And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Greetings! I was wondering if you might be able to help get the word out about a petition drive for the buffalo of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the last free roaming, wild buffalo. http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet/ The main points of this petition and action are: 1) Federal (public) lands should be used for wild buffalo instead of being leased at below cost value to a few cows. 2) The financial burden to the taxpayers of the United States regarding the management of these animals is unacceptable. Federal agencies should be using finacially responsible alternatives instead of wasting tax payers monies. 3) The people of the world care for the buffalo and will not continue to stand by and watch them be slaughtered. There are sound biological principles that should override egotistic politics. This petition drive will circulate less than a month. This will allow us to correlate and get them all to Washington, D.C. prior to May 1st which is when the Montana Department of Livestock has traditionally started aggressively hazing (and this year perhaps capturing, testing and slaughtering) more buffalo. This is also a time when many buffalo are preparing to or have just calved, so thus a very important time for them to not be harrassed and be able to save their strength and move back into the Park boundaries on their own. All hard copy petitions should be returned to the physical address below by April 23rd. We will also start compiling all the email generated petitions at that time. I look forward to the pouring in of signatures and hope that federal public servants will heed the publics concerns and put an end to the ridiculous politics that have (dis)colored this issue. I envision May 1 as a day of demonstrations and prayer ceremonies throughout the planet in support of these majestic beings. Please contact us about any event or gathering your community is planning! We still need help organizing the Washington D.C. presentation of the petitions to the Head of the Forest Service, Secretay of the Interior and President. Any help with this and media for the event would be appreciated. Please send any queries, ideas, contacts regarding the petition drive to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The petition is located online at http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet for both electronic sign on as well as to print out physical copies. It is quick and easy for folks to sign on and I think we have the potential to generate alot of signatures! A copy of the petition can be sent as an attachment...just email us. Hard copy petitions can be snail mailed if you cannot print it out at this location or for some reason, the attachment messes up by emailing your name and address to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <note- We are striving to keep costs at a minimum. Hard copies of signed petitions should be mailed to: Petition Drive c/o CMCR POB 7941 Missoula, Montana 59807 Updated info of the drive will be posted on the website as time allows. Again, I thank you for your efforts in this matter. Together we can raise our voices together and be heard. For the Buffalo, Su mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ Please sign the Buffalo Petition at http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet Together our voices will be heard! --------------------- Pass this on to 45 more folks in honor of the 45 buffalo that were slaughtered this year! (see death count at http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/) ___________________________________________________________ Our web pages are updated and full of great info; please share this URL http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo. We have posted new video clips for an "in the field" look at the situation. Please stop by and see it! ************************************** Greetings from the frontlines, Even though it's snowing again today there are only a few more weeks of winter and we are still going strong. The cabin is full of energetic volunteers who have worked hard this week to keep the buffalo out of the traps. Keep spreading the word and remembering the buffalo in your thoughts as we head towards spring. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 1999 Media Contacts: Mike Mease, Jennifer Karinen (406) 646-0070 WEST YELLOWSTONE: The U.S. Forest Service issued a warning to the Montana Department of Livestock this week for hazing buffalo in closed eagle habitat March 31. After watching video footage provided by the Buffalo Field Campaign of the hazing operation, District Ranger Gary Benes, Assistant Ranger Claude Coffin and Acting District Ranger Gene Hardin said in a letter that the video showed the DOL violated requirements of their Special-use permit by hazing buffalo with snowmobiles within 1/4 mile of open water prior to 10 a.m. Hardin says there are no set number of warnings for violations before other action is taken. Along with being a key area in winter migration for Yellowstone bison, Horse Butte is critical habitat for threatened bald eagles. In an attempt to protect nesting sites the Forest Service added restrictions to the DOL's use permit allowing them to operate their bison trap used to capture and test bison leaving Yellowstone National Park. According to these restrictions, activities associated with the removal of bison on the Madison arm and upper Madison river are only to be allowed between 10:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. Volunteers for the campaign filmed the operation involving nine snowmobiles before 7 a.m. In addition to water restrictions, several areas on the Butte are off-limits to any activity. However, DOL can get special permission to enter these areas on a case by case basis. "They create restrictions to protect bald eagles but they can easily be broken. There are no clear guidelines for granting special permission and no set number of warnings for DOL violations. It appears the closures are purely political and there is no real protection for wildlife," said volunteer Summer Nelson. Summer grazing on Horse Butte amounts to 172 cow/calf pairs bringing in less than $800 to the U.S. Treasury. The Horse Butte capture facility has been permitted to operate during winter for the next ten years. Eighteen of the 29 buffalo caught Mar. 31 were shipped to slaughter bringing the number killed this winter to 45. Buffalo Field Campaign (formerly Buffalo Nations) PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 406-646-0070 phone 406-646-0071 fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.wildrockies.org/buffalo ************************************************* ATTENTION!! Come out and Show Support for the Yellowstone Buffalo Seattle Hearing-need you to spread the word TO ALL SUPPORTERS OF THE YELLOWSTONE BUFFALO NATION!! On APRIL 13, 1999 in SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS will hear the appeal of Judge Lovell's rulings in ITBC v. Babbitt , the InterTribal Bison Cooperative's lawsuit to stop the killing of Yellowstone National Park buffalo in the state of Montana. The hearing will be held at: 9:00 AM PARK PLACE BLDG. 1200 SIXTH AVENUE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (Courtroom is on the 21st floor) SUPPORT RALLY TO BEGIN AT 8:00 AM OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE PLEASE JOIN US!! "We can't stand by and allow a repeat of last winter's slaughter," said Louis LaRose, ITBC President. "If the Native American community doesn't take a stand on behalf of the buffalo now, we will be standing in the bison killing fields counting carcasses next spring (again)." This lawsuit which was filed against all the state and federal agencies and their department heads by the Earth Justice (formally Sierra Club) Legal Defense Fund on behalf of the InterTribal Bison Cooperative, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Jackson Hole Alliance for Responsible Planning, and concerned citizens of Montana are ....."asking the federal and state agencies to do the rational thing and learn from last year's debacle to prevent a repeat of last winter's slaughter," said Jim Angell project attorney for the Bozeman office of the Earth Justice Legal Defense fund -. The action challenges the continued implementation of the Interim Bison Management plan that failed this past winter and that we want them to seriously look at this plan and adjust it to protect the Yellowstone buffalo from anymore unnecessary slaughter. We are asking that all friends and supporters be present at the courthouse to show support and protest the massacre of the Yellowstone Buffalo Nation. We would also like to ask that prayers be offered on this day. For more information contact: InterTribal Bison Cooperative at 605/394-9730. ************************************************************************ List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
