Currently $3.3 million in YOUR federal tax dollars EVERY YEAR are being spent on this...
Photo by BFC volunteer Lake.
Photo by Lance Koudele. DOL helicopter N1095T
BFC Update from May 28th (below in quotes)
"Park rangers have been hazing bison to Cougar Knoll, then pushing bison off of Cougar Knoll (seven miles from the boundary into the Park's interior) towards Seven-Mile Bridge and then on to Madison Junction and further to Fountain Flats, which is near Old Faithful. The Park/DOL (same thing anymore!) claims they are doing this to clear more western areas for bison being hazed from Gallatin National Forest (Horse Butte, etc). Patrols yesterday followed the haze in the Park for 12 miles along park roads and got some intense footage; other patrols followed the haze from the boundary to Cougar Knolls and documented the DOL helicopter flying very low to the ground within Yellowstone, nearly 20 feet, sometimes seemingly less. More is happening today. "
These buffalo calves were hazed May 27th inside Yellowstone & are struggling to make it across the Madison River's strong spring currents. Some barely made it. Photo by BFC volunteer Lake.
Buffalo are being run for miles without rest, water, or time to nurse. They're chased across swollen rivers, through thick mud flats, fallen timber, paved roads, and dusty trails. The DOL denies knowing whether they are causing injuries. (What a surprise)
How you can help:
Ground the DOL's Helicopters. Contact the FAA The helicopters' numbers are: N7770X and N1095T. The co-pilot is DOL agent Rob Tierney.
Earthjustice has posted 2 videos on their site. One is of a calf with a broken leg being hazed this month. The other shows the buffalo's migratory path out of the western boundary into Gallatin National forest.
Both videos are BFC's footage. The one of the calf was taken by Stephany Seay.
FWP has set the wolf quota to (get this) 26-165 !! FWP representatives had wanted it to be 0-207. (that zero is NOT a misprint)
Why 207? They were afraid the wolves would become listed again!
But, FWP commission said no to 207 and wanted the lower number because although the commission believes it’s biologically defensible, they weren’t sure it sends the right message — that Montana intends to maintain healthy wolf populations.
Something to take into consideration..
Federal standards require Montana to maintain 100 wolves in 10 breeding pairs. The state prefers a minimum of 150 wolves in 15 breeding pairs to ensure they don't fall under federal management again.
(They're like kids whose parents took away a toy for misbehaving then later gave it back. So, now they try to get away with as much as they can without going too far.)
Comments on the quotas will be taken until June 19themail FWP
100 buffalo were hazed off of the Horse Butte Peninsula to Yellowstone Park. They were hazed across Highway 191 with Gallatin County sheriff's deputies and Montana Highway Patrol stopping traffic.
Above, a blue helicopter with a siren flew low over the herd. The pilot was Christian Mackay executive director of Montana DOL. There were ground forces as well to keep these unruly buffalo in line. The forces included: USFS, NPS, state wildlife officials, and DOL agents using ATVs, SUVs & rode horses yipping away like they do with cattle. The Montana Stockgrowers Association says the plan to allow more buffalo on Horse Butte is flawed so they're trying to change it.
"WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA: The Montana Department of Livestock initiated full-scale hazing operations today to force wild bison off of cattle-free Horse Butte and surrounding public lands on the GallatinNational Forest.
The Department of Livestock also violated the private property rights of the Galanis family, who owns the 700+ acre Yellowstone Ranch Preserve on Horse Butte. The DOL sent in their helicopter (photo by Lance Koudele) to chase bison family groups from Galanis' property. Mounted horsemen and a Forest Service law enforcement officer also violated the covenants of YellowstoneVillage residents by entering the private subdivision to look for bison and chase them into areas where the helicopter could haze them. The Galanis Family and residents of YellowstoneVillage have designated their properties as "Buffalo Safe Zones" (photo by Lance Koudele) and have repeatedly told the agents and the MT Governor that bison are welcome, agents are not.
"I had fifty bison on my property this morning, and now they are gone," said Horse Butte resident Susan McClure. "The DOL is destroying the very reason people like me live in this state and they are destroying the reason people come here to spend money: they come to see the bison. We're being told by the Department of Livestock that as private property owners, under the Interagency Bison Management Plan we don't have a say, our private property rights are null and void."
In addition to the MT Department of Livestock, agents from YellowstoneNational Park, Gallatin National Forest, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and GallatinCounty also participated. Montana State Veterinarian Marty Zaluski and Montana Department of Livestock Executive Officer Christian Mackay were also present.
During today's operation Buffalo Field Campaign patrols documented a newborn bison calf being hazed for miles with a broken leg along Forest Service Road 6697. Another newborn was separated from its mother during the hazing operation and is now orphaned.
"This week's operation is a shockingly clear demonstration of wildlife harassment and abuse and if someone treated a domestic animal this way, they'd find themself in jail," said BFC's Stephany Seay "Bison family groups of bison, including pregnant cows, yearlings, and newborn babies whose legs are just developing are being cruelly run nonstop for miles through difficult terrain and rushing river currents, hounded by screaming horsemen and a deafening helicopter."
The agencies' goal is to appease cattle interests and rid Montana of wild bison family groups by Friday, May 15th.
"There is not a single cow anywhere near here, and there will never be cattle on Horse Butte," said Buffalo Field Campaign spokeswoman Stephany Seay. "Livestock interests have no business wasting millions of federal tax dollars to chase bison off of their native habitat where they should be free to roam."
Today's hazing operation, like those throughout this week, push bison from Horse Butte deep into YellowstoneNational Park, using a helicopter and mounted horsemen (photo by Lance Koudele). Bison will be chased to areas seven to twenty miles within YellowstoneNational Park's interior. In the past three weeks government officials have commenced large-scale hazing operations on GallatinNational Forest, where there are no cattle, disrupting the ecosystem while forcing wild bison - including many newborn calves - off of their spring calving grounds deep into YellowstoneNational Park. Agents use horses, snowmobiles, ATVs, and a helicopter to coerce the buffalo.
"Here we are at the edge of the world's first national park, and each spring it becomes a war zone, with the DOL's helicopter even flying miles into Yellowstone's interior, disturbing wildlife and park visitors, all for the sake of the 'holy cow,'" said Mike Mease, Campaign Coordinator of Buffalo Field Campaign. "It's time to stop mismanaging bison for cattle interests."
Fewer than 3,000 wild bison exist in the United States, all inhabiting areas in and around YellowstoneNational Park. Since 2000, under the Interagency Bison Management Plan, thousands of wild American buffalo have been harassed and killed, with millions of federal tax dollars wasted each year to carry out these abusive, superfluous operations. The purported excuse for the brutal activities is to prevent the transmission of brucellosis, a European cattle disease, from wild bison to livestock. Wild bison have never transmitted brucellosis to cattle, and further, there are no cattle within miles of the area where the bison were grazing. Closer investigation of the issue and the history of the livestock industry reveal that brucellosis is being fraudulently used to cover up the industry's gratuitous control of grassland use.
Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the wild American buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo and their habitat and advocate for their lasting protection. For more information, video clips and photos visit Buffalo Field Campaign."
More good news. This time for forests. U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is considering the "Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act" (NREPA), HR 980, to protect 24 MILLION acres of the N. Rockies!!
Some not so good news is that the gray wolf has been delisted (yet again) but this time permanent. Idaho and MT are planning a hunt in the fall :(( In WY they're not delisted b/c WY was going to have a 'shoot on site' policy. Here's an article on what Salazar had to say http://www.fws.gov/midwest/News/Release09-15.html
I haven't written in so long due to being sick. But, now I'm up and going again unfortunately to some sad news.
This week has been intense for the migrating buffalo. Agents have surrounded the North, South and West boundaries. In the North it's the DOL and NPS. In the West it's DOL. Here the buffalo had stepped onto the Koelzer family's land where the Koelzer's have bowed to the DOL by allowing the Duck Creek bison trap on their property!
Now for the worst of the hazing. Along the south side of the Madison River the DOL, NPS, FWP, USFS, and Gallatin County law enforcement, have been using snowmobiles, trucks, ATVs, and a helicopter. In this area only 30 buffalo are allowed! BFC has footage of the buffalo including pregnant ones being run through barbwire fences and deep snow. From here they lost them in the forest, but the DOL brought out their helicopter to continue the pursuit. Not only are the buffalo in the forest, but it's also home to sand hill cranes, bald and golden eagles, foxes, badgers, and grizzlies. I'd like to see ALL the activist groups for all these animals file a lawsuit against the DOL:-))
These buffalo calves were hazed May 27th inside Yellowstone & are struggling to make it across the Madison River's strong spring currents. Some barely made it. Photo by BFC volunteer Lake.
