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.

Show Some Love to Yellowstone Buffalo

Yellowstone Buffalo, the last genetically pure breed of Bison in the WORLD, are at the cusp of slaughter at the hands of the Montana Department of Livestock. They say the slaughter is in the name of brucellosis, but yet they don't even test them.

They hide their true agenda. Read on...

Dear Buffalo Supporters,

Montana intends to capture and slaughter wild buffalo, starting this week. Please take a moment to read this alert and contact the three decision-makers listed below, demanding that they cease plans to capture and slaughter approximately 300 wild buffalo, including little calves, their moms, and families.

The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) has set up a bison trap near the West Yellowstone airport, on state land and they intend to begin capturing approximately 300 wild buffalo - including tiny newborn babies and their whole families - starting Thursday.

Click here to see photos of the beautiful buffalo babies and their families that are slated for execution

At an "emergency" Board of Livestock meeting in the Governor's office Tuesday, the decision was made by Montana's acting state veterinarian Jeanne Rankin: the agents will capture and ship all the buffalo to slaughter without testing for brucellosis exposure. Little buffalo calves between one month to a week old will be captured, separated from their moms, and join their family members at the slaughterhouse.

Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis was asked at the meeting Tuesday if capturing and transporting the buffalo deeper into Yellowstone would be feasible. While (ironically) the DOL said it is feasible, Suzanne Lewis shot down this option. Apparently Suzanne Lewis would rather forfeit the lives of America's last wild buffalo. She said, "it has never been a policy of the Interagency Bison Management Plan to haul bison into the Park." In other words, she's attempting to wash her hands of this atrocity, handing the fate of these buffalo over to Montana, who intend to haul them all to slaughter.

These buffalo are being charged with the "crime" of trying to live wild and free; in other words, they didn't "stick in the Park" (as if they were velcro) and they are not "responding to hazing" (as if they should behave as cattle). The decision to trap and slaughter comes hot on the heels of brucellosis being discovered in a Montana cattle herd, far to the north and east of Yellowstone, far from any migration route of wild buffalo, far from Yellowstone National Park. There are no cattle currently in the West Yellowstone area and the majority of the bison to be captured and slaughtered pose NO risk of bacteria transmission. Because the bacteria can only be transmitted through contaminated reproductive materials, bison bulls, yearlings, non-pregnant females, calves, and mothers with calves CANNOT transmit the bacteria. Bison are not to blame. Wild bison have never transmitted the livestock disease brucellosis to cattle, and this incident is not their fault either. But the cattle industry wants to blame someone, and as always, they set their sights on wildlife.

These agencies are correctly concerned about the black eye they will receive for committing this act against the nation's last wild buffalo, and with your help, they will get it.

> > > > HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

PLEASE CONTACT these three decision-makers TODAY demanding that they cease plans to capture and slaughter the buffalo who are trying to live wild and free! Contact each by phone, fax, and email and let's not let them forget that the world is watching!

* MONTANA GOVERNOR BRIAN SCHWEITZER: Demand that Schweitzer keep his campaign promise to provide tolerance for bison in Montana.
(406) 444-3111 (phone)
(406) 444-5529 (fax)
governor@mt.gov (email)

* MONTANA ACTING STATE VET JEANNE RANKIN: Urge her to withdraw her decision to slaughter Yellowstone bison calves and family groups. Remind her you are boycotting beef and your friends are joining you!
(406) 444-1895 (phone)

(800) 523-3162 (phone)
(406) 444-1929 (fax)

jrankin@mt.gov (email)

* YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SUPERINTENDENT SUZANNE LEWIS: Ask her if it's really worth the lives of 300 wild buffalo, including newborn calves, to have Montana ship them to slaughter rather than deeper into the Park.

(307) 344-2002 (phone)
(307) 344-2005 (fax)

suzanne_lewis@nps.gov OR yell_superintendent@nps.gov (email)

It's crucial that we flood these offices today! Capture could begin as soon as Thursday, with transport to slaughter beginning Friday.

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.

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