Buffalo Field Campaign 2000 Newsletter

8/8/2019 Buffalo Field Campaign 2000 Newsletter

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Buffalo Field Campaign is the

only group working in the field

every day t o stop the slaughter

of Yellowst ones wild buffalo.

Buffalo Field Campaign

volunteers defend the buffalo on

their traditional winter habitat

and advocate for their

protect ion. Our daily p atrols

stand wit h the herd and the

ground they choose to be on,

and document every move

made against the buffalo.

BuffaloField CampaignPO Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. 406-646-0070; fax: 406-646-0071; [email protected]; http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/

Winter 2000

Cold Mountain, ColdRivers is the fiscal sponsorfor Buffalo Field Campaign.

CMCR is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization.

Solo bull along the Madison River, just ou tside of Yellowstone NP, wint er 2000. Horse Butte, a t raditional

calving ground for t he buffalo, lies four m iles away in the background. Tiffany Brown 2000/BFC

DOL hazing buffaloat gunpoint. Greg Raisman phot o.

Buffalo Field CampaignPO Box 957West Yellowstone, MT 59758

Nonprofit org.US Postage Paid

Missoula, MTPermit no. 514

Address correction requestedCMCRBox 7941Missoula, MT 59807

Spending so much time with

them, we learn tremendous

lessons from t he buffalo. If you

want a sense of community, sit

and watch a herd for half a day.

Last winter, an old bull, injured

during a Montana Dept. of

Livestock hazing operation,

ducked off the trail and

collapsed. Before the agents

could get to him , six more

bulls, burrowing t heir noses

under his body, had lifted him

to his feet and led him safely to

some nearby w illows where the

DOLs snow mobiles couldnt

penetrate.Dan Brister

BFCPhoto


2/8

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contribution $___________________Please send contributions and requests to:

Buffalo Field Camp aign PO Box 957, West Yellowston e, MT. 5975 8

Please make a tax deductible dona tion to the Buffalo Field Campa ign.

Your dona tion feeds, clothes, equips and hou ses volunteer s, supports ou r publiceducation a nd o utreach e fforts, and h elps us p rotect Yellowstones native wild buffalo!

$36 supp orts one activist in the field for one week.

Thank you!

Program Development Updateby Cris Mulvey, BFC Program Director

Every day at the Buffalo Field Campaign we are

encouraged and inspired by letters of support and generousdonations from p eople aroun d the U.S. and the world. Its

simple: People love the buffalo and want to be a part of thework protecting them. Letters and dona tions, large and

small, enable us to continue our work and maintain ourpresence here in West Yellowstone as th e eyes an d ears ofthe American p eople. Your p rayers, long and sh ort, help

keep watch over our work.Our campaign has now come to the end of its third

year in the field, a year that was our m ost successful yet!

Not one buffalo was killed this winter, and we are celebrat-ing! Than ks to each and every one of you who have been a

part of making this happy outcom e possible. Without you,this work quite simply could not be done.

Each of our three years has seen us grow and expand,

both in terms of the numbers of volunteers who join us andin the programs a nd activities we are developing. Our daily

patrols that work from sun up to sun down (and whennecessary around the clock), remain the core of our work.

Every day, in some of the harsh est conditions in th e lower

48 states, we stay with the buffalo that leave the safety ofYellowstone National Park an d docum ent every m ove made

against them. We send this footage to local and national

media and post regular updates on the Internet, makingsure that the American people know what is happening and

are empowered to act.The more we are with th e buffalo, the better we

under stand the cen tral role buffalo play in maintaining the

health and b iodiversity of the entire Yellowstone ecosystem.We witness the ways that current Montana Department of

Livestock policies negatively impact the native flora andfauna and subject them to unnecessary and harmful stress.

Buffalo Field Campaign is working to develop links

with other groups and expand our research and advocacystrategies to affect long term ch ange and p rotection for the

buffalo and their habitat. Such measures also benefit thebald eagle, peregrine falcon, sandh ill crane, trump eter

swan, lynx, wolverine, grizzly bear, grey wolf and antelope.

We are exploring new oppo rtunities to enable us to developthese aspects of our work.

Housing, feeding, clothing, equipping, training an doperating patrols with the 250+ volunteers who join us

each year, an d our public education and outreach p rogram,comprise the bulk of our expenditures. During the sum -mer, BFC produces an d distributes th is newsletter, and

organizes fundraising, tabling and educational e vents tospread the word about what is happening to the buffalo

across the coun try. Presently, we have grant applications in

with over twenty foundations both for general support andspecial projects. But 60% of our fundra ising comes from

individuals like you. We appea l to you to continue su pport-ing us so we can be h ere next winter a nd for however long

it takes. We thank you all for the sup port you have already

given with your he lp, we will continue to make adifference for the bu ffalo!

The Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) is the only group working in the field, everyday, to

stop the slaughte r and h arassme nt of Yellowstones wild buffalo. Volunteers from ar ound

the world defend buffalo on their traditional habitat and advocate for their protection. Ourdaily patrols stand with the buffalo on the ground they choose to be on, and document

every move made against them.Buffalo in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are no t protected on th eir year-round

habitat. Yellowstone Park doe s not provide sufficient range for the resident herds of wildlife.

Animals are forced to leave the p ark in order to find adeq uate forage for survival. Thus,when the buffalo follow their instincts and migrate to lower elevations, they enter a conflict

zone whe re the politics of Montana directly clash with their survival needs.During the winter of 1996-97, n early 1,100 Yellowstone buffalo were slaughtered by

the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) when th ey crossed arbitrary park bou ndariesinto the state. These killings, combined with death s from the un usually severe winter,resu lted in a loss of nea rly two-thirds of Yellowstone s buffalo herd.

Buffalo Nations (later the Buffalo Field Campaign) formed in 1997 to prevent a nothe rmass slaughter. Eleven buffalo were killed during our first winter in the field, compared

with 1,083 the year be fore. Our continuing presence in the field and effective public

outreach h olds the State of Montana a ccountable.Volunteers sp end all day, from sunrise to su nset, watching an d docum enting buffalo

outside the par k and protecting them from hazing, capturing, and killing operations run bythe Montana DOL. We patrol in cars, on skis and with sn owshoes every day while buffalo

migrate to public lands ou tside the park.

During the winter of 1998-99, BFC volunteers organized a nonviolent direct-actioncampa ign to delay construction of the Horse Butte capture facility. Protesters erected and

occupied a blockade which prevented th e DOL from trapping bu ffalo on Horse Butte fornearly two mo nths. Twenty-two activists were arrested for interfering with DOL operations.

This year, our efforts to protect the Yellowstone buffalo have been very successful.

The vigilance of our daily patrols and the barrage of pu blic outcry generated by local andnational m edia coverage have ma de it increasingly difficult for the state to kill buffalo. In

February, A&Es Investigative Reports, an d ABCs Nightline devoted entire episodes to the

Yellowstone b uffalo con troversy, drawin g extens ively on video footage shot by BFC volun-teers. Intense scrutiny, combined with a mild winter, made this the first season in 16 years

when no buffalo were shot, captur ed or slaughtered b y Montana officials.BFC enjoys incredible suppo rt locally and regionally. Residents surround ing the

western b oundar y of Yellowstone Park allow us to p ost signs on th eir property designatingthem Buffalo Safe Zones. We offer a fence repair service to m itigate dam age caused by

wildlife. Locals join us on our daily patrols, and provide us with en couragemen t, hot drinks

and food!We also have an incredible public support n etwork linking folks around th e globe.

People from all walks of life show up to volunteer, write a letter, make a ph one call orcontribute in som e way. Together we a re all raising our voices for the bu ffalo!

Special Thanks tothese Foundations

and Individuals:

Acorn FoundationAnderlik Compassion for

Animals Fund

Avacado Produc tions

Susan Bloom

Nancy and Jitze Couperus

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Direct Action Fund

Foundation for DeepEcology

Fund for Wild Nature

Guacam ole Fund

Honor the Earth

Hooter Fund II of the OR.Community Foundation

Lemm on Foundation

Norcross Wildlife

FoundationNordik Wildlife Foundation

Patagonia Environm entalPrograms

Pegasus Founda tion

Bonnie Raitt

Seeds of Peace

Harold & Donna Sender

Seventh Generation Fund

Wiancko Family DonorAdvised Fund of the

Commun ity Foundation ofJackson Hole

Y2Y Conservation Initiative

ZZYZX Foundation

Brian Daly/Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers Photo

Support Our Work to Defend the Buffalo

With the Purchase of a New Tee Shirt

Buffalo Field Campaign

2 Styles: Woodcut,Buffalo Hea d4 Sizes: S, M, L, XLMade from organiccotton.Specify style and

size when ordering.Order online.

$20.00Proceeds support

our front-lines workto protect

Yellowstones native,wild buffalo he rds!

To get your t-shirt, check out the des igns online:

http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/teez.html, contact our office at 406-646-0070,

or note on the contribution form to the left that you want to purchase a t-shirt!

Matt McGovern-Rowan Photo

At a cost of over

$1.7 m illion a year,

the [current manage-ment ] plan treats

Yellowstones w ild

bison like zoo ani-

mals and give cattlepreference on public

lands near the park.This is one of the

most absurd publicpolicies ever

crafted. MarkPeterson, National

Parks and Conserva-

tion Association

It does not m atter that I am Irish and that my ancestors lived

elsewhere. For me the buffalo are a symbol of the Source of allthings. No matter how disconnected our culture grows from aware-

ness of the Source we continu e to depend on it completely. Protect-

ing the buffalo is for me one way of taking a stand for a return t o a

way of life built on recognizing that Source and honoring it in all

that lives. Cris Mulvey


3/8

My Road to YellowstoneBy Flo Gardipee, BFC Board Member; fgardipee@hot mail.com

Let us honor the bones of those who

gave t heir flesh to keep us alive.

Buffalo Altar Pray er

Our family is a mix of several Native American tribesand I work as a medical laboratory and radiology techni-cian. I clearly remember th e day I transformed from anordinary wife, mother, and medical professional into anactivist.

About five years ago my six year old daughter a nd Iwere watching a TV program featuring graph ic footage ofbuffalo outside of Yellowstone b eing shot an d killed. Mydaughter looked up at me, tears streaming down h er face,and asked Mommy why are th ey doing that? I had noanswer. Her childs tears m oved my h eart awakeningsomething within, and lead me down a new path. Fiveyears and much research later, I cannot answer my childrenor our ancestors question.

The journey beginsSeveral month s later we mo ved back to Montan a,

started a buffalo ranch and our lives have not been th esame. I was unaware of the impact tha t buffalo would haveon ou r lives. Being buffalo ran chers an d activists brought usback to our n ative culture. The buffalo healed our familyand strengthened our spiritual bonds and I realized ourspiritual responsibility to look after ou r relations, thebuffalo.

We are united together as the Buffalo Nation. Ourelders tell us we are so closely related that wh ateverbecomes o f the buffalo becomes of us. Many legendsdescribe how bu ffalo pitied us becau se we were cold, weakand hungry. They became our blood brothers and sacrificedthem selves that we might have food, clothing, shelter, andmedicines.

The buffalo figure prominently in our cerem onies,such as th e Sundance. The Creator chose the buffalo tobring the Sacred Pipe to the Indian peo ple. The buffalo holda place of high honor and respect in our culture andreligions. It is from this pe rspective that I view the se issues.

After we bought twenty a cres and five buffalo inMontana, we watched in horror as Montana slaughtered1,083 wild buffalo. We were appalled by the statesdisregard and brutal treatmen t of those buffalo and theirspirits. A newspaper a rticle prompted us to con tact theauthor to discuss what he had witnessed. Michael Measetold us the buffalo carcasses were taken to the dump , whereNative Americans harvested an y salvageable m eat. To m ethis was the epitome of our governm ents treatme nt of bothnative peoples and th e buffalo. I was reminded of my

husban ds ancestors begging for entrails at the back

window of local butche r shop s to avoid starvation. Webecame involved with the campa ign to save wild buffalo.

I was left with many que stions and a sen se of conflictthat other viewpoints had not been given equal consider-ation. What about th e possible adverse affects to thegenet ic diversity of the Yellowston e National Park herdcaused by the ind iscriminate slaughter and large winter

kills from starvation? Who gave the Montana DOL theauthority to auction off the carcasses, hides, heads, andskulls of these an imals they so disrespectfully shot andkilled? Why did the p rofits from these sa les go into theircoffers and how wa s it spent? What kinds of lab tests arebeing used to determine the presence of brucellosis, howare they performed, and what do they mean? What is therate of infection in the herd? These and oth er questions ledme to do som e researchfinding a few answers.

As a m edical laboratory technician, the most logicalplace to begin was with the disease bru cellosis and testingmeth ods for diagnosis. From th ere I searched for epidemio-logical eviden ce of brucellosis in the Yellowstone Nation alPark buffalo herd an d any case histories of possibletransmission to livestock in Montana or aroun d Yellow-stone. I gathered information on current rese arch projects. Imade some su rprising discoveries (see sidebar).

Where do we go from here?The Greater Yellowstone Inte ragen cy Bison Cooper a-

tive (GYIBC) is funding over 37 different research projectsconcern ing brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area(GYA), and a re requ esting an a nn ual bud get of $1.8 millionin federal funds through the year 2 005. Yet, no vaccineshave been proven to be safe or e ffective for use withwildlife. And there isnt a definitive lab test to diagnosebrucellosis accurately. Nor is there a long ter m p lan toeffectively control or erad icate the disease in the Yellow-stone ecosystem if that is even nece ssary or pos sible.

Montana state officials defy logic and reason by

insisting on a zero tolerance policy thatincludes any bu ffalo enterin g the state fromthe pa rk. This forced the federal agen ciesinvolved to withdraw from their agreemen twith th e state as ou tlined in th e GYIBCMemoran dum of Understan ding lastDecember. People like Jim Peterson of theMontana Stockgrowers Association con tinueto cry wolf, citing brucellosis as a finan-cial threat to Montanas livestock industry.The DOL will continue to bait the ir capturefacilities, luring h ungry b uffalo to theirdeaths. Will the voices of the Buffalo Nationcontinue to fall deafly upon th e ears ofthose unwilling to hear them?

A cultural conflictIf these voices go unhe ard, the long

term planning process remains the sameold bureaucracy a nd politics. Because th e

dominan t culture in American so ciety views itself asseparate from th e natural world, they view it as a domain tobe conqu ered and con trolled. Everything they see in natureis either a comm odity or a nuisance to be e radicated. Thisperception is op posed to th e way Native Americansperceive their place within the n atural world. Native cultureand spirituality includes all of the elemen ts of the earth an dsky as integral to our existence.

Vine Deloria brilliantly exposes and outlines thesource of th is cultural conflict in h is book titled God isRed, A Native View of Religion. The idea o f eminen tdomain victimized the Buffalo Nation in the p ast an dcontinues today arou nd Yellowstoneconflicting withNative American culture. As I read through h is book, Ifeared that this sam e attitude has invaded the bu ffaloranch ing industry.

We believe there is m ore to raising buffalo thanachieving the ultimate body type or the finan cial bottomline. We raise our buffalo with r espect to th eir spiritualsignificance in our cu lture, being careful that we followproper cerem onies in all of our actions. This includes

having a ceremon ial person present to offer prayers to thebuffalos spirit.

Montana state officials have never reque sted thepresence of ceremon ial Native peop les, as they slaughterbuffalo that dont belong to them. This is a slap in th e faceto all Native people and to the entire Buffalo Nation. Thespiritual value and significance of buffalo to Native Ameri-cans can t be ignored. It must given proper cons ideration inall matters concerning them.

It is no longer a cceptable for us to stand at the edgeof a dumpsite, or at the back window of a governm entagency begging for our inalienable cultural rights to beacknowledged. Montanas governm ent officials mu st endtheir arrogance an d consult with tribal elders as equals.

I sincerely hope that th e voice of my ch ilds tears forher relatives, and the many voices of the people who honorand resp ect the sp irit of the buffalo will be heard. TheBuffalo Nation is coming back! Put your ear to the earth an dlisten for the thundering of their hooves, and the manyshuffling feet of those dancing to hasten their return.

What is Brucellosis?Brucellosis is a disease ca used by a gram

negative bacteria, characterized by an u ndulatingbody temperature. It was unknown in this country

before the introd uction of European ca ttle. Although

debilitating, it is rarely fatal. The Center for DiseaseControl (CDC) does not consider it to be a major public

health threat, nor requires reporting of it, and currentstatistics reveal a low incidence in hum an be ings.

Brucellosis can be transmitted to wildlife and

domestic livestock through contact with abor tedfetuses and birth m aterials infected with the o rgan-

ism. Infection m ay occur during breeding. Human

beings may contract br ucellosis as result of contactwith infected tissues through open wounds or cuts,

ingestion of unpasteurized milk, or through accidentalinoculation with the vaccine. Only two cases have

been reported in Montana in the last ten years,contracted as a result of gutting infected elk. There are

no docum ented cases o f buffalo transmitting brucello-

sis to either h uman s or livestock in Montana.

The CARD test vs. culture techniques.The CARD test currently is used in the field to

determine if a buffalo is seropositive for b rucellosis.

This test only detects an tibodies to the brucellosisorganism, not the pr esence of the organ ism itself!

Antibodies are formed in the h ost in response toexposure to a p otentially infectious agent.

These antibodies are made up of proteins

referred to as immu noglobulins or Ig for short. Thereare three main immunoglobulins that are considered

significant. IgM and IgG are primarily involved inresponding to infectious agents, and IgE usually only

responds in allergic reactions. IgM antibodies are the

first to be formed in respon se to contact with any n ewinfectious agent. IgM production u sually continues as

long as the organisms remain in the host, ceases whenthe organism is cleared from th e body, and falls off

rapidly after the on set of IgG antibody syn thesis.

Persistent IgM production suggests that th e infectiousagent is still present. IgG antibody pro duction begins

rather late in the immune response and continues athigh levels well after the infectious agents have been

eliminated. IgG levels eventually drop off to low levels

and may p ersist for the h osts lifetime. IgG antibodiesalso are formed in response to vaccinations an d

enable us to maintain immunity to certain infections.Maternal IgG antibodies are small en ough to cross th e

placenta and can pass on immunities to the fetus.

The CARD test shows a positive result only in

the p resence of IgG antibodies, detecting only theanimals immun e response to expo sure to brucella

organisms. The m ethodology of the test itself limits itto this purpose alone! It cann ot determ ine if infection

is present. This can on ly be proven by actuallyculturing out the organism itself. Specimens for

culture are n ot obtained on all seropositive buffalo,

and of those that are cultured only a small percentactually grow out bru cella organisms. What could be

the reason for this? Current research h as discoveredthat some buffalo may possess a gene enabling them

to develop immun ity to brucellosis, allowing them to

clear the organism from their bodies. Could it be thatmost o f the serop ositive buffalo have mere ly devel-

oped an immunity to brucellosis?There are other factors that affect the accuracy

of the CARD test and culture techniques. The CARD

test is on ly qualitativemacroscopically read as apositive or negative result. It cannot be correlated to a

level of IgG antibody. The test sho uld be run at aroom temp erature of no less than 50 degrees F, in a

slightly hum id environment. Hum idity is not carefully

regulated by the DOL. The m akeshift lab where th eDOL performs this test can be mu ch colder. The

samples should be spun only in a properly calibratedcentrifuge designed specifically for the CARD test. The

centrifuge that spins sp ecimens b efore testing is old

and worn , and n ot properly timed. The CARD testshould be rotated for exactly four minu tes. Any

further ma nipulation can resu lt in gel-like substanceswhich cou ld be read as a false po sitive.

All of these factors adversely affect the accuracy

of the test. Yet, the DOL relies on th ese resu lts alone todetermine if a buffalo is slaughtered. As for the few

cultures that a re taken, failure to obtain p ositiveresults from a suspect hos t usually is due to non

presence of the infection, or inappropriate sampling

technique s including failure to use a sufficientsamp le. False positive cultures can occur with cross

contamination of specimens. Considering all of thevariables which can alter the quality and accura cy of

these testing methods, in conjunction with the

random n ature of the po pulation samp ling, its clearthat there is no real evidence to support the claim that

there is widespread brucellosis infection in Yellow-stone buffalo.

It is interesting to note that the s ame tests also

have shown that as many as 50% of the 120,000 elkin the Yellowstone ecosystem are se ropositive for

bru cellosis as well. Yet, they ar e allowed to migratefreely and are more likely to co-mingle with cattle

than buffalo. In fact, I have observed th at bu ffalo will

avoid mos t contact with cattle. I question why the elkhave been left alone. But we kn ow quite well that it is

their popularity with hunters and the money theygenerate that protects th em from th e DOL.

The whole world is coming

a nation is coming, a nation is coming.

The eagle has brought the message to the tribe.

The Father says s o, the father says so.

Over the whole earth they are coming.

The buffalo are coming, the buffalo are coming.

The crow has brought the message to the tribe.

The father says so, the father says so.

Sioux Ghost Dance Song

A wild buffalo being tested in a capture facility. BFC File Photo

Buffalo cramm ed into a capture facility. BFC File Photo


4/8

Since 1990, I have been deeply involved wit h the buf falo issue. During thistim e I have witn essed some significant changes. I watched, for years, as

virtu ally every buf falo that left Yellowstone National Park was killed. Iwatched DOL agents hurl insults and derisive laughter at Native Americans

performing ceremonies and saying prayers for dead buffalo.

I watched Native Am ericans reduced to doing t he states dirty work gutting

and butchering the buf falo that w ere gunn ed down. I watched as the DOL left

piles of gut sfrom supposedly diseased buffaloon fields where cows grazein the sum mer. My saddest m emory is the wint er of 1996-97, when 1,083

buffalo n early on e third of t he herd w ere slaughtered.

In response to this insanity, the Buffalo Nations (now the Buffalo Field Cam-

paign) was formed. After t hree years of docum enting every move made by

the DOL and alerting the world through local, national and international

media, the killing has paused for the first tim e in 17 years. The new m illen-

nium has turned t he battle into a debate on hazing.

I know m any factors have contributed to t his miraculous change, but thework of BFC volunt eers has had a significant im pact. Over 700 people from

around the world have come to West Yellowstone to stand w ith the buffalo. It

is my great honor to t hank each and every one of you and to t ell you you r

effort s and prayers are creating change. Michael S. Mease, BFC Co-Founder

The reckless and vindictive slaughter of thelast wild American Buffalo is a sym ptom of t he

disease that plagues our nation. Wh en peoplelike the Buffalo Field Campaign take a nonv io-

lent stand against injustice, they affect change.Wh en many people and many groups come

together and support each other, real, sweep-

ing change is possible. Start it now.

Please, stand u p. Pete Leusch, BFC Volunt eer

Buffalo Activists Hang Massive Banner inProtest of Montanas Buffalo Slaughter

Early on the m orning of April 11, 2000 two wome n

unfurled a 20 by 50 foot bann er from the top story of the

Summit Hotel at th e Big Sky Ski Resort. The bann er boregraphic depictions of two severed buffalo heads an d thewords: Racicots Buffalo Slaugh ter Kills Tour ism.

The action was pa rt of an all-day rally organized by

activists to call atten tion to Montana Governor MarcRacicots policy of ha zing, capturing, and shooting bu ffalo

tha t leave Yellowstone National Park.With much of the conference focused on improving

the states image (one session was titled:Montanas Image:

How Others See Us), it was impor tant to remind p articipantsthat pe ople come to Montana largely to see live buffalo and

oth er wildlife. Outraged over the stat es buffalo slaugh ter,several groups have organized boycotts against Montana.

According to a recent study, Gallatin County one of

the only counties in the state with unfenced buffalobrings in more tourism revenue than any other county in

Montana. Tourism is th e fastest growing sector of the stateeconom y, generating more than $1.5 billion in 1998.

The situation becam e precarious for the activists

perched o n the icy ledge of the tenth floor balcony whenan angry construction crew gathered behind a blocked-off

sliding glass door. One of them h eld up a ha nd writtenbann er of his own wh ich read Hunting feeds our familys.

Others began pelting the two wom en with sn owballs from

an ad jacent balcony.When unforeseen complications made it possible for

workers to slice the bann er, the climbers attempte d to leave.One was d etained by a Gallatin County Sheriff, while the

other took off down a corridor. Before she reached the

stairwell she was tackled by a contractor an d held down bythree others. When she questioned their authority to detain

her, she was told Deputy Calvin just depu tized us.The women were charged with criminal trespass and

obstruction. A third activist was later arrested for trespass-

ing when a hotel employee said she saw him in the tenthfloor stairwell. The three were released the nex t morning

on their own recognizance.Since h e took office in 1992, Governor Racicot has

bloodied his hands w ith the death s of almost 2,300 buffalo.A close advisor to George Bush Jr., Racicot is being groomedfor a cabinet post. Recent press coverage pegged him as a

possible cand idate for Secretary of Agriculture or Interior(and you th ought James Watt was bad). One story even

included his n ame on a short list for the Vice-Presidency.

With political ambitions in m ind, Racicot has soughtto distance himse lf from th e buffalo slaughter. For the first

time in 1 7 years, Montana didn t kill any buffalo thatmigrated from the park. Instead, the state launche d a wave

of militaristic hazing operations aimed a t keeping buffalo

out of Montan a. Using a helicopte r, ATVs, 4-wheel drivetrucks and h orses, the DOL has bee n wreaking havoc on the

wildlife that inhabits th e Yellowstone ecosystem.As this demon stration pointed out - this misuse of the

publics trust and m onies, not only m aligns the p eople of

Montana and the citizens of the United States, but steals animportant heritage from future generations.

I am st anding in the way

of laws made up in m ens minds.They have no place with t he buffalo.

A fence has no meaning to an animalwhose path was plotted centuries ago.

His blood tells him where to go.Do you kn ow w here to go?

Sarah Chalmers, BFC Volunteer

Photo Tiffany Brown1998

Brian Daly/Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers Photo

JamesV.Shipley2000

We had spent most of the morn ing searching

unsuccessfully for the buffalo on Horse Butt eand paused to eat lunch on the shore of Hebgen

Lake. When we rose, we spot ted a herd a fewhundred yards away. We sat down and waited

quietly to see what t hey would do. With in

minu tes we w ere surrounded on all sides by 25

yearlings and pregnant cows. They lingered,

grazing and sizing us up. It was a rare moment

of grace in the life of a hum an, to feel trustedand accepted by wild creatures. The following

day we watched, horrified as the DOL firedcracker rounds from their helicopter at these

same buffalo, now terrified and exhausted,seven m iles back to t he park.

Emily Kodama, BFC Volunt eer


5/8

Native American Sundance Church Honors

Buffalo Field Campaign at Earth Day CelebrationOn April 22, 2000, the Ehnama ni Sun Dance Church m ade a special presen tation to

the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) at the conclusion of their Earth Day performance in

Bozeman . Ehnaman i is a multinational Native American re ligious group that recen tly

visited England to r aise awarenes s of issues affecting Native American religion and culture.Ehnamani presented petition signatures and donations, collected from English supporters of

wild, free-roaming buffalo.This presentation attests to the intern ational outcry over Montana s policy of slaugh-

tering Yellowstone bu ffalo. BFC has received sup port from dozen s of countries an d has h ad

volunteers from Australia, Canada, England, Newfoundlan d, Germany, Holland, Ireland,Israel, South Africa, and Sweden.

The don ations an d signatures we re presen ted by Scott Frazier, a Santee/Crow tribalmember, at the conclusion of traditional chanting, singing, and drumming performances.

Scott has long been a n advocate for the Yellowstone bu ffalo and the wolf and h as served as

spiritual adviser to the BFC.In 1997 Frazier and other Ehnamani members performed a Sun Dance inside

Yellowstone National Park. It was the first time in recen t years that su ch a ce remony wasperformed on the land we n ow call Yellowstone. During the ceremony, one of the partici-

pants drea med of buffalo hooves stampeding through th e night. Scott had a vision of awhite buffalo calf being born to th e Yellowstone h erd.

Frazier recou nted the following Santee origin story to the Buffalo Field Campaign

during the winte r of 1998-99, when we were witnessing the slaughter of buffalo on aweekly basis. The account describes the sacred hum an-buffalo relationship an d the original

sacrifice on w hich this relationship is bu ilt.

The story begins after the world was formed but the people live in the world. Thebuffalos were sacred and we tended them. We fed them a food that was like clouds. The life we

had was sacred but some of the people wanted to see what lay outside the tunnel to the surface.One of those who decided to go up the tun nel was nam ed To ka hey, the first on e. He went to

the surface to look around. He came back wit h wonderf ul stories. The people were curious but

decided not to let on that they were going to the surface. Seven families left. Soon the buffalosrealized what had happened. They went to the surface to see what had happened to the people.

What they saw was sad, the people had nothing to eat, they were cold without shelter. Thosebuffalos went back to the others to report. The buffalos decided that though the people had

been foolish the buffalos needed to go to t he surface to help the people. The buffalos knew th at

if they went to the surface they could not return to the life they knew within the earth. Thebuffalos gave up their life within the earth so that the people could have food, clothing, and

shelter. What they did was holy. Scott Frazier, personal interview

Department of Livestock Cohort Stands Trial for Poaching Buffalo

Montanas Departmen t of Livestock (DOL) may not have sh ot or slaughtered an ybuffalo during the winter of 1999-2000, but one o f their cohor ts, Dale Koelzer, a localresident wh ose land on Duck Creek serves as the DOLs headq uarters and which border sYellowstone National Park on the west side, admitted killing a bu ffalo that wandered ontohis land.

On September 29, 1999 Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) volunteers discovered thebuffalo, which had been stripped of its head, h ide and gen itals, on Koelzers property.Koelzer denied knowledge of the crime in the m edia until the missing parts of the an imalwere found in his possession. Game warden s issued him three citations: for shooting theanimal, wasting its carcass, and illegally possessing the h ead an d cape.

After the hide and head were found in h is garage, he adm itted in the BozemanChronicle to killing the buffalo because it was m aking him an gry and threaten ed hispickup truck. He skinned th e carcass with the help of a neighbor. He stated that they

dragged the carcass to the edge of his property so th at bears could consu me it.Koelzers lawyer, Bill Bartlett, has resorted to th e truly ridiculous in an attemp t toabsolve his client. Citing a loophole in state law, which h e claims essen tially creates anopen season on buffalo , Bartlett stated, It appear s that bu ffalo are unregulated verm in inMontana and have the same status as gophers, which are shot up by the buckets full eachspring. The Bozeman judge presiding at Koelzers hearing wasted no time in dismissingthis absurd argumen t. Whether Koelzer was within his right to protect his property fromwildlife-inflicted dam age remains to be decided by a jury trial schedu led for this summ er.

The DOL has intimate ties with Koelzer. For the pa st three season s they have ma in-tained a buffalo trap on h is land along Duck Creek, which is situated on a m ajor wildlifemigration corridor and abuts th e western bou ndary of Yellowstone National Park. Koelzeralso leases the agency an apartment in his basement and barn space, from which they stagetheir hazing, capture, and sho oting operations.

Governor Marc Racicotdenied BFC permission tofilm th e ha ndling of buffaloinside the Duck Creek(Koelzer) trap , a p ublicfacility being operated a ttaxpayer expense on private

land. The states lack ofaccountab ility and itsrelationship with an a llegedpoacher are prime examplesof the corruption thatpervades Montanas buffalopolicy.

We dont have a policy of shooting buffalo,

nor do we have a policy of shipping them off to

slaughter. Montana Governor Marc Racicot

The departm ent w ill continue to managebison through a combination of hazing, cap-

ture and slaughter. Mark Bridges, Execut iveOfficer, Montana Departm ent of Livestock

These businesseshave supported usover the years.Please support them.

Big Sky, MontanaThe Board RoomC & P Deli

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Photography

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If your don t see yo urbusiness name here andyou would like to be listedin our ne xt newsletter,please write to us and letus know. We apologize toanyone we m ay haveforgotten.

Prayer led by Scott Frazier at Big Sky rally during the Governor's Conference on Tourism and

Recreation in Apr il 2000. James V.Shipley2000

Arvol Looking Horse talking to a Park ranger at the Day of

Prayer, 1997. Brian Daly/Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers Photo

Attitudes Behind 19th Century SlaughterRemain Strong in 2000by Dan Brister

Capitalizing on the Native American depen denceupon the buffalo, 19th century government leaders backed

a campaign to exterminate the buffalo and force the

Indians into a sedentary lifestyle more in line with th e"civilized" European ideals of land ownership and private

property. Interior Secretary Columbu s Delano rem arked in1873, just on e year after Yellowstone National Park h ad

been established:

"The civilization of t he Indian is impossible while thebuffalo remains upon the plains. I would not seriously regret

the total disappearance of the buffalo from our westernprairies, in its ef fect upon t he Indians, regarding it as a m eans

of hastening their sense of dependence upon the products of

the soil and their ow n labors." -Annu al Report of theDepartment of the Interior

Not only did settlers and politicians view the buffalo'ssurvival as crucial to survival of Native American life ways,

the buffalo was incompatible with the European dream of a

Great Plains cattle culture. It was a ma tter of comp etition; ifbuffalo remaine d wild, they would out-comp ete cattle for

forage on the Western range. This sentiment is evident inthe following speech , made before the United States

Congress:

"There is no law that Congress can pass that willprevent the buffalo from disappearing before the march of

civilization. There is no law which human hands can write,there is no law which a Congress of men can enact, that will

stay the disappearance of these wild animals before civiliza-

tion. They eat the grass. They trample upon the plains upon

which our settlers desire to herd their cattle and their sheep.They range over the very pastures where the settlers keeptheir herds of cattle. They destroy the pasture. They are as

uncivilized as the Indian." -Representative Conger, 1874

To the livestock industry, cattle represent an e co-nom ic interest and way of life, albeit barely a hund red years

old. To Native Americans--the buffalo represen t the essenceof their social, cultural, and spiritual identity and a relation-

ship thousands of years old. That the tribes haven't been

allowed at the table where the ranchers, land managers,and p oliticians decide th e fate of the buffalo reflects a lack

of wisdom, a nd u tter disrespect for Native Americans . Noone h as a closer relationship to the buffalo than the Native

American. Wh y are the tribes being left out?

"Absent are the people who actually know the buffalo:the Nez Perce, Blackfeet and Crow, and others w hose treaties

encompass part of Yellowstone National Park, or theWinnebago, Ho Chunk , Lakota, An ishinabe, Kiowa, Gros

Ventre, Cheyenne, Shoshone Bannock and others, wh ose

spiritual practices, cultural practices, languages and lives areentirely intertwined with buffalo. To us, the buffalo is the

Western Doorkeeper, the Elder Brother, the Great One." -Winon a LaDuke, Indian Coun try Today, 1999

Not only is the tribal voice being ignored-as the

actions of policy makers and Montana Law Enforcemen tOfficers attest- the religion an d culture of those wh o

consider th e buffalo sacred a re be ing willfully violated. Theactions of Montana's DOL mirror those of their predeces-

sors: the buffalo hunters an d Army officers of the 19th

century. In the words of Lakota spiritual leader JosephChasing Horse, "When the U.S. governmen t slaughtered th e

buffalo as a way to subjugate Indian people, they put intomotion an imbalance in the ecosystem that continues

today."

On March 7, 1997, during a winter when 1 ,083buffalo were killed, American Indian leaders gathered near

Gardiner, Montana, for a day of prayer for th e buffalo. Theceremon y was disrupted by the ech o of gunshots. Lakota

elder Rosalie Little Thunder left the prayer circle toinvestigate the s hots. Less than two miles away, Departm entof Livestock agen ts had killed 14 buffalo. Walking acro ss a

field to pray over the bod ies of the slaughtered b uffalo, shewas arrested and charged with criminal trespass.

The continued harassment of the plains tribes and

the few rema ining wild buffalo is a clear sign that theattitudes which precipitated the 19th century slaughter are

alive and strong today. In the words of Rosalie LittleThunder, "They shot th e buffalo because we were at that

place, on that day, at that time."


6/8

Horse Butte Showdown Continues

Horse Butte Capture Facility. Project Lighthawk, BFC Photo

DOWN2. The Buffalo Field ____________is the only group working 365 days a

year with the buffalo.

3. A threatened species in th e Yellowstone ecosystem.5. What prevents cows from contracting brucellosis.9. A greyish-green dryland sh rub.

10. A baby buffalo.

11. The act of forcing buffalo to retu rn to Yellowston e National Park.13. The movement of buffalo in search of food.16. Governor of Montana r esponsible for th e buffalo slaughter.

17. Who can make a difference and speaks out for the buffalo.18. Another animal that can carry brucellosis.

23. ____________bear; a large pre dator.24. Yellowston es buffalo herd is th e last one th at is ____and free roamin g.

Yellow stone

N a t i o n a l

P a r k

Horse Bu t te

Pen insu la

our federal lands

ACROSS1. Chief of the National Forest Service.4. The buffalo are an integral part of __________American culture.

6. A male buffalo.

7. A female buffalo.8. In 1902, o nly 21 buffalo were left in the Yellowstone ecosystem and

they were on the brink of _______________12. Current Secretary of th e Interior.14. Lakota word for buffalo.

15. A type of pine tree in th e Yellowstone ecosystem.19. Name o f the State killing Yellowston es buffalo.

20. A type of fir tree in this region.

21. _________Butte is traditionalbuffalo calving habitat.

22. Bald eagle food.23. A favorite food of bu ffalo.

25. A native animal recently reintroduced t othe the Yellowstone ecosystem.

26. In 1810, there were 65______________buffalo.

27. The National Park that thebuffalo live in and aroun d.

As the 19 99-2000 winter bu ffalo season closed,Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) activists paused to reflect onthe pa st and future of Americas last wild buffalo. TheYellowstone bu ffalo escaped death at the h ands of Montanathis year, and the respite from butchery is an unquestion-able victory for the buffalo and the ir allies. But the killingof nearly one hu ndred buffalo during the spring of 1999still echoes in the h earts of buffalo allies everywhere. AsMontanas Department of Livestock (DOL) continues toviolate laws, obstru ct activists, an d th reaten wildlife, werealize their grim agenda has not ch anged. The buffalo are

still in danger, and we must continu e working to protectthem an d their habitat.On March 18, 1999, over twenty law enforcemen t

officers from various agencies rem oved a BFC blockade thathad p revented constru ction of a buffalo capture facility atHorse Butte Peninsula for over two months. The HorseButte Peninsula is approxim ately 15-square miles or 10,000acres of world class wildlife habitat. Much of the land isowned by the public (Gallatin National Forest) and p rovideshab itat for Yellowstone 's wild buffalo herds.

Horse Butte lies north of the Madison Arm of HebgenLake an d the Madison River, east of Hebgen Lake, south ofthe Grayling Arm of Hebgen Lake and Cougar Creek, andwest of Yellowston e Nation al Park. The pen insu la provideshabitat for a numbe r of sensitive species including the baldeagle, gray wolf, trump eter swan , peregrine falcon, grizzlybear, wolverine, lynx, and boreal owl.

They arrested activists that day, and set up th ecapture facility. Law enforceme nt agents tackled oneactivist without provocation and arrested another who wasfilming the incident, confiscating his radio, video cam era,

and video tape. Although charges against four of theactivists were dropped and n o one was con victed, everyonearrested was restricted from going within 1,500 feet ofcapture facilities or DOL operations an d were bann ed frompublic lands, including National Forest and Park Servicelands.

On March 31, 1999, the DOL hazed 29 buffalo intothe Horse Butte capture facility, and shipped 18 to slaugh-ter. BFC activists videota ped th e DOL in two violation s of its

Special Use Permit: snowmobile h azing within a qu artermile of an eagle nesting site, and hazing within a qua rtermile of Hebgen Lake.

On April 14, 1999, th e DOL captured 69 b uffalo in itsHorse Butte tra p and two at Duck Creek. All of theseanimals were con fined for two nights in the overcrowdedtrap before 45 were sent to the slaughterhouse. Six diedlater of injuries sustained while in confinement. Fiveactivists were arrested, and four were detaine d but nevercharged. One detainee was tackled, cursed at, held to theground, and th reatened by the DOL.

We are currently in the third year o f our powerfulpublic awareness campaign employing in-depth documen-tation, extensive media outreach, and nonviolent civildisobedience to hold the state of Montana an d GovernorMarc Racicot accountable for their actions. Three yearsago, governm ent agents m assacred ne arly 1,100 buffalo.This winter, not a single buffalo was killed. Amazingprogress, to be sure but dangerou sly deceptive. AlthoughMontana didnt slaughter buffalo this winter, their needlesshazing of the animals, many of which were pregnant,violations of protected w ildlife closures (see related story),and disregard for the r ights of activists clearly show that thestate is stuck in the rut of its own antiquated th inking.

Illegal activities by the agencies On January 25, 2000, a BFC volunteer approached an

agent on a sn owmobile as the DOL hazed one b ulloutside the park. He drove straight into her, knocking

her down and suffered no consequences for his action.

On January 30 and again on April 13, 2000, law enforce-ment officers with the Gallatin County Sheriffs Depart-

men t, Montana Highway Patrol, and the US ForestService forcibly and illegally confiscated videotapes

from volunteers. In both cases, the camera s were

literally torn from the volunteer s who were filming. On April 20, 2000, the largest haze of the year, the DOL

violated the terms of their Special Use Permit with th eGallatin National Forest an d th e Endan gered Species Act

when they flew a helicopter within a quarter m ile of a

bald eagle nest on Horse Butte, flushing two eagles fromtheir nest. The Permit states that helicopter activities

will NOT be per mitted in th e Horse Butte are a. Anydisruption that flushes bald eagles from their n ests could

lead to brooding failure, or abandon men t of fledglings

and the nests.

On many occasion s April 27, May 4, May 6, May 11,

and May 12the DOL violated a grizzly bear closurearea inside Yellowstone Park which is closed to all

activities between March 10 an d May 27. Using horses,

all-terrain vehicles, and cracker rounds fired from

shotguns, DOL agents push ed buffalo up to two m ilesback in the restricted area. BFC learned th at the ParkService gave the DOL permission to violate th e closure

after the DOL threatened m ore aggressive action

against the bu ffalo if forbidden to ha ze in the area.Time and time again, the state of Montana ha s

behaved more like a playground bully than a respon siblegovernm ent, disregarding inconvenient regulations andtrampling the rights of those standing in its way. If left to itsown devices, Montanas governmen t will continue to killand harass these m ajestic animals. Only the continuedoutcry of concerned citizens stands between the buffaloand the DOLs gun s.

Activists Shut Down DOL Helicopters Groups Aim to Protect Habitat forYellowstone Buffalo and Bald Eagles

The Ecology Center, Inc., Buffalo Field Campaign and

Cold Moun tain, Cold Rivers filed a Tem pora ry Restrain ingOrder under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on May 9,2000 asking Federal District Court Judge Charles C. Lovell torestrain the Montana Departmen t of Livestock, the USForest Service, and the National Park Service from illegallyharming threatened bald eagle nests on the Horse ButtePeninsula of the Gallatin National Forest.

While Judge Lovell did not grant a TemporaryRestraining Order, in his ru ling he wrote: "all of theDefendants do agree that no hazing shall be accomplishedby helicopter." He goes on to say, "Defendants represen t tothe court that there is no intention for future helicopterhazing in Horse Butte area."

At the en d of each of th e last two winters, the DOLdeployed a helicopter to h aze buffalo back into the Parkdespite Special Use Permit requirements tha t forbid theiruse on Horse Butte Peninsula. The permit conditions areintended to pr otect nesting bald eagles which are listed asthreaten ed un der the ESA.

The groups have filed a 60-day Notice of Intent to su eand inten d to file a formal complaint against the agen ciesfor illegally jeopardizing threatened species protected bythe ESA. The groups a re lobbying the Secretary of Interiorto designate Horse Butte Peninsula as cr itical habitat forwildlife including Yellowstone s native buffalo he rd, andeffect critical habitat protections for threaten ed andendangered species.

We are here as volunteers giving our tim e and

attent ion to the preservation of all life. We are not

against cattle ranchers. We are not here lookin g to

make people angry or to cause confrontation.

Rather we are here for the buffalo, and to witness

and document the actions of Montanas DOL.

Jason Joh nson , BFC Volun teer

Just west of Yellowstone, the U.S. Forest Service is

pushing to help Montana build a pen for shipping thebison to slaughter. The national government is

spending 100 times the revenue it receives, on an

effort thats altogether unnecessary.

Denver Post Editorial, 2/7/99


7/8

Is History Repeating Itself?Sixty-five m illion bu ffalo on ce ro amed America.

Buffalo were essen tial to the survival of Plains Indians,

providing spiritual guidance, food, sh elter, and tools. 19thcentury American m ilitary leaders recognized the Indiansdependence on the buffalo and launched an all out attack

on th e Indians very source of life. Buffalo were killed bythe m illions and th eir remains were left to waste on the

prairies. By 1900 on ly a few hundred buffalo remained,

most in captivity. In the remote backcountry of YellowstoneNational Park, the last 23 w ild buffalo survived, the

ancestors of todays herd.By 1997 th e Yellowstone buffalo herd n umbe red

3,500 one of the greatest con servation success stories in

American h istory. Unfortunate ly, the success was sh ortlived. Buffalo are no longer welcome on pu blic lands

outside of Yellowstone, th eir traditional winte r h abitat,having been displaced by powerful cattle interests. The

buffalo slaughter of the 19th century has resum ed. The

State of Montana and federal governmen t agencies arekilling the direct descen dants of th e buffalo brought back

from the brink of extinction in the last one hundred years.

State and Federal man agement agencies justify killing

buffalo by saying the bu ffalo pose an unaccep table risk of

brucellosis transmission to Montana cattle, and that thecattle industry mu st protect its brucellosis-free status.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease present in both dom esticanimals and wildlife such as elk, deer and moose. Infected

domestic cows tend to abort th eir first calf and then birth

norm ally, although it does no t seem to affect wildlife.

Facts: The available scientific evidence demonstrates that the

risk of brucellosis being passed to cattle is extremely

remote. There has n ever been a documented case ofbrucellosis transmission from buffalo to livestock in a

natural setting. In Grand Teton National Park, buffalo and vaccinated

cattle have co-mingled for over 40 years withou t a single

cow contracting the disease. Management agencies have not addressed possible

brucellosis transmission from wildlife such as coyotes,elk, deer, moose, and others. If man agers truly believe

brucellosis is a threat, they would m anage the d isease

instead of th e buffalo. The Federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) will not r evoke Montan as bruce llosis-free statu s

if the state tolerates th e presen ce of low risk buffalosuch as bulls and calves. Of the 1,190 buffalo killed in

the last four winters, almost h alf posed a low risk fortransmission (bulls and yearling calves).

Costly cattle import restrictions, imposed by other states,are sup posedly feared. Yet, only the federa l governm ent

can impose restrictions, and all states must respect the

federal b rucellosis classification.

Buffalo that cross the invisible park bound ary are pu tinto the deadly grasp of the Montana Departmen t of

Livestock (DOL), an agency with no wildlife managementtraining or expe rience. DOL agents cha se, capture a nd kill

buffalo tha t ente r the s tate. However, the DOLs ma nda te is

to prom ote Montanas livestock industrythe ultimatedisincentive for m anaging a wild buffalo population.

When buffalo ente r Montana, DOL agents o nsnowm obiles, ATVs, horses or tru cks round them up an d

force them to run for many miles and over barbed wire

fences back to the pa rk. As the snow accumu lates, contin-ued hazing stresses the buffalo unnecessarily and causes

winter kill. Buffalo Field Campa ign docume nted a herd ofover 100 elk running from a DOL snowm obile during

buffalo hazing, over barbe d wire fences, an d getting

injured.DOL baits their cap ture facilities with hay or rounds

up buffalo and hazes them into the trap to test them. Thesetraps are a maze of cattle fences and plywood that funnel

captive buffalo into sm all chutes for testing. This process

subjects wild buffalo to unnatu ral confinement, wh ichcauses the animals to break horns, panic and gore each

other. DOL agents hit captive buffalo with sticks, shockthem with cattle prods, and chase them with Bobcat mini-

tractors.

The test that the DOL conducts is a blood test whichcan on ly prove that the buffalo might have been e xposed to

brucellosis, not that they have or could transmit the disease.

About 50% test positive and are senten ced to death, eventhough m ost of those, because of sex, age or reproductive

status, could not, if infected, transmit the disease.According to the results of tissue an d blood tests

conducted by State and Federal officials during the w inter

of 1991-92, less than one-half of one percen t ofYellowstone b uffalo were infec tious. Of the 218 buffalo

sampled, not one, at the time of death, was capable oftransmitting brucellosis bacteria t o cattle.

The DOL even shoots buffalo in the field without

testing them for brucellosis. Even worse, in th e winter of1996-97 the DOL shot bu ffalo in the field after th ey had

already captured an d released them a fter testing negativefor brucellosis.

The Yellowstone BuffaloYellowstone buffalo play an importan t role in th e

Yellowstone eco system . Scientists identify buffalo as akeystone species in maintaining the health and abun-

dance of other wildlife and plant communities indigenous

to the area.Grizzly bea rs, gray wolves, trumpeter swans, ea gles,

peregrine falcons, lynx, wolverine, and boreal owl areamong the animals that inhabit the lands where buffalo

roam.

Yellowston es buffalo herd h ave establish ed migrationcorridors to ha bitat surround ing the Park, like Horse Butte

Peninsula, a wildlife rich area that includes Hebgen Lakenear West Yellowstone. The buffalo winter there and calve

in the spring.

When the sun has melted the deep snows, and thetime is right, the buffalo use these wildland h abitats to

retu rn to Yellowstone Park .

Meghan Fay/Cold Moun tain, Cold Rivers Photo 1997

This bison herd is as

important to this

country as Old

Faithful, as the Statue

of Liberty, as t he

Grand Canyon. This

particular bison herd

is the most genetically

pure bison herd we

have in America

today. Theyve not

been int erbred w ith

cattle, they are exactly

the way they w ere athousand years ago. Don Barry, AssistantSecretary, Departm ent of

the Interior

Pre 1800 65 million wild buffalo in the United States.1850-1880 80 million buffalo shot, their remain s left to rot

on the prairies.

1872 Yellowston e Nation al Park esta blished .1895 800 buffalo left in the United States, most in captivity.

1896 23 buffalo left in Yellowston e; wild buffalo on thebrink of extinction.

1902 Buffalo reintroduced to Yellowstone from herds in

Montana a nd Texas.

1907 Bison Ran ch bu ilt in Yellowston es Lam ar Valley.1917 Brucellosis discovered in Yellowston e buffalo

(introduced by cattle).

1952 Bison Ranch ceases oper ations.

1954 1,500 buffalo in the park; park officials decideYellowstone can only support 400 buffalo, start shoot-

ing buffalo inside the pa rk.1966 397 buffalo left in Yellowstone; park implemen ts

policy of natural population regulation; shooting stops.

1985 Montana legislature enacts buffalo hunt.1988 2,750 buffalo in Yellowstone.

1989 Buffalo hun t stopped due to public opposition.1991-1995 Montana Fish & Game s hoot buffalo leaving

park in winter.

1995 3,500 buffalo in Yellowstone ; Montan a legislaturegives control (shooting and capture du ties) to the

Montana Department of Livestock (DOL).1996-1997 During a harsh winter DOL and Park Service kill

1,083 buffalo; anoth er estimated 1,800 die from th e

winter; herd reduced by two-thirds.1997 -1998 Buffalo Nations (later the Buffalo Field Cam-

paign) formed volunteers protect a ll buffalo leavingthe park; Ehnamani Sun Dance Church holds Sundance

in Yellowston e; Nationa l Day of Prayer held; DOL kills 11

buffalo; 1,700 wild buffalo left.1998 -1999 DOL slaugh ters 96 buffalo; 22 BFC volunte ers

arrested while protesting capture and slaughter opera-tions ; Tatan ka Oya te ManiThey Walk for the

Buffalo, a 500 mile native walk from South Dakota to

Yellowstone. Tribal Cons ultation h eld in sprin g.1999-2000 For the first winter since 1983-1984, no

Yellowstone buffalo slaughtered by Montana.

Sunrise on the Madison River. Chuck Irest one Photo

Dan Brister Photo

BFC Photo

BFC File Photo

There is just as mu ch propriety in depopulating our

rivers, in destroying the fish in our rivers, as in

destroying the buffalo in order to induce the Indian

to become civilized. We may as well not only destroy

the buffalo, but the fish in the rivers, the birds in the

air; we may as w ell destroy the squir rels, lizards,

prairie-dogs, and everything else upon w hich the

Indian feeds. The argument , Mr. Speaker, is a

disgrace to anybody w ho m akes it . U.S. Represen-

tative Eldredge of W isconsin, 1874

BFC File Photo


8/8

Solutions to the Problem:Solutions to the Problem:Solutions to the Problem:Solutions to the Problem:Solutions to the Problem:D Like oth er wildlife in Yellowston e, buffalo shou ld be

man aged by qualified wildlife agencies using con tempo-

rary man agemen t techniques with full public involve-

me nt. The USDAs Anim al and Plan t Health Inspe ctionService (APHIS) could establish, through regulations, a

buffer zone around th e park within wh ich all cattlewould be tested for brucellosis before being per mitted to

leave. This would eliminate the p roblem of ranchers in

other p arts of the state b eing adversely affected byYellowstone s bru cellosis sca re.

D Although Montana claims th e thre at of brucellosis isgreat, ranchers in effected counties are not requ ired to

vaccinate against the disease. Vaccination would protect

livestock far more effectively and econom ically than thecurrent war against the b uffalo.

D Only 2,000 cattle are grazed on p ublic lands in thecattle-buffalo conflict zone. These National Forest lands

were established e xpressly to provide habitat for buffalo

and oth er park w ildlife. The Forest Service could closegrazing allotmen ts or mod ify the stocking dates of such

allotments to en sure no buffalo/cattle overlap.D If the h erd grows beyond the ca rrying capacity of

Yellowstone, buffalo could be relocated to tribes wanting

to re-establish wild herds on their lands. There arealrea dy 47 such tribe s waiting for Yellowstone bu ffalo.

Additionally, wild buffalo could be returne d to pa rts oftheir former range. Establishing other wild herds would

protect the genetic viability of the spe cies.

D The Departmen t of Livestock is the wrong agen cy tocontrol the fate of these ma gnificent creatures. It is a job

for wildlife biologists. Buffalo are not catt le, and theydeserve all the protections that oth er wild species

receive. Decisions a ffecting the buffalo shou ld place

emp hasis on m aintaining wild, free-ranging, self-sustaining herds.

International Buffalo Petition Drive

During the Week of Action in April of 2000,almost 50,000 petition signatures were presented togovernment officials. Thanks to all who signed on andpassed the information along to friends and families!

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt andPresident Clinton still have to yet to formally comm enton the p etition. It was also presen ted to Hebgen LakeDistrict Ranger Stan Benes to pass u p the chain ofcommand to Forest Service Chief, Mike Dombeck.

Please contact us for further information regard-

ing the actions (or inactions) that these p ublic servantsare taking to respond to the con cerns of citizens.

The petition represents a common sensegrassroots solution to a complex problem . It requests asimple action: turn federal grazing allotments over tobuffalo an d wildlife as inten ded wh en th e GallatinNational Forest was created as a b uffer zone. This wouldsave tens of thousands o f taxpayer dollars as well as thelives of buffalo. As Stan Bene s, Hebgen Lake Range rDistrict said regarding the b uffalo continuing to r eturnto traditional lush grazing grounds on Horse Butte, Itslike my teenage son. If I chase him away from therefrigerator hes gonna be right ba ck.

The petition has three main points:1) Federal (public) lands sho uld be used for wild buffalo

instead of being leased at be low cost value toranche rs to graze cows.

2) The financial burden to the taxpayers of the UnitedStates regarding the management of these animals isunaccep table. Federal agencies should be usingfiscallyresponsible alterna tives instead of wastingtaxpayers dollars.

3) The people of the world care for the buffalo and willnot stand by and watch them be slaughtered. Thereare soun d biological principles that sho uld overridepolitics.

A Petition to the Honorable:Mike Dombeck, Chief, US Forest Service;

Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior;Bill Clinton, President, United States:

We, the peo ple, implore you to take immediateaction to help protect on e of our nations greatestnatura l heritages, the largest and last free-ranging wild

buffalo he rd in the United States.Montanas Governor Marc Racicot has made the

Yellowstone buffalo into a political punching ba g insteadof man aging them as wildlife. This is evident inMontanas refusal to let biologists manage th em, an dinstead treating them like domestic cattle. Please be thevoice of reason an d action and en d this debacle for theconcern ed citizens of the United States and the world.

Federal agen cies and officials have continuallyfailed to p repare legally sufficient environm entaldocumentation analyzing all environmental impacts ofbuffalo management, and to prevent impacts of thebuffalo slaughter on imperiled species in violation of theNational Environm ental Policy Act, and th e Endan geredSpecies Act. Forest Service lands sh ould be used forwildlife as intended b y law. Current grazing allotmentson pub lic lands sh ould be designated as buffalo habitat.

It is necessary to stop wasting taxpayers dollars inman aging these wild buffalo. It is time that you, aspublic servants, take personal respon sibility and serve

the public and address these issues.

Please take a moment and sign on or contact us at:http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet/

or request a hard copy petition [email protected]

For the Buffalo!

Join us on the Front Lines orSupport us from Afar!

We are on patrol all day, everyday, defending the

buffalo on the ir critical habitat outside YellowstoneNational Park, documen ting every action taken against

them . We have immediate openings for field volun-teers. All volunteers are provided room and b oard in a

log hous e on Heb gen Lake, near West Yellowstone,

Montana. If you can t visit in p erson, your ta x-deduct-ible contribution will make our p atrols possible. Please

contact us for volunteer information or with questions.email: [email protected]

Yellowstone Buffalo VideoOnline at:www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/video.html

Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers h as produ ced a

compilation video on the Yellowstone buffalo. Thevideo includesBuffalo Bull, a 52-minute documen tary

on the p light of Yellowstone's w ild herd. Plan B, the

Buffalo's Alternative (6-minutes) a scientific,biologically based plan to allow buffalo to roa m free

in the Yellowstone ecosystem . Where t he Buffalo Roamprofiles Buffalo Field Campaign efforts to protect

Yellowstone 's buffalo.

Send a $20 check or money order to:

Cold Mountain, Cold RiversPO Box 7941 Missoula MT 59807

406-728-0867 cm [email protected]

Mark Alan Wilson Photo

It just takes a moment and can help make adifference! Use your pen , phone, or compu ter to urge ourpublic officials to stop the slaughter an d implemen t somecomm on sense solutions to the p roblem (above). Letters tothe editor of your local pape r are also a great way to letpeople know abo ut this atrocity. Check out our website formore info and s peak out for the buffalo and futuregenerations!

Mike Domb eck, Chief, Forest Service,Auditors Bldg201 14th Street, S.W. at Independence Ave., S.W.Washington, DC 20024Phone: (202) 205-1661email: Mike.Dombeck/[email protected]

Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture200A Whitten Bldg1400 Indep enden ce Ave SWWashington, DC 20246Phone: (202) 720-3631; Fax: 202-720-2166

Let their bosses know tha t wild buffalo are importan tdo they even know what is happening?

Presiden t Bill Clinton

email: [email protected] President Gore;email: vice.president@wh itehouse.govThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500Phone: (202) 456-1414; Fax: (202) 456-2461

Bruce Babbit, Secretary of Interior1849 C St NWWashington, DC 20240Phone: (202) 208-7351email: [email protected]

Robert Stanton; DirectorNational Park Service1849 C Street NWWashington, DC 20240email: [email protected]

Montana Folks re sponsible for the killing:Montana Departm ent o f LivestockBox 202201Helena, MT 59620The DOLs actin g director is Marc Bridges. Phone fromMontana at (800) 523-3162; ext. 3or from ou t of state (406) 444-2023

Governor Marc RacicotState CapitolHelena, MT 59620Phone: (406) 444-3111within Montana: (800) 332-2272fax: (406) 444-4151

Montana Tourism Developme nt & Promotion Division;Travel Bureau of MontanaMatthew Cohn, Directoremail: [email protected] you spend your m oney in a State with such politics?Phone calls are good (& free) (800) 847-4868

Join our Stop-the-SlaughterEmail Update list

The Stop-the-Slaughter ema il update is sent ou t

one to three times each month providing key informa-tion on the Yellowstone buffalo as well as upda tes from

Buffalo Field Campaign.

All names are kept confidential and th e list is notshared. Your p rivacy is resp ected.

Our listserve updates let pe ople know wha t ishapp ening to our na tional heritage... the last wild

buffalo... and informs people on how to make their

concerns known.To subscribe to the list, send an em ail to:

[email protected] pass this address on to your friends.

The Buffalo Field Campaign Headquarters, outside of

West Yellowst one, Montana. Chuck Irestone photo.

This publication and all content s w ithin are 2000 by the

Buffalo Field Campaign, or the photographer, as noted.

Contact us for more info!

Tax deductible m onetary con tributions to camp w ill beused for housing, food and gas. Please consider

suppor ting Buffalo Field Campaign your m oney willbe used w isely. Hold a benefit in your comm unity!We are in the field with the bu ffalo 365 days a year!

This is a grass roots effort.If you do nt speak ou t who will?

Pass this newsletter on to your friends an d family.

C Printed on recycled paper.

Documents

Buffalo Field Campaign 2000 Newsletter