Buffalo Field Campaign 2002 Newsletter

8/8/2019 Buffalo Field Campaign 2002 Newsletter

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Buffalo Field Campaign is t he only group working in t he field every day to

stop the s laughter of Yellows tones w ild free roaming buffalo.

BFC Volunteers defend the buffalos traditional winter habitat and advocate

for their protection. Our patrols stand with the buffalo on their native

habitat, and document every move made against the buffalo.

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

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

CMCR is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organizationfounded in 1990 to promoteawareness and citizeninvolvement inenvironmental and humanrights issues.

Buffalo Field CampaignPO Box 957West Yellowstone, MT 59758

Nonprofit org.

US Postage PaidMissoula, MTPermit no. 514

Return Service RequestedCMCRBox 7941Missoula, MT 59807

If you have a 5 or 6 in the lower right hand corner of your mailing label, it means this will be your last mailingunless you send us notice tha t you want to continue receiving them. You can use the form on th e back page.

Traces Katherine Romano

I smelled you yesterday

for the first time

my nose nestled in your soft hair

plucked from the side of a tree

a buffalo smell

I walked in your m eadow

it was vacant

but I found traces of you everywhere

in the white bones and poop piles at my feet

in the mountains that have formed

to your contours in the sacred groves

your ancestors have told you about

and in my hand the smell of your hair

thick and almost sw eet

it is the scent of what is m issing

Campaign 2002

Photo credits: Bottom right Washington D.C, Dan Brister;

left m iddle snowmobile hazing, Ken Cole; bottom , second

from left calf being hit wit h 2 x 4, Mike Mease video; all

other photos by Jay Ericson sign, buffalo scenic, ATV

hazing, snowm obile trespassing, BFC volunteers on pat rol.


2/8

This p ublication and all contents wit hin are copyr ighted by the Buffalo Field Campaign,

or by the photographer, as not ed. Uncredited photos are BFC file photos.

C Printed on recycled paper.

Stop-the-slaughter buffalo updates are

emailed about 3-4 times/month. If you would like

to rece ive it regularly, go to the following URL

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www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/politk99/stssign.html

All names are kept confidential and the list is not

share d. Your privacy is respected .

Know what is happening to our n ational heri-

tage... the last wild buffalo... and how you can

make your concerns known.

Please pass this address on to your friends.

Join the Stop-the-Slaughter Email Update list

Email Updates

This year marks th e mo st buffalo killed since the winter of 1996-97: 202 dead buffalo,

not counting the un born bison of pregnant females. The Montana Departm ent of Livestock

(MDOL), U.S. Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Game have returned their focus

to zero tolerance an d maxim um ab use for buffalo on our p ublic lands. All buffalo that have

dared to take o ne ste p outs ide of Yellowston e National Parks invisible (to wildlife) boun d-

aries have been either shot or hazed into traps with the destination of the slaughterhouse.At the beginnin g of the season the MDOL decided to chan ge how bison a re tested for

brucellosis so that an already faulty test that measu res antibodies to the disease would be

even more sen sitive to inaccuracies. This test sent more th an 70% of all captured bu ffalo to

slaughter. According to the plan they are m andated to follow, the new test was n ever

approved and should have been chan ged. After numerous groups and concerne d citizens

brought this illegal action to their attention, the test was ch anged back. By the end o f the

season, MDOL quit testing buffalo and all captured were sen t to slaughter.

Several incidents of abuse h ave occurred this year inside th e capture facility. We have

witnessed and video documen ted buffalo being hit over the head for 15 min utes straight

with 2 x 4s. We watched Rob Tierney, the he ad of MDOLs opera tions, stra ngle, beat an d

molest baby bu ffalo less than a week old. Anothe r MDOL agent grabbed a year ling by its

tiny horns an d pulled it for more th an 100 feet. When wildlife is treated like domestic

cattle, injuries are inevitable. When m any buffalo are caught in th e capture facility at once,

they can gore and trample one anoth er. As long as we allow the MDOL, whose agents h ave

no educa tion in wildlife biology or man agement, to run these op erations, we will see

injured and dead buffalo inside the trap before they reach the slaughterhouse.

This year Buffalo Field Campaign took ou r mes sage to decision-makers in both

Helena, Montana (State Capital) and Washington D.C. Actions an d rallies put pressure on

our governo r and DOL officials at their head quar ters in Helena. BFC organ ized a BuffaloStampe de through th e streets of D.C. Starting at Departmen t of Agriculture and end ing at

Department of Interior, bison-costumed protesters m arched pas t the Washington Monu-

men t. 550 people attended the stam pede, unfortunately 500 of them were police officers.

On the frontlines we have watched law enforceme nt agencies tramp le our first and

fourth amen dmen t rights to document and bea r witness to the buffalo slaughter. The

peace officers have done their best to keep us in a reas where we are u nable to view their

treatmen t of the buffalo. Police harassm ent and random arrests have been protocol this

year. Anyone who dares to docum ent the slaughter faces risk of arrest.

After watching the Bush adm inistration u nravel years of environmental progress and

swindle his way into the Wh ite House and our n ew Governor, the lap dog of indu stry, take

the helm in Montana, people are left without much hop e in the political realm. Sometimes

it takes the sight of blood to wake people up. This year the buffalo blood weve seen h as

only made our resolve stronger. People from all walks of life are com ing together for the

buffalo. As of this year, BFC has h ad over 1200 volunteers from every state in the U.S. and

countries as far as Israel and Australia that h ave come to stand with these beautiful buffalo.

The word of the bu ffalo is reaching new ears everyday. We mu st all persist in our efforts,

stand up tall and shout out louder, because the buffalo need our help.

As I watch again, one m ore time, a helicopter flies up and down th e Madison River to

disrupt all in its path, over 300 trum peter swan s (a sensitive species recen tly petitioned tobe listed as threatened or e ndan gered), sandhill cranes, white pelicans, blue heron, bald and

golden eagles, osprey, wolves, lynx, grizzly and black bears, elk, moose, deer and all of the

little creatures tha t sometimes a re overlooked, my hea rt grows sad.

It is our job to continue to keep u p the pressu re, spread the word and n ever let this

insanity go unnoticed. We must un ite and not do what is best for ourselves, but do what we

feel is right for the buffalo. The presence of wild buffalo is a gift to the land , to native

cultures, and to all of hum anity that m ust learn how to live and coexist with the wild. The

population of buffalo was wastefully demo lished down to 23 ind ividuals in Yellowstone

(from 6 m illion or so) and th eir wisdom was alm ost lost. 130 years later, we are allowing

the sam e thing occur. It is our job to protect our childrens future an d that includes saving

the Yellowston e buffalo.

Wit h t he Buffalo,

Michael S. Mease, BFC Field Coordinator

Yellowstone and the Buffalo Slaughter Dan Brister and Pete Leusch, BFC Coordinators

Fifty million bu ffalo once graced North America. Migrating with the seaso ns, rain,

and growth of grasses, they were the largest concentration of mam mals ever known to exist.

Millions were gunn ed down in th e second h alf of the 19th ce ntury. By the early 1900s all

but a few of the once teem ing herds were gone. By 1902 only 23 wild buffalo survived,

taking refuge in the remote Yellowstone ba ckcountry. Their direct descendan ts, the only

continuou sly wild population in America, are alive today in and a round Yellowstone.

Their future is uncertain. The state of Montana and pub lic agencies have resurrected

the slaughter, killing more than 3,000 native buffalo since 1985. During heavy winters,

snow and ice obscure the grass in the park and hunger pushes the buffalo to lower eleva-

tions across the Montana bo rder. When th ey cross this invisible line on their search for

food, buffalo step into a de ath zone.

Ame ricas last wild bison are h azed by sno wm obiles, helicop ters, and ATVs; trappe d

and confined in cattle pens; and shot dead on their native range. The Montana Departme nt

of Livestock (DOL), an agen cy of the livestock indus try, dictate s the bison s fate. Blam ing the

slaughter on the bovine rep roductive disease brucellosis, the DOL slaughters buffalo outside

Yellowstone. Although there h as never been a docume nted transm ission of brucellosis fromwild bison to livestock, the agencies con tinue to ha rass and kill bison.

Nearly every week a posse of snowmob iles, helicopters, and law enforcemen t vehicles

descend o n the Madison River to chase bison into th e pen at Horse Butte. This river

corridor is also vital habitat for e lk, moose, bald e agles, grizzly bears, wolves, trump eter

swans an d myriad other sp ecies. By disturbing their habitat in the heart of winter, DOL

operations threaten all wildlife.

On the west side of the park, wh ere the killing has taken place since 1 997, there are

no cattle present at the times of year when bison are ou t of the park. While elk and othe r

wildlife are also known to carry the d isease, only bison are hazed a nd slaughteredso far.

In a five-month p eriod in 1997 nearly 70 percent of the herd was lost. 1,084 animals

were gunned down when they entered Montana and a comparable number died from the

harsh winte r. It was the worst year for buffalo since the 1 9th centu ry.

Concerned citizens organized the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) the following winter

to protect the buffalo and advocate on th eir behalf. BFC is a commu nity of volunteers who

have gathered to protect Americas last wild bison and to share th eir story with the world.

The winter of 2001-2002 was our fifth. A difficult winter gave way to a bru tal spring

as more th an a h undred Yellowstone bu ffalo were slaughtered by the Montana Departmen t

of Livestock in th e last week of April. The agency, with assistance from the Park and Forest

Service, killed thirty-two bison on April 25 and seventy-two on April 30. None of thesebuffalo were even tested for brucellosis, the sup posed reaso n for the slaughter.

BFC volunteers videotaped th e capture op erations and recorde d man y incidents of

abuse. Buffalo were chase d through barbe d-wire fences, slamme d into the steel gates of the

trap, and abused in confinement. Many pregnant cows were hazed and captured and one

gave birth in side the Duck Creek Trap. After sending its m other to slaughter DOL agents

released the calf, who repeatedly return ed to the trap in sea rch of its mother.

The spring slaughter brought this year s death toll above 200, th e m ost buffalo killed

since 1997. Twenty people were arrested, some for performing individual acts of civil

disobedience, others as part of an increasing campaign of persecution and intimidation.

Volunteers m onitor the bu ffalo on th eir native range and ad vocate for their protection.

BFC is committed to gaining pe rman ent p rotection for the Yellowstone b uffalo and their

critical habitat. Tactics range from research , administrative process, public, outreach,

education, videography, to litigation.

While BFCs actions h ave made a hu ge difference, they have yet to stem the

needless bloodsh ed. Hundreds of buffalo will leave the park next winter. Your help is

neede d if they are to s urvive.

BFC is a grassroots effort whose su rvival depen ds on you. As you read this newslet-

ter, there are m any ways you can sup port the critical work necessary to protect the bison !

USFWS photo.

Buffalo Field Campaign

headquarters on

Hebgen Lake near West

Yellowstone, Montana.

Chuck Irestone photo.

The great plains are

known for t heir brutal

winter storms and

blizzards. Buffalo

behavior is well adapted

to these harsh conditions.

When cold winter wind

and snow bluster across

the prairie, buffalo will

point t heir horns into the

wind and face the storm

head on.

The buffalo of

Yellowstone National

Park are n ow facing

another kind of storm, a

political and biological

one, which threatens

their surv ival. The board

members, volunteers, and

supporters of the Buffalo

Field Campaign will stand

and face this storm with

them as they struggle to

survive into the fut ure.

Flo Gardipee


3/8

Legal Update By Darrell Geist, Executive Director,

Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers

Endangered Species LawsuitIn May 2001 Cold Moun tain, Cold Rivers, Buffalo Field

Campaign, and The Ecology Center Inc. filed suit in federal

court against the State of Montana an d the federal govern-

men t for illegally harm ing threatened bald eagles, migratory

trumpeter swans and their habitat.

The lawsuit cen ters on Montana Dept. of Livestock

operations to h aze and cap ture wild buffalo migrating to

Horse Butte Peninsu la. Horse Butte an d the Madison valleyprovide winter range and spring calving habitat for this last

wild population of bu ffalo to occupy th eir native range.

These spectacu lar wild lands provide habitat for bald ea gles,

Grey wolves, grizzly bears, moose, elk, boreal owl, wolverine,

red fox, migrating ducks, geese and trump eter swans.

The Mon tana Dept. of Livestock, U.S. Forest Service,

Fish & Wildlife Service and National Park Service are charged

with violating the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, National Forest Management Act, National Environ-

men tal Protection Act, and Administrative Procedures Act for:

* Undertaking prohibited activities in bald eagle nesting territories such as hazing buffalo with helicopters; hazing buffalo

near Madison Arm/Hebgen Lake; using ATVs an d sh ooting cracker roun ds in restricted closure areas; an d increased use

of and disturban ce to wildlife by snowmo biles.

* Failing to take the requisite hard look and an alyze cumulative effects of hazing buffalo in bald eagle territories and

establish an environmental baseline to monitor impacts to endangered, threatened and sensitive species.

* Operating under illegal Annu al Operation Plans an d in violation of the Special Use Permit terms and conditions set forth

in Fish & Wildlife Services Biological Opinion to allow the buffalo capture facility in bald eagle habitat.

* Disturbing and displacing trumpeter swans and protected migratory birds from their habitat.

* Failing to consult on biological impacts to Canadian lynx and the ir habitat.

The federal lawsuit is before Judge Charles Lovell and

seek s to void MDOLs Special Use Perm it allowing o pera tion

of Horse Butte buffalo capture facility; to provide an injunc-

tion prohibiting use of the ca pture facility; and require an

environmen tal analysis that complies with federal law. The

suit will be heard in fall 2002 in Helena, Montana .

Right to Know LawsuitSince March 2001 the Montana Dept. of Livestock ha s obstru cted represe ntatives of Buffalo Field Campaign, The

Ecology Cente r Inc., and Cold Moun tain, Cold Rivers from insp ectin g the agen cys records d etailing their Yellowston e buffalo

operations. When the state livestock agency failed to respond to our repe ated requests to examine p ublic records we filed

suit July 2001 in state court asking Montana District Court Judge Thomas C. Honzel to uph old our con stitutional right to

know.

A series of hearings in Helena before Judge Honzel resulted in a court order directing the p arties into settlement

negotiations. The settlement agreem ent reach ed in May 2002 stipulated tha t the Montana Dept. of Livestock would provide

access to records requested in March 2001.

When representatives of the groups arrived at th e Montana Dept. of Livestocks offices, we were restricted to examin-

ing ten boxes an d two file cabinets of archival records, none of which related to our initial requests. The livestock agency

has taken an extreme an d illegal course of action to prevent a funda men tal constitutional right from being exercised by

Montana citizens an d we inten d to fight for our right to kn ow.

Attorney Brenda Lindlief Hall (Reynolds, Motl & Sherwood) recently filed a motion asking Judge Honzel to appoint a

special master to oversee implementation of the settlement agreement and to hold a hearing for sanctions against the

Montana Dept. of Livestock. Stay tuned!

Montana Constitution: ARTICLE II, Section 9. Right to know. No Person shall be deprived of the right to examine

docume nts or to ob serve the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, except

in cases in wh ich the de man d of individual privacy clearly exceeds the m erits of public disclosure.

MCA 2-6-102. Citizens entitled to inspect and copy public writings. (1) Every citizen has a right to inspect and take a

copy of any public writing of this state.

We need your support!Please make a stand with the buffalo at Horse Butte.

Your contributions will suport the Horse Butte Wildlands ProtectionProject and legal efforts to protect this unique area.

A lone buffalo grazes along the Madison Arm of Hebgen Lake. Horse Butte is in the near-left background, with the capture

facility located near it s base. Photo by Chuck Pezeshki

Montana DOL helicopters were illegally deployed to haze and

capture Yellowstones native buffalo, disturbin g habitat of

threatened bald eagles and sensitive wildlife.

Photo by Jay Ericson.

Horse Butte Protection Study By Myla McGowan

On the western bo undary of Yellowstone

National Park there is a un ique piece of mo stly public

land that separa tes the two arms of Hebgen Lake. This

area is known as the Horse Butte Peninsula. Sur-

rounded by rugged mountains and formidable peaks,

this relatively low elevation p eninsula provides spring

habitat for th e Yellowstone bison, critical lynx ha bitat,

bald eagle nesting territory, and open water trump eter

swan refuge. Native westslope cutthroat trout inhabit

the creeks and there are n umerous plant species not

found in the surrounding alpine regions. Because of

the lower elevation and relatively early plant green-up,

the Horse Butte Peninsula provided excellent h unting

and fishing grounds for Native Americans, an d

archeological explorations have found remnants of

early Native American artifacts.Horse Butte is currently under intense human

pressure because of bison h azing activities, activities

surroun ding the bison ca pture facility, recreational

snowm obile use, cattle grazing, and residential

development.

BFC has initiated a study to assess th e cultural

and ecological significance of Horse Butte an d the

impacts of human activities on this ecosystem. The

study will draw on information from archeological

surveys, predicted threatened and endangered species

habitat ran ges, and species obse rvations from BFCs

daily patro ls. We will also look at histor ical Forest

Service range vegetation records a s well as curren t

range conditions to und erstand the e ffects of cattle

grazing on th e Butte.

The study involves surveys of sensitive plant

species, since a thorough assessment of plants on

Horse Butte has n ever been condu cted. The GIS data

we collect will provide us with key backgroundinformation on the Butte such as soil types, vegetation

types, snowm elt and green-up rates, land-use activity,

and its historical fire record. This data will help us

determin e the im portance o f Horse Butte as wildlife

habitat and as a con necting corridor between Yellow-

stone National Park and th e surroun ding lands.

The Buffalo Field Camp aign has been active in

collecting an d a rchiving wildlife ob servations, move-

ments, and human disturbance activities. They are the

only group in th e field with the buffalo every day. This

data will be particularly useful to evaluate the ran ge of

various species, to identify the da ily and seasona l

importan ce of Horse Butte to wildlife, and to h elp

guide efforts to change human use and management

regimes in this unique pa rt of the world.

Myla McGowan is an ecologist with EnviroVision in

Bozeman, Montana.

Mature and immature bald eagles (above). USFWS photos.

The people of the state do not w ish

to abdicate t heir sovereignty to t he

agencies which serve t hem.

Montana Code 2-3-201

Horse Butte Capture Facility. Project Lighthawk, BFC Photo


4/8

Special Thanks tothese Foundations

and Individuals:

BFC Board, Coordina torsand volunteers!

Acorn Foundation

Anderlik Compassion forAnimals Fund

Avocado Productions

Joan BaezBay Area Yellow ston e Buffalo

Committee

S. Bloom

Circle of Life Foundat ion

Common Counsel Foundation

the Couperuses

Crosby, Stills, Nash & You ng

D. Crosby

Direct Action Fund

Earth Friends

Ken Edward s

Ferguson Foundation

Foundation for Deep Ecology

Fremarch Foundation

Fund for Animals

Fund for Wild Nature

Gear for Good

Global Peace Foundation

Guacamole Fund

S. Handleman

Honor the Earth

Humane Society of the U.S.

Ron Hunter

Peter Illyn

Jackson Hole CommunityFoundation

Ed Juneau

Indigenous

The Indigo Girls

Kreilick Family Foundation

Winona LaDuke

Lemmon Foundation

Rosalie Little Thunder

Michelle Livingston

Maki Foundation

J. Mars

Mary Meagher

G. & S. Nash

Norcross Wildlife Foundation

Friends & family ofSylvia Nottingham

W & C Parks Foun dation

Patagonia Environmen talGrants Programs

Doug Peacock

Chuck Pezeshki

Pegasus Foundation

Bonnie Raitt

Ronda Schutz's familyand friends

Seeds of Peace

the Senders

T. Smit h

Wiancko Family Fund

Dar Williams

Medora Woods

ZZYZX Foundation

Houdini By Mike Mease

We were blessed in 1999 with a very mild winter when few buffalo left the park. For

most of that winter there was only one bull out of the park. This one huge buffalo became

our dea r friend and we playfully nicknam ed him Houdini for his uncanny ability to

disappear from the Department of Livestock (DOL).

You would th ink that with on ly one buffalo out of the par k the DOL would take some

time off and stop wasting tax payers hard earn ed mon ey. Instead, they attempted to haze

this lone b ull eight times in January a nd February. Houdinis favorite ha bitat is a grassy

mead ow about a mile outside Yellowstone. This meadow is on the Gallatin National Forest

in an a rea where there are no cattle. Snowmobiles are the DOLs tools of choice for hazing

and a gents illegally ride where they sh ouldnt be, off-route throu gh creeks an d tributaries.

Houdini is aware of a snowmobiles limitations an d when he h ears them always headsfor the thick timber. The snowmo biles on his trail often get stuck in the deep snow betwee n

the trees. The DOL agents spen d their energy digging one an other out as Houdini hides in

the woods and watche s from a safe distance. This was the case during all of 1999.

On a spring day in that year Houdini sudden ly left the me adow. He walked about a

quarter m ile into the park, rubbing against many of the trees along his path. He spent a

total of four hours in the park before returning to the meadow. Within a week more than

150 buffalo had come ou t of the park along his trail. Older bull buffalo often lead the way

for the herds to their calving grounds and th e first green grasses of spring.

In 2000 Houdini returned to his mead ow followed by 13 younger bulls. The DOL

showed the ir usual lack of tolerance for them a nd resum ed its torturous tactic of trying to

haze them back to the Park. On days when we know th at the DOL are coming to harass

them we som etimes give the buffalo a warning by moving them to safe areas. This means

slowly walking the buffalo into thick woods wh ere DOL snowmo biles cant penetrate.

On days when the DOL is not aroun d we sit near the bu ffalo unobtru sively, making

camp several hun dred yards away. We check on the buffalo several times each p atrol,

observing their behavior without bothe ring them. On one of the hazing days we had just

sheph erded 14 buffalo into the woods when six DOL agents arrived on snowmobiles. The

agents went into the wo ods after our friends and th e circus was in full swing. Several DOL

snowmobiles went through a tributary and continued into the woods, searching for theelusive buffalo. Just out of sight and behind them ca me Houdini stepping in their tracks

along the tributary and into the woods. Just behind h im were seven younger bulls, follow-

ing his lead and learning to dodge the DOL. After six unsuccessful hou rs, the DOL gave up.

We returned to our cam p near the m eadow. Just before sunset 11 of the 14 bulls came

within 20 feet of our camp o n their way back to the meadow. Each one stopped as they

passed, glanced in our direction, and sh ook its head, as if to nod in thanks for the warn ing

we gave. The following morning the m issing three bulls and five other m embers of their

family (two mom s and three yearlings) came down th e same path . The first big bull came

within five feet of us, waited for his family to pass, and then followed them to the m eadow.

There are n o words that can express the feelings of being part of the bu ffalo family.

This winter Houdini educated m ore young bulls in the ways of dodging the DOL and

their mach ines. The one DOL weapon th at I had never seen th e buffalo escape is the

helicopter. But this year we witnessed Houdini and a friend get away from a ch opper th at

had been hou nding them for more than two hours. When the helicopterneeding to

refuelfinally left, both buffalo h ightailed it ba ck to th e pa rk.

It is am azing to watch the se brilliant buffalo outsm art the DOL, but it is down right

depressing that they have to do so in the first place. Houdini has now gone back to Yellow-

stone for anothe r summ er, where h e is safe until next falls snows bring him back to his

mead ow. He has left us all with the wisdom of persistence. We are honored to be a part ofhis family and w ill never give up un til Houdini an d all the w ild buffalo are free to roa m.

BFC Enlists Puppets to Stop the SlaughterBFC Enlists Puppets to Stop the SlaughterBFC Enlists Puppets to Stop the SlaughterBFC Enlists Puppets to Stop the SlaughterBFC Enlists Puppets to Stop the Slaughter By Summer Nelson, BFC Coordinator

The winter and spring of 2001-2002 was the most

difficult winter in BFCs history as we witnessed the

senseless slaughter of 202 buffalo and the unnece ssary

harassm ent of hun dreds more. Opposition to the slaughter

took a creative turn this winter as volunteers alchemized

salvaged cardbo ard, wood, fabric, bike tubes, wire, pape r

mache and paint into large street theater puppets to help

bring the b uffalos plight to a wider a udience.

Governor Judy Martz was represen ted in a twelve-foot

tall puppet, and was accom panied by a two-person life-

sized buffalo, and a grim reaper agen t from the Departmen t

of Livestock (DOL) that held marionettes of the Forest

Service and Park Service in his ha nds.

The puppets first performed in March on the steps ofthe Montana capitol building in Helena, when a group of

buffalo supporters comp leted a seven-day hun ger vigil and

rally. The performan ce involved citizens pleading to the

Governor Martz puppet to p rotect the bu ffalo. At first, she

covered her eyes to the slaughter, but after the people

declared their desire to see th e buffalo remain wild, the

governor m ade the right choice and h azed the DOL away.

For the secon d performan ce, an all-species parade

march ed down the Forest Service road to the Horse Butte

capture facility, where wild bison are captured an d sent to

slaughter. 40 people carried pu ppets, bann ers and DOL

bowling pins to the facility, whe re they greeted several DOL

agents at th e police line. Several of the unique sp ecies that

inhabit Horse Butte were represented, including bison, bald

eagle, trumpe ter swans, moose and woodpeckers. Again,

Martz acted out of character and shamed the agents for

their actions against bison and other wildlife. Bowling then

broke out in front o f the facility, with wildlife taking aim to

knock the DOL out of the ecosystem. The group leftpeacefully and allowed the agents to pond er their errors.

Judging from the grim reapers mysterious theft from a later

patrol when num erous DOL agents were in town, it seems

the performance made a powerful impact on the agents.

The third performance took place outside of the

Govern ors Confer enc e on Tourism in West Yellowston e.

The street theater was kept out of the conference center

and Martz avoided the p erformance. A rather obn oxious

cow touted h erself, with the help of Martz and federal

officials, as the thing to see in Montana. The tourists, who

had seen enough cattle in the ir own state, were excited to

view buffalo and othe r wildlife and became frustrated an d

disappointed. Eventually they took back their mo ney, left

the state, and left Governor Martz in a frantic dilemm a,

wondering if keeping bison arou nd m ight actually be better

for Montana. The puppets and street theater enriched the

Campaigns buffalo advocacy, giving voice to the many

spe cies affecte d by th e DOLs action s.

"I WOULD NOT serious ly regret the

total disapp earance of t he buffalo from

our western plains in its effect upon

the Indians. I would regard it rather as

a means of hastening t heir sense of

dependence upon the product s of the

soil and their own labors." Secretary

of the Interior Columbus Delano, 1873

Ken Cole photo.

Every bison management operation puts not only bison in jeopardy,

but k ills other w ildlife as well. The agencies are squandering our tax

dollars, terrorizing our w ildlife, and placing the ent ire Yellowstone

ecosystem at risk . Peter Leusch, BFC Volunteer and Coordinator

Chuck Irestone photo.


5/8

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Big Sky, MontanaThe Board RoomC & P Deli

Boise10,000 VillagesBeards Frame ShopBoise Co-opE-ToysEyes of the WorldErin SimmonsFlying MZion

Bozeman, MontanaBarrel MountaineeringBozeman Food CoopBozeman Bake Shop

EhnamaniEnviroVisionThe Great HarvestJoe MannMontana HarvestOn the RiseTreeCycle Recycled Produ ctsSteve Kelly

Butte, MontanaTrapline Lodges

Cooke City, MontanaBike ShackGeneral Store

Gardiner, MontanaA Naturalists WorldTwo Bit Saloon

Jackson, WyomingMark AmesBarlowsBeads UnlimitedBetty Rock CafeThe Body SageElk Horn Designs

Harvest Organic FoodsDr. Bruce M. HayseDodi JordanJordan MetalworksMountain Camera SupplyMountunesShades CafeSkinny SkisTobacco RowDave TitcombTrapper InnWilson Backcountry SportsWyoming Wear

Missoula, MontanaAd-Art Imaging & PublicationsArbor Vitae OrganicsThe Bike DoctorBlack Dog CafeBernices BakeryButterfly HerbsDowntown BakeryDinosaur CafeGood Food StoreKent BrothersMsla. Valley LandscapingPictureTomorrowRich WachsRockin RudysSolar PlexusTom WebsterWild Rockies Infonet

West Yellows tone, MontanaBar N RanchBuffalo Trading PostEcono Mart and LaundromatErik Nelsons Wildlife Photograph yHilgard Log BuildersIndian Creek Grafix, Inc.Joanne an d Jesse StovallMika Produ cts, Inc.New PioneerOut WestPathfinderTV Sales and Service,

Butch NottinghamVirginia RobertsWild West PizzeriaYellowstone Apothecary

Helena, MontanaRick Sherwood and Brenda Hall

Reynolds, Motl & Sherwood,PLLP

Across th e NationAnn & Sons Toasted Sesame

DressingAnnies Hom egrownASM, Inc.Arkahoma Outdoors HostAtlas Snowshoe sThe Backpackers ShopBadgerworks of WhitefishBritish Wildlife CenterBuffalo Exchange stores all around

the countryBrian FlaigCabelasCascade DesignsCircle Cg FarmCrazy CreekDeep SpiritDoctor BronnersDream Catcher Films, Inc.Hart Family ChiropracticLiving Tree Comm unity FoodsMountain Products, Inc.Muskrat Coffee CompanyNomadic Tipi MakersOregon's Wild Harvest Herbal

SupplementsPatagonia stores in: Dillon, MT,

Seattle, WA, San Francisco,Santa Cruz, CA, Reno NV,Ventura, CA

Pauls MusicParadise Farm OrganicsPetzelPNC CorporationProject LighthawkQuality Toner CartridgesSchubert & AssociatesTraditional MedicinalsTribal WearTubbs Snowshoe sTwoSocks.comVoile Equipm entWCB LandscapingWestern Watersheds Project

We apologize to anyone we mayhave overlooked.

Seeds of Peace

Perhaps the greatest feat of the Campaign is the

feeding of the hungry hordes of volunteers he ading in and

out of the field, requiring nourishment enough to fuel

bodies in consistently subzero temperatures, with appetites

created by m iles of skiing, snowshoeing or po st-holing

through the snow. Demanding stomachs are not quiet, and

year after year the Seeds of Peace collective exceeds the

deman d, nourishing every volunteer. Accommodating the

full spectrum, from vegan to m eat-eater, and every che ese

lover or freegan in between, Seeds conscien tiously and

deliciously dishes out am azing meals every day. They are

an integral force in the Campaign, allowing BFC to survive,

and the cooks often pull field patrols between m eals.

Seeds of Peace is a collective providing food and

logistical support around environmental and human rights

issues. If you need he lp on your action or project or if

youd like to make a don ation please get in touch :

Seeds of Peace

PO Box 8896

Missoula, MT 59807

(406) 549-8863; se [email protected]

A Story By Scott Frazier, BFC Board member

This past spring I was involved in a con ference about

environmen tal issues in Native Peoples com mun ities. The

conference was over four days and included a part about

Sacred Sites. It has come to light tha t many Native Sacred

sites have been violated due to flooding, drilling or what

ever the government has chosen to do.

Flo Gardipee came to talk about buffalo DNA issues

and the effect that the current slaughter has on the genepool of all the future buffalo. Many people, let alone Native

People, do not know or understand the vast manipulations

that have already hurt our most natural spiritual resource,

nor do th ey realize the sm all amount of variety that is in

motion today.

I was standing outside on e of the conference d oors

getting some fresh air, when two men approached me from

the Shoshone tribe. These men had come to the conference

to ask that locations of sacred sites not be given to the

public for fear that the sites would be exploited. They had

waited two days to be heard but at n o time were they

allowed to speak.

As I listened to them I felt a great closenes s to the

many people who wish the world could listen but werent

willing to raise their voices because of respect of tradition.

As I stood with them they asked m e why th e buffalo leave

the park in the spring, because these men were my elder, I

simply replied by asking them.

They told me som ething very interesting. They saidthe reason the bu ffalo leave the Park in the spring is to find

the medicine plants they need to become h ealthy from the

long winter. They com e out of the park to find a certain

plant. Once they eat enough of the plant, then they would

go back where th ey were safe. These are old buffalo

teaching the youn g buffalo tradition and herba l knowledge.

These are great spirits seeking sacred sites for healing.

There are man y people on th is turtle island. Many

people wont speak out un til they are affected because of

customs. The Field Camp aign is being the voice for ma ny

for many reasons, yet th e sacred b uffalo is bleeding still.

The buffalo are our sacred resource and the executions

must stop be fore our hope is lost. Please he lp us all by

speaking up for th e buffalo.

Aho. Ehnamani.

(ed. note: Botanists working on BFCs Horse Butte Wildland

Protection Project have confirmed two sensitive plants on the

Butte as of mid-June 2002.)

Coming to Yellowstone A lesson By Emily Kodama

In the chilly pre-dawn hours, my patrolmates and I strap on our backpacks and

snowshoe s and he ad off into the dim forest. It is April, but spring comes late here on the

western b order of Yellowstone National Park, the coldest sp ot in th e lower forty-eight, an d

the temp erature hovers in the 20s. As we weave our way through the sn owy woods, our

tracks overlay tho se of elk, moose, bison, wolf, and grizzly. At the edge of the Madison

River, where it flows out of the Park, we stop and pull out binocu lars, scanning the valley.

The mist sh ifts slightly, and the silhouette of a bison, h is fur silvery with frost, em erges

across the river. As first light breaks, we can see six m ore bull bison standing n earby. It is a

roman tic sight, but our pu rpose this m orning is somber an d practical: to watch over these

buffalo and, if necessary, do what we can to discourage them from walking the few hundred

yards out of the p ark. Neighboring Montana is hostile territory, and for the last 17 years

Yellowstone bison h ave suffered lethal wildlife managem ent at th e ha nds of th e state.

In 1999, on a whim, I went to a p resentation by m embers of a group called Buffalo

Field Cam paign (BFC). It was then th at I first learn ed of the plight of the Yellowston e bison .

I watched video of buffalo being shot in th e field and loaded on to trucks by agents of th e

Montana Departmen t of Livestock. Those bison not sh ot in the field were hazed into

capture facilities where th e terrified animals frantically hurled themse lves against the metal

walls and gored each o ther in p anic. In a single winter (1996-97) the state of Montana killed

nea rly 1100 buffalo, over one-third of the en tire Yellowston e herd . BFC, we learn ed, is a

grassroots campaign dedicated to documenting the slaughter and doing whatever possible

to stop it. Volunteers are out in th e field with the buffalo 365 days a year docume nting,

sheph erding bison to safe ground, an d engaging in non-violent protest. I came to West

Yellowstone in December of that year, planning to spend a few weeks volunteering with

BFC. Two field seasons later, I am still here, still outraged by th e treatm ent of th e bison and

honored to be able to spend so much time watching and learning from them.

Volunteers com e from all 50 states an d man y foreign coun tries to work with BFC and

take a stand for the buffalo. We run da ily field patrols from dawn to dusk, and get aroun d

primarily on foot, skis, or snowshoes. Our first duty is to docume nt. The simple presence

of witnesses with video cameras has shamed the state into shifting from shooting untested

bison in the field to capture, testing, and slaughter. The latter, although perhap s even more

cruel because of the p rolonged physical and psychological distress it inflicts, is mo re

palatable to the nightly news-viewing pub lic and does result in fewer bison being killed.

Volunteers are provided comm unal me als and accom modation s in a large log cabin

and tipis, and are equippe d for long hours out in the field in temperatures th at can dip as

low as 50 below zero. The camp aign attracts an eclectic mix of varying ages and back-

grounds, but we all share a love for the buffalo and a firm comm itment to n on-violence.

I am by nature a cautious pe rson; direct action is challenging. Action is frightening,

raw, exhilarating, messy, joyful, frustrating and liberating. It scares me a nd feeds my spirit

both. In the words of Ed Abbey, Sentimen t without action is the ruin of the sou l. I am

learning to live with tha t. Life here is physically and emotionally dema nding, but I feel

acutely aware of how lucky I am. I do work I truly believe is important, amo ngst dedicated,

passionate individuals, and live in one of the m ost spectacular spots on earth. Most of all it

is a privilege to be with the buffalo, who em body so mu ch that we h uman s would benefit

from emulating. If we can ever stop seeing them as a problem which m ust be controlled

and restore the m to the p lace of honor they occup ied for animals that lived sustainably on

this ground for millennia, we, too, may find that the bison a re some of our greatest teach ers.

USFWS photo.

I was sitting, on patrol in April, watching the buf falo graze peacefully on

Horse Butte. Suddenly I heard, then saw, a helicopter approach from the

north. The helicopter flew directly over the bald eagle closure, between the

signs which read area closed to all human activity. As t he chopper passed

overhead I looked through the binoculars and read Montana Departm ent of

Livestock on the side of the grey m achine, directly below the rotors. The

helicopter continued to fly south over the Butte and then turned to the east

and began to haze over 40 buffalo, many of them pregnant females.

Jonas Ehudin, BFC Volunt eer

The buffalo of Yellowstone don't need much,

really, just a place to graze and to give birth to

the next generation. The defenders of the buffalo

aren't asking anything for themselves, which is

unusual in a time of self and wealth and com-

fort. All they ask for is for the buffalo to have a

place to graze and to give birth to t he nextgeneration. What is hard about that?

My deepest gratitude to BFC for their deter-

mined dedication to the buffalo.

Rosalie Litt le Thunder

Ken Cole photo.


6/8

In August of 2000, the Record of Decision for the BisonManagement Plan for the State of Montana and YellowstoneNational Park was released. This Plan contradicts thescientific research and studies listed in the Final Environ-mental Impact Statements (FEIS) bibliography (http://www.nps.gov/planning/yell/bisonfinal/main2.htm ). The Planproposes to ca p the Yellowstone bison popu lation at 3,000 an imals, based solely onpolitical pressure to con trol the herd, n ot on an y scientific data or principles.

We must look at the h istory of bison in th is country to gain a full understan ding ofthe Plans potential impact. When Euro-Americans arrived in the west th ere were anestimated 30 to 80 million bison. By the 1890s those once th undering herds were reduce dto less than a few hun dred anima ls in North America. This created a hu ge genetic bottle-neck in the bison population and an insurmountable reduction in genetic variation.

Most present day bison h erds have been established with eight to 50 individuals,placing them a t risk for a condition known as the founder effect. The founder effect iswhen a founding animal population is established from such a small number of individualsthat genetic variation cannot be guaranteed. Populations established in this manner aresubject to the effects of inbreeding and gen etic drift and eventual loss of fitness. TheYellowstone bison herd, descen ded from less tha n 30 ind ividuals, is one such herd.

The Yellowstone h erd exhibits other factors which can con tribute to a loss of geneticvariation in populations: isolation; no migration (or gene flow); and heavy selectionpressures. There is no migration of other bison into Yellowstone, so there is no introdu c-tion of new genetic material. They are subject to an artificial selection pressu re whengovernm ent agencies cu ll the bison herd o f individuals that are se ropositive for brucellosis.

Why is it important to preserve the wild Yellowstone bison?A 1993 study revealed tha t of 14 public bison he rds, two had com pletely lost

heterozygosity (a m easure of variability) through the effects of genetic drift and seven

others were well on their way. Over half of the public herds are on the verge of inbreedingdepression d ue to a variety of factors. The founder effect, intensive culling of these he rds,isolation, an d the a bsence o f migration h ave contributed heavily to this situation. Thegreatest threat is th e app lication of livestock (i.e. cattle) managemen t techn iques to wildbison herds wh ich further threaten their genetic viability. Such forms of man agement se rveonly to increase the possibility of bison losing their long term evolutionary poten tial.

Of the 300,000 bison in the U.S. and Canada, less than 20,000 reside in state andnational parks, and on ly about 3,000 remain in th e last truly wild bison herd. The Planallows that number to drop to 1,700. Bison in private stock are selected and bred accordingto a set of preferred standards established by the econ omic dema nds of the bison indu stry.Physical attributes such as sh ape, size and proportion, coa t color, docile vs. wild behavior,and conversion of feed to flesh are important considerations in determining herd composi-tion. Breeding for specific chara cteristics eventually leads to fixation and loss of geneticvariation. Due to the large genetic bottleneck bison suffered in the p ast, they are esp eciallysusceptible to this condition. Captive bison herds which are bred to satisfy these dem andsare at risk of being domesticated. Further compou nding this risk are the skewed sex ratios(smaller proportion o f males to females) applied to these h erds for the purpose of increas-ing the production rate for econom ic gain.

Several ranchers wh o participated in the early restoration of bison, such as CharlesGoodnight, bred bison w ith cattle in an e ffort to create a n ew comm ercial livestock thatwould possess th e best attributes of both animals. In a genetics study by Dr. James Derr of

Texas A&M University, it was revealed th at m any bison in private h erds posse ss evidence ofthis hybridization with cattle. Hybrids were also presen t in several public herds such asCuster State Park. However, no evidence o f cattle DNA has b een found in the Yellowston ebison h erd. In add ition, genetic testing reveals a h ealthy level of genetic variability withinYellowston es herd a s well. For the se reas ons, th e Yellowston e bison a re the gen etic wellspring for future wild bison herds.

Yellowstone bison are in jeopardy of losing their unique genetic integrityGovernmen t agencies insist on needless slaugh tering of the Yellowstone bison in

spite of scientific evidence that they carry a gene called NRAMP 1 (Natural Resistance

Associated Macrophage Protein 1), which enables bison to develop resistance to not on lybrucellosis, but for tuberculosis and salmone llosis as well. This may explain why m ostYellowstone bison test po sitive for antibodies (seropositive) to brucellosis but remainculture negative (no organisms pres ent).

If the governmen t continu es to cu ll seropositive bu ffalo from Yellowstone, they couldremove the unique superior genetic quality which has enabled them to survive a holocaustand com e back from th e brink of extinction. This is a direct threat to the very survival andfitness of this magnificent herd.

The FEIS states that genetic variation ca n be maintained in Yellowstone bison in aherd of less than 600. There is no scien tific evidence or study cited in th e bibliography ofthe FEIS which con firms this. In fact, all of the studies listed in th at bibliography provideevidence to the con trary. The idea of maintaining such a small genetically isolated pop ula-tion which is already threatene d by other factors such as the founder effect, no migration,and h eavy selection pressures violates every principle of conservation genetics.

It is time for the bu reaucrats, who ap parently posse ss little or n o scientific knowl-edge, to remove them selves from wildlife man agemen t and allow those with the p ropercredentials and e ducation to do the job the public hired them for-protection of wildlife!

Due to the impact of their h istorical origin, Yellowstone bison are a gene ticallyunique herd deserving protection and preserva-tion. This population must be conserved in orderto ensure its continue d survival and hea lth. Thegovernm ents Plan will cause irreparable harm tothe genetic variability necessary to in sure theirfuture survival.

When politics and economics dictate themanagement of a wild species, such as bison, theoutcome is always detrimental to their long termsurvival. The key to the future evolutionarysuccess of bison as a species, is in protecting andpromoting th e Yellowstone buffalo as a w ild, freeranging herd.

Flo Gardipee raises buffalo and is a senior inWildlife Biology and Native American Studies at t heUniversity of Montana. She received the St udent

Leader of the Year Award from NAS and was nam edas a Udall scholar for 2002/2003. Flo is a member ofthe BFC Board and works for The Ecology Center,

Inc. as a research assistant for the Bison EcologyProject.

What is Brucellosis?

A wild buffalo being test ed in a DOL

captur e facility. BFC File Photo

* Brucellosis is a disease caused by a gram negative bacteria, characterized by anundulating body temperature. It was unknown in this country before the introductionof European cattle. Although debilitating, it is rarely fatal. The Center for DiseaseControl does not consider it to be a major public health threat, n or requires reportingof it, and current statistics reveal a low incidence in hum an beings.

* Brucellosis may be transmitted to wildlife and dome stic livestock through contact withaborted fetuses an d birth materials infected with the organism. Infection may occurduring breeding. Humans may con tract brucellosis by contact with infected tissues,through open wounds or cuts, ingestion of unpasteurized milk, or through accidentalinoculation with the vaccine. Only two cases were reported in Montana in the last tenyears, and they were from gutting infected elk. There are no docu men ted cases ofbuffalo transm itting brucellosis to hum ans or livestock in Montana.

The CARD Test vs. Culture Techniques.* The CARD test is used in the field to determine if a buffalo is seropositive for brucello-

sis. This test only detects antibodies to the brucellosis organism, not the prese nce ofthe organism itself! Antibodies are formed in the h ost in respon se to exposu re to apotentially infectious agent. These an tibodies are made up o f proteins referred to asimmun oglobulins or Ig for short.

* There are three main and significant immun oglobulins. IgM and IgG are primarilyinvolved in resp onding to infectious agen ts, and IgE usually only resp onds in allergicreactions. IgM antibodies are the first to be formed in respon se to contact with a nynew infectious agent. IgM production u sually continues as long as the organism sremain in th e host, ceases wh en the o rganism is cleared from the body, and falls offrapidly after the onset of IgG antibody synth esis. Persistent IgM production suggeststhat the infectious agent is still present. IgG antibody production begins rather late inthe immune response and continues at high levels well after the infectious agentshave been eliminated. IgG levels eventually drop off to low levels an d m ay persist forthe h osts lifetime. IgG antibodies also are formed in response to vaccinations andenable the m to m aintain immu nity to certain infections. Maternal IgG antibodies aresmall enough to cross the placenta and can pass on immunities to the fetus.

* The CARD test shows a positive result only in the p resence of IgG antibodies, detectingonly the anim als immun e response to exposure to brucella organisms. The test is

limited to this purpose! It cann ot determ ine if infection is presen t. This can only beproven by actually culturing out the organism itself. Specimens for culture are no tobtained on all seropositive buffalo, and of those that are cu ltured only a smallpercent actua lly grow out brucella organisms. What could be the reason ?

What is the NRAMP 1 Gene?* Current research has discovered that some buffalo possess a gene called NRAMP 1

(Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage Protein 1), which enables them to developan imm unity to brucellosis, and allows them to clear the o rganism from their bodies.Brucellosis is transmitted usually during breeding. Most bison do not begin bree dinguntil about two years of age. If they get expo sed to bru cellosis at that time, the NRAMP1 gene switches on and the bison m ake antibodies and develop long term imm unity.

* In a study performed on 190 bison, 119 were seropositive. Of those 119, only 23cultured positive. The m ean age of the bison th at were culture positive and serop osi-tive was 2.34 years! The level of culture positives drops off sharply by a ge three. Thismean s that when a buffalo is exposed to brucellosis during their first breeding season,they are developing immu nity and clearing that organism from their bodies. Most ofthe seropo sitive bison h ave merely developed long term imm unity to brucellosis.

* Other factors can affect the accuracy of the CARD test and culture techn iques. TheCARD test is only qualitative macroscopically read as a positive or negative result. Itcannot be correlated to a level of IgG antibody. The test sh ould be run at a roomtemperatu re of no less than 50 degrees F, in a slightly hum id environment. Thesamples sh ould be spun only in a properly calibrated centrifuge designed specificallyfor the CARD test. The CARD test should be rotated for exactly four minutes. Anyfurther ma nipulation can result in gel-like substances which can be read as falsepositive. This test detects only long term immun ity in the form of IgG antibodies. Yet,the DOL relies on these results alone to determ ine if a buffalo is slaughtered.

* In Dec. 2001, USDA gave permission to MDOL to implemen t a new testing meth odol-ogy called the Fluorescent Polarization Assay (FPA). This test was touted as being moresensitive than p revious m ethods. Although it is more se nsitive for detecting IgGantibodies to bruce llosis exposu re, it proved even less a ccurate for diagnosing infec-tion. A quantitative result of 90.0 or above is con sidered a p ositive test. Of 156 bisonwho were tested by th e FPA, 127 were considered p ositive for brucellosis antibodies.When com pared to culture results only 32 were actually culture positive with resultsranging from 117.1 to 323.4. However, 95 of these FPA positive bison were culturenegative with results ranging from 93.4 to 296.6. This study revealed th at the FPA testwas of little or n o diagnostic value for bison. It further illustrates the nee d for moreresearch of the bison immune system before we implement testing methods designedfor use in cattle. Overall, only 21% of FPA positive bison were actually infected! Use ofthis test resulted in abou t 80% of the bison n eedlessly sent to slaughter. The FPA test

was discontinued after the NPS and conservation groups raised the NEPA issuesurround ing the new test, and Yellowstone refused to use the test without do cumen ta-tion of its accuracy in bison . To this d ate n eithe r MDOL, nor USDA have p rovided th is.

* As for the few cultures that are taken, failure to obtain positive results from a suspecthost usually is due to non-presence of infection, or inappropriate sampling techniquesincluding failure to use a sufficient sample. False positives can occur with crosscontamination of specimens. Considering all of the variables which can alter thequality and accuracy of these testing methods, in conjunction with the random natureof the population sam pling, its clear that there is no real evidence to suppo rt theclaim that there is widespread b rucellosis infection in Yellowstone buffalo.

What about Elk?* It is interesting to note that the same tests have shown that as many as 50% of the

120,000 elk in the Yellowstone ecosystem are serop ositive for bruce llosis. There isabout a 12 % abortion rate am ong native elk due to bruce llosis. Yet, they are allowed tomigrate freely and are more likely to co-mingle with cattle tha n bu ffalo. In fact, I haveobserved that buffalo will avoid m ost contact w ith cattle. I question why th e elk havebeen left alone. But we know qu ite well that it is their popularity with hunters an d themon ey they generate that p rotects them from the DOL for now.

* When th e elk from Grays River feeding ground in Wyoming tested positive forbrucellosis antibodies, local authorities attributed this to exposure or a bad strain ofvaccine. Yet if bison test po sitive for an tibodies th e Montana Dep artm ent of Livestockconsiders the m infected, regardless of culture status.

* This past year elk who migrated into Idaho from the Grays River feeding ground inWyoming expo sed a p rivate cattle herd to bru cellosis. Several cattle from this h erdtested positive for brucellosis antibodies. Culture results confirmed th e transm ission ofan iden tical strain of brucellosis from the elk to the cattle. This event resulted in over100 cattle from this herd b eing removed because of exposure.

* There are two vaccines approved for use in cattle, strain 19 and RB51. Neither of thesevaccines have proven to be com pletely safe or effective in elk and bison, an d no s afedelivery system ha s been developed.

Are Elk Next?* Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) recently conducted a survey for brucellosis

antibodies in elk th at m igrate from Yellowstone into the state. This study revealed alow seroprevalence which ha s promp ted FWP to consider trigger points for lethalman agement of elk who might threa ten Montanas cattle industry. How will thesetrigger points be deter mined an d how will these elk be mana ged? Will we see elk shotas they enter th e state of Montana or shipped to slaughter in stock trailers?

Governments Management PlanPuts Genetic Integrity ofYellowstones Wild Bison at Risk

By Flo Gardipee

If bison are going to survive into t he future as a

genetically intact species, it is imperative that wild,

free ranging bison herds are allowed to grow and

perpetuate themselves in a natural environment.


7/8

Support Our Work to Defend the Buffaloand look great in a new Tee Shirt, too!

4 Sizes: S, M, L, XL (XLs are BIG!)Specify color and size wh en orde ring.

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protect Yellowstones native, wild buffalo herd!

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See this de sign online at http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/teez.html

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buffalo, becomes of us...

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International Buffalo Petition Drive Update

During the past three years over 100,000 people

signed a citizens petition requ esting the U.S. Forest Service

and th e Departmen t of Interior put the interests of wildlife

first on our public lands. We still are collecting signatures in

hope that o fficials will listen.

The petition is a common sense grassroots solution toa comp lex problem. It requests a simp le action: turn 4

federal grazing allotmen ts over to bu ffalo an d wildlife as

intended when the Gallatin National Forest was created.

This would save millions of taxpayer dollars and the lives of

buffalo. The p etitions were re-presented in a collaborative

Buffalo Stampede in Washington, D.C. on April 4th.

Federal agencies and officials have failed to prepare

legally sufficient environmen tal documentation analyzing

all environmental impacts of buffalo management, and to

prevent imp acts on imperiled spe cies. NEPA analysis

currently is underway on these allotmen ts. A federal

magistrate has suspen ded th eir use u ntil the NEPA analysis

is comp lete. Forest Service lands sh ould be used for wildlife

as intende d by law. Current grazing allotments on public

lands on Horse Butte sh ould becom e buffalo habitat. BFC

will continue to follow through o n the EIS process and keep

citizens informed w ith good science and facts of how they

can effectively commen t on this process.

Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth was the RegionOne Forester that received the petitions and was the d irect

supervisor of the Gallatin NF employee tha t reissued th e

per mit. So he is very fam iliar with the Yellowston e buffalo

issue. He can can cel this allotmen t with the stroke of a pen.

It is necessary to stop wa sting taxpayers dollars. It is

time that pu blic servants take person al responsibility and

serve their public and address these issues and protect a

national h eritage - the Yellowstone bison. Please take a

moment an d send an email from:

www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/politico00/sendmail.html or

write a letter to the folks listed in the Speak out for the

Buffalo section of th is newsletter an d voice your conce rns.

Every letter and p hone call makes a difference.

Bucks for Buffalo collection jars by Roger Parchen, Ad-Art Im aging. Frank Consentino photo.

Due to these irratio-

nal fears and intense

loathing toward the

presence of the

buffalo, America is

slowly degrading one

of its most m agnifi-

cent and unique

resources. It is

through the tremen-

dous efforts of the

volunteers at BFC

that the buffalo have

at least a fighting

chance.

Kyle Curtis,

BFC Volunteer

Join us on theFront Lines!

Support us fromAfar!

We are on patrol all day,

everyday, defending the

buffalo on their critical

ha bitat outs ide Yellow-

stone National Park and

documenting every

action taken against

them.

We have imm ediate

openin gs for field

volunteers.

All volunteers are

provided room and board

in a log house on Hebgen

Lake, nea r West Yellow-

stone, Montana .

Please contact us for

volunteer information or

with questions.

email:

[email protected]

KidsSend us your artwork or poetry about wild buffalo,

their home and/or friends and we'll enter you in a

contest for a t-shirt and maybe print your w ork

if you want! Send it to:

Kids Ar t; POB 957; West Yellow st one, MT. 59758.

Be creative!

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

Cold Moun tain, Cold Rivers ha s a comp ilation video on n ative wildlife that include five videos on Yellowston es

wild buffalo h erd:

Buffalo Bullis a documen tary combining video footage shot in the field over the past ten years with interviews of

local residen ts, politicians, activists, spiritu al leaders, and governm ent officials. (50:05 VHS)Where the Buffalo Roam profiles Buffalo Field Camp aigns efforts to p rotect Yellowston es buffalo from the Monta na

Departm en t of Livestock. (8:07 VHS)

Plan B, the Buffalos Alternative is a scientific, biologically-based plan to allow buffalo to roam free in th e Yellow-

stone ecosystem. (6:30 VHS)

Our Buffalo, Our Choice is a pilot video on the 1 996-19 97 slaugh ter of Yellowstone s buffalo. (17:20)

ROAM is a childrens video created by Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers. (11:45)

Bonus videos:A Future for t he Grizz ly?(21:00 VHS) and The Big Bad Wolf(10:30 VHS).

If you would like a copy of this comp ilation video con tact:

Cold Moun tain, Cold Rivers, PO Box 7941 Missoula MT. 59807. 406-72 8-0867 . cmc r@wildrock ies.org


8/8

Use your pen, phone, or computer to urge ourpublic officials to stop the slaughter an d

implement common sense solutions to theproblem. Letters to the editor of your local paper

are a great way to let people know about thisatrocity. Check out our website for more infoand speak ou t for the buffalo! It just takes a

momen t and does make a difference!

Dale Bosworth, Chief, Forest Service,Auditors Bldg201 1 4th Street, S.W. at Indepe nd. Ave., S.W.Washington, DC 20024Phone: (202) 205-1661email: [email protected]

Ann Vene man , Secretary of Agriculture200A Whitten Bldg1400 Indepen dence Ave SWWashington, DC 20246Phone: (202) 720-3631; Fax: (202) 720-2166email: a [email protected]

Let them know h ow important w ild buffalo are.Do they even know whats happening?

President George BushThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington, D.C. 20500Phone: (202) 456-1414; Fax: (202) 456-2461email: president@whiteho use.gov

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

Fran ManiellaNational Park Service1849 C Street NWWashington, DC 20240(202) 208-6843email: [email protected]

Marc Bridges; DirectorMontana Departmen t of LivestockBox 202201Helena, MT 59620Phone from MT at (800) 523-3162; ext. 3or from out of state (406) 444-2043email: [email protected]

Governor Judy MartzState CapitolHelena, MT 59620within Montana: (800) 332-2272Out of state: Phone: (406) 444-3111fax: (406) 444-4151email: [email protected]

Will you spend you r money in a State with sucha backwards Bison Management Plan?

Montana Prom otions DivisionBetsy Baumgart, AdministratorBox 20053 3Helena, MT 59620-0533email: bbaum [email protected](800) 847-4868, (406) 444-2654

Please send a tax dedu ctible receipt

I commit to supp ort the bu ffalo again

next year, also - send m e a reminde r

Put me on your email list

Let me know a bout stock gifts or

bequests (confidential)

Send _______ copies of this

newsletter for me to red istribute

Contact m e re: gear/food/car/in-kind

donations

Ill be a par t of the International

Buffalo Network !

Ill help recycle compu ter printer

cartridges for the buffalo!

Tell me abou t Bucks for Buffalo Jars!

Name ________________________________

Address ______________________________

City, State, Zip _________________________

______________________________________

email ________________________________

Please send con tributions an d requests to:

Buffalo Field Camp aign; PO Box 957, West Yellowston e, MT. 59758

We Need Your Support to Protect the Last Free Roam ing Buffalo!Please ma ke a tax deductible don ation to th e Buffalo Field Cam paign

Your don ation feeds, clothes, equips and h ouses volunteers, supports our pu blic education an d outreach efforts,and helps u s protect Yellowstones n ative wild buffalo! $38 su pports one activist in the field for on e week.

Thank you!

I can help defend the buffalo with my contribution:

$380__ $250__ $100__ $50__ $38__ Other ______

Send me ___ T-shir ts @ $20 Sizes: Color:

Send m e ___ Notecards @ $15 /package of 10

Also:

Send a newsletter to:

Program Development Update Su Gregerson; BFC Program Development Coordinator

Buffalo Field Camp aign is the on ly group working in th e field 365 days a yea r with th e

last free roaming, wild bison. The Campaign is also much m ore than th at. It encom passes

everyone that cares for the buffalo and dem ands the ir protection for future generations. It

includes those wh o cherish th e beauty an d wildness of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

and re alizes this h abitat is critical for the buffalo and all the species that live there. TheCampaign is the totality of all of our efforts - including the ten s of thousan ds of folks who

support our strategies, but h ave never set foot in Montana or Yellowstone. Thanks for

allowing us to be on th e frontlines and for your letters of support and don ations we

couldnt do it without all of you!

Accomplishments:* Volunteers from across the country and around the world come to West Yellowstone to

join us on our daily patrols. This infusion of public support m akes it possible to maintain

our con stant vigil on th e Parks western bounda ry from October th rough June. Volunteers

were in the field from before dawn to after dusk in h arsh winter con ditions. Each patrol

was equipped with video cameras, radios and maps and trained in media advocacy, non-

violence an d backcountry skills. During the su mm er, volunteers set u p educa tional tables

in Yellowstone National Park. The total num ber of volunteers th at have bee n to camp is

over 1300!

* Our media and networking efforts have helped to raise awareness of this issue around

the globe. Every new person who learn s of the bu ffalos plight and spea ks out brings

them closer to prote ction for future generations.

* We also follow up with other big picture strategies such as litigation that h olds publicagencies accoun table for their actions. (see our legal update article). We maintain our

vigil in th e field, document m anagem ent violations and follow up with long term

protection strategies.

* We witness the destructive effects of current buffalo policy on the Yellowstone ecosys-

tem as a whole. An incredible diversity of plant and wildlife species and h abitat types

thrives in this ecosystem. By building a broad b ase of public involvemen t for not only the

plight of the buffalo but th e impacts th at public policies are having on all the spe cies, we

are strategically moving towards true protection. Our Horse Butte Wildlands Protection

Project research will be a large contribution towards this goal.

* NEPA analysis is underway on the cattle grazing allotments on the Butte and we have

taken the lead by providing the public with the information and research needed to make

solid comme nts on the DEIS when it is released. Contact BFC for more info on how you

can get involved with this p rocess.

* Diversity is the key: In March, 2002, BFC sponsored a pu blic forum on science and

spirituality of Yellowstone b ison ma nageme nt in Bozeman, Mt. The p anel discussion

addressed th e ethics of the current Yellowstone Bison Management Plan, and included

Mary Meagher (an exp ert in Yellowston e bison ecology.), Peter Illyn (a forme r evangelical

minister a nd current executive director of Restoring Eden), Scott Frazier (Crow tribal

member and spiritual traditionalist) and Mike Mease (BFC Field Coordinator).

These are only a few exam ples of how BFC is in the lead to protect the bu ffalo. It

would be great to gain protection for the bu ffalo and the ir habitat and be put out of work

and we are making great advances - bu t, there is still a lot of work to be don e. It is critical

that BFC volunteers continu e to be the eyes an d the ears for the American public and

advocate for the last free roaming wild buffalo and their ha bitat.

Please take a m omen t and reflect on the value of the wild Yellowstone b uffalo to you

and to future gen erations. Sixty percent of our income is from concerne d individuals like

you. Please - send your su pport, now. Each donation is critical to our success. Were a sm all

grassroots group with n o big offices or high paid staff just dedicated folks that volunteer

and care.

Together w e can make a difference!

Su, [email protected]

What You can do to Help Savethe Last Wild Buffalo

In commu nities world-wide, peopleare rallying to support th e last wild buffaloby organizing peace marches, publicpresentations, letter writing campaigns,drum circles, concerts and other forms ofnon -violent action to raise awareness. OnApril 4th 2002 in Washington, D.C., supp ort-ers dressed in buffalo costumes led astampede from the U.S.D.A. to the U.S.Department of the Interior, receivingnational m edia coverage. There will bean othe r next April. In Boulde r, Colorado,buffalo supporters held a drum circle at thecity park drawing attention to th e terribleplight of these sacred a nimals. A MemorialDay conce rt last year in Northpo rt, NY,raised $800 to support BFC operations.Buffalo Exchange stores a cross the countryhelped raise awaren ess on Earth Day.

These are just a few examples of howyour community can help save the buffalo.Contact us to receive a packet with sugges-tions for starting a Buffalo Support Groupin your community. Be active, speak out,refute the lies, have fun, do your pa rt!

MAIL- FAX-PHONE-EMAIL: The mos teffective way to let public officials know

how you feel is to send letters, faxes, phon ecalls then em ails, in that orde r.

Several suppor ters in a Congressionaldistrict can organize a visit to either adistrict office of a m ember of Congress orto their Washin gton, DC office. Call theMembers office to schedule a meeting.

To find out who your represen tativeis: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

To find out wh o your sen ator is:www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm

For tips and samp les on writing tomem bers of Congress, see these web sites:http://congress.org/http://legislators.com/c-span/contact.htmlhttp://www.cfsi.org/writingcongress.html

Banner by Chuck Pezeshki and Kelley Racicot ([email protected]).

Contribut ions t o BFC are

tax-deductible to the extentallowed by law and support

our aggressive, front line,

grassroots volunteer work.

We put t he wild buffalo first !

BFC is t he only group

working 365 days a year

in Yellowst one

protecting t he last wild

free-roaming buffalo.

Documents

Buffalo Field Campaign 2002 Newsletter