower 48 states and one of the most cherished wild-trout fisheries on the planet. [Yellowstone River]

GYC rallied conservationists to help table a groundwater pollution bill proposed in Idaho. The Idaho Mining Association had moved the bill forward in an effort to declassify selenium as a contaminant to Idaho groundwater. [Mining]

Lands

Members of Congress and the Bush Administration are seeking to weaken national park gun regulations. If they have their way, loaded guns may be coming to Yellowstone and a park near you. [Guns]

Pristine Wyoming air is now polluted by industrial ozone. Emmissions from gas wells near Pinedale, Wyo., along with winter climactic conditions have formed dangerous ozone counts higher than many large cities. [Ozone]

Community Events

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events. Meet members, have fun, and learn more about Greater Yellowstone. [Events]

WILDLIFE

On Feb. 27, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service proposed removing the gray wolf from the Endangered Species list. After considerable discussion, GYC decided to support switching oversight of the wolf from the federal government to state wildlife agencies. We believe this approach is in keeping with our longstanding tradition of working alongside the people who live, work and play in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to resolve issues.

Naturally, we will closely monitor state wildlife agencies to ensure they manage wolves responsibly and make sure populations are never again imperiled. We will also work with communities to help them peacefully coexist with wolves - and ultimately accept them as a natural and necessary part of the landscape. Knowing that the majority of residents of the GYE believe this iconic symbol of the West belongs here, we are optimistic that this remarkable success story can continue long into the future - under responsible management. [more]

Yellowstone Bison Facing Harsh Winter - More than 650 bison have been shipped to slaughter after attempting to leave Yellowstone National Park in search of food and lower elevation habitat. It is almost certain that this number will rise before the winter is over. Bison - like elk, moose and other wildlife - are doing what comes natural to them: moving to lower elevations to find the necessary food to get them through the winter. If we want a better future for our wild bison, additional winter habitat must be provided and the state of Montana must treat them as valued wildlife. [more]

WATERS

Mining companies have delayed cleanup of selenium pollution in Idaho for decades. The growing selenium problem has led to more than 600 livestock deaths, trout population reductions, and harm to wildlife. The groundwater bill was meant to allow selenium contamination to continue unchecked at active mining areas. Due to quick action from GYC, the Caribou Clean Water Partnership and the Idaho Conservation League, the groundwater bill was tabled. This will allow the Idaho Department of Environment Quality to resume negotiated rulemaking with conservation groups and hopefully produce a new law that increases protections to Idaho water flowing in and under the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. [more]

The Upper Yellowstone River has been besieged by a wave of ecologically damaging floodplain development and is the victim of nearly a decade of bureaucratic bungling by the federal agency that has jurisdiction over it. At issue is whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will ever deliver on its promise to complete a Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) for the river. This plan was supposed to evaluate the cumulative effects of past development activity along the river and impose new restrictions on projects that could harm the river's adjacent wetlands, cottonwood forests, and fish and wildlife. But nine years after Congress ordered the Corps to write the plan, the Corps has yet to complete it. And with each passing year, more and more houses are being built on the river's banks. [more] [news]

LANDS

Guns in the Parks?
It is currently lawful to have firearms in national parks, however, guns must be unloaded and safely stowed. This is a reasonable requirement that keeps parks safe for visitors and wildlife and enables park rangers to protect park resources and ensure visitor safety. These regulations were enacted in 1936 and updated by the Reagan Administration in 1983. Unfortunately, these safety regulations are under attack. Members of Congress are seeking to pass legislation to allow the transport of loaded guns in national parks. In addition, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced a plan to re-write the gun regulations to provide greater flexibility for carrying firearms in national parks. Existing gun regulations in Yellowstone and other national parks work. Nothing suggests a change is necessary or prudent. [more]

Again this year, ozone was detected by air-quality monitoring stations in near Pinedale, Wyoming- a town that once was associated with cowboys and the Wind River Range. Nowadays, Pinedale is also home to roughnecks drilling gas wells. Pollutants released from those gas wells, in combination with intense winter sun reflecting off a bright snow cover, is producing ozone. Levels have now risen to 120 parts per billion (ppb), where 85 ppb is considered unhealthy by the Environmental Protection Agency. Usually, ozone is a problem in large metropolitan areas, with high summer temperatures and millions of vehicles. [more]

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Cody Country Map and Guide- Hikers, campers, bilkers, paddlers, families- there is something for everyone around Cody, and our newly released "Exploring Greater Yellowstone: Cody Country Map and Guide" covers it all. Visit the website to read the details and order a map.

Michael Scott, GYC's executive director and noted author Gary Ferguson travel to San Francisco to visit with GYC supporters on March 13. Michael will give an update on the Western Governors' Association Climate Change Task Force, and Gary will read from his recent book Hawk's Rest: A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone. Call 800-755-1834 or e-mail Heidi Barrett for details.

Thomas Turiano, climber, mountaineer, pack-rafter, extreme skier, author, Yellowstone Ecosystem explorer and guide will give a slideshow presentation on March 20 in Idaho Falls. Called Running Wild, you won't want to miss this flyover-simulation enhanced presentation. [more].

Scott Bosse, GYC's rivers conservation coordinator, will be giving a presentation on Flyfishing the Rivers of Greater Yellowstone at the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo in Minneapolis on March 14-16. Scott's talk is on Saturday, March 15, at 9:15 AM. He'll also be manning a GYC booth for the duration of the event.

Caribou Clean Water Partnership comes to St. Xavier University in Chicago. John Hart, communications director for the Caribou Clean Water Partnership, will speak on April 8 to students at St. Xavier about the history and future of phosphate mining, its associated selenium contamination, and our work to prevent the spread of phosphate mines to adjacent roadless areas in Idaho. [more]