Stop the Latest Assault on Our Wolves

The Bush/Cheney Administration has announced two proposals to jumpstart the killing of hundreds of wolves in the Yellowstone area and elsewhere in the Northern Rockies - including Idaho.

Officials in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are now seeking public comment on the agency’s proposal to accept Wyoming’s disastrous wolf management plan and to give Idaho and Wyoming vast new powers to kill wolves -- even while these magnificent animals remain listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The deadline for comments on these two flawed proposals is Monday, August 6th. Please fill out the form below to send your message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service right now.

Idaho and Greater Yellowstone Area Wolves Need Our Help

The Bush Administration has just issued a disastrous "License to Kill" plan that could trigger the extermination of half the gray wolves in Wyoming and Idaho, starting as early as October -- unless we stop it now.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comments on this cruel proposal only until August 6. Please register your opposition right now by clicking here to submit an Official Citizen Comment.

Our best hope for blocking this "open fire" order is to generate a tidal wave of public outrage and protest...so please sign your Citizen Comment immediately.

The Bush Administration wants to treat wolves like vermin, instead of an endangered species that has staged a welcome and dramatic comeback from the brink of extinction.

In preparation for these mass killings, the government has already purchased planes and helicopters capable of gunning down entire packs of wolves in minutes.

Simply put, they will allow the slaughter to begin while wolves are still on the Endangered Species list!

The administration wants to be able to kill wolves anywhere that elk herd numbers may be affected by wolves. It is focusing on areas where elk herds are smaller than the states want.

But those few cases of declines in elk herds have been caused by a combination of factors including habitat destruction, drought and human hunting -- not just by wolves. And in most areas of the northern Rockies, elk numbers are at all-time highs!

Please block this new License to Kill by expressing your personal opposition while the Bush Administration is still taking public input.

Submit your Official Citizen Comment now -- and shield the wolves of Greater Yellowstone and Idaho from the coming crossfire.

Something Special

Something Special
Originally uploaded by Leviathor.

Here's a great picture of a Bison in the hot waters of Yellowstone National Park. Sweet shot.

The Time to Defend Wolves is Now

We have just one week left to prevent the slaughter of hundreds of wolves in the Northern Rockies. Unless we stop them, federal officials could eliminate vital protections for these magnificent animals and spark the biggest wolf massacre in the lower 48 states to occur in decades.

There are just 8 days remaining in the public comment period on this awful proposal.

Please take action now!

Wolves were eliminated from this area in the last century trapped, poisoned, hunted and harassed. Their re-introduction to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho in the mid-1990s was a major conservation accomplishment.

Now that achievement is at risk as officials in Idaho and Wyoming gear up to kill hundreds of wolves.

In February, officials in the Bush/Cheney Administration proposed removing gray wolves in the Northern Rockies from the Endangered Species List... and turning over management of wolves to Idaho and Wyoming -- two states more concerned with eliminating wolves than
managing them.

Lawmakers and anti-wolf extremists in Idaho and Wyoming have already announced plans to kill hundreds of wolves, putting the gray wolf's future in the American West at risk.

Please take action now!

For Wolves

The wolves have finally come home to the Rockies. I would like to see them reclaim their historical homes to the full extent, and not be hunted to the verge of extinction - again. I've been lucky enough to witness these beautiful creatures while backpacking in Idaho's rugged, untouched wilderness, and couldn't imagine the backcountry without them.

As someone who cares about wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies, I am very concerned with the Bush Administration's proposal to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in Idaho and Wyoming.

As a natural part of a healthy ecosystem, it is inconceivable to not protect their return. Wolves are important apex predators who help maintain balance in the ecosystems of which they are an integral part. I'm ashamed of Idaho's political stance of hunting the wolves to near extinction, and for less than $10 bucks per wolf at that. Is that all these magnificent creatures are worth?

I want wolves around for future outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy, and because they are a natural part of a healthy ecosystem. Wolves once thrived in much of the lower 48 states; today they hang on at only 5 percent of their former numbers. Since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and the central Idaho wilderness in 1995, they have helped plant and animal systems come back into balance. Willows and aspen now grow, beavers and riparian bird species thrive, coyotes and bears benefit from food sources provided by wolves.

Please join me in protecting the environment by protecting wolves, you will be working towards preserving their role in a once vital and healty ecosystem.

Take Action for Rocky Mountian Grey Wolves!

Step 1. Click here to tell the Bush Administration to Protect Grey Wolves!

Step 2. Please send your comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before May 9th, 2007. Politely urge them not to remove wolves from the endangered species list in the Northern Rocky Mountain States. [Here are some excellent points to cover]

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wolf Delisting
585 Shepard Way
Helena, MT 59601
Email: NRMGrayWolf@fws.gov

Defenders of Wildlife Form

Thank you for standing up for wolves!

Wolf Resources Online:

• Wikipedia: Grey Wolf
• International Wolf Center
• The Ancient Connection Between Dogs and Wolves
• The Relationship Between Wolves and Indians and Wolves and Women
• Wolf Recovery Foundation
• SaveWolves.org
  

Dunanda Falls Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park

General Description
Several pools along Boundary Creek lurk near the base of Dunanda Falls. The trailhead is at Cave Falls; if you don't have a snowmobile it's an additional 14 miles from where they stop plowing the road and approximately 10 mile cross country ski trip to the base of the falls. I've never been here during the summer, but have been told it is a mosquito infested swamp until late July as well as a favorite hangout for bears. Plenty of reasons to go in the winter/spring.

Since most of the water in Boundary Creek in March comes from thermal features the creek itself runs about 60 degrees.


Camping Notes
You'll need to get a permit to camp, but during the winter at least they have always me fax in the application, then they fax me back the permit. There is a campsite on the east ridge above the falls but it's a wicked climb down to the falls. During the winter the Park Service does not force you to camp in their designated campsites. Once snow is gone you'll have to camp on ridge above the falls. Since always go in the winter I've always camped in the canyon below the falls. With 4-6' of snow you can just make yourself a flat spot within 100 yards of the hot springs.

03.19.06 - 03.22.06 Trip Report
It's a long hard day to get to Dunanda Falls. It was dusk by the time we got to the base of the falls. Within 10 minutes of getting the tents setup my sons were in their tents. First thing in the morning we walked the 100 yards to the hot pools. The main pool on the east side of the creek is big enough for the 5 of us but after a couple of hours Ian and I headed across the creek to a pool below a huge boulder. As we soaked Ian asked me "Dad, do you think this is what heaven is like?". Other than a few bottle caps it looked as though we were the first ones to wander up this canyon.

Pictures, general description, camping and briefing courtesy of:

View the complete listing on IdahoHotSprings.com