Buffalo - Update from the Field - 04/06/06

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In this issue:
* Update from the Field
* BFC Patrols Certified to Help with Bison Highway Crossings
* BFC Takes the Buffalo's Message to Washington, DC
* Send a Handcrafted Mother's Day Card and Protect the Yellowstone Bison!
* Buffalo in the News
* Last Words

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* Update from the Field

Spring is trying her best to come back to West Yellowstone. Her
green gifts couldn't come sooner for the buffalo who are locked, by
force, into a snow-crusted landscape. Little by little, though, more
and more grass reveals itself. There have been warm rainy days,
thunder, lightning, hail, sunshine and rainbows; yesterday and today,
more snow and it's still falling. This is Spring this side of
Yellowstone. Winter doesn't give up her grip easily here. Yet the
waxing sun will champion Spring's return. Just in time for the
buffalo's rebirth, the re-greening of Mother Earth. And as a sure
sign, bluebirds, osprey and pelicans have returned, the ice of Hebgen
Lake slowly turns back into water, while sagebrush peeks its fragrant
head through the receding snow. This Winter has been an especially
hard one for Yellowstone-area wildlife. The Park has reported a high
rate of winter-killed elk and buffalo. The silver lining here is the
much-needed sustenance provided for wolves and waking grizzlies.
This is the nature of Nature, and if it were the only challenge the
buffalo faced, it would be enormous enough. But man's greed and urge
to control makes surviving the winter the least of the buffalo's
worries.

Yesterday, along Yellowstone's western boundary, eighteen buffalo
were hazed back into the Park by agents from the Department of
Livestock (DOL), National Park Service (NPS), Montana Fish, Wildlife
& Parks (FWP), and a Gallatin County sheriff. A pregnant mom and
two babies were hazed down the asphalt of highway 287. Four agents
on ATVs ran the buffalo down the pavement. They enjoyed themselves,
laughing and having snowball fights with each other. Just another
day on the job, boys! A good time for them, at the expense of the
buffalo, the ecosystem, and your tax dollars. Forcing the buffalo
down Duck Creek Road, they picked up a beautiful bull and forced him
into the haze. They pushed the four buffalo to the end of Duck Creek
Road then buzzed over to a neighborhood called Upper Bear Trap, where
a group of fourteen buffalo had taken refuge in a large patch of
grass near an unoccupied house. They were run down highway 191 and
up Duck Creek Road, joining the four others. The agents left and
returned with their snowmobiles to push the buffalo through the snow
and over the Park's border. The buffalo gave them a great challenge!
They would not easily submit to the whims of the agents. Buffalo
scattered throughout the lodgepole pines as agents raced around
trying to round them up. Agents fired cracker-rounds, hooted and
hollered, whining machines cutting through snow and running over baby
trees in our national forest. While the mechanical cowboys wreaked
havoc, a mom and a baby dodged the haze and tried to make their
escape back down Duck Creek Road. DOL and NPS agents stood in the
way with their big trucks, and, on foot, attempted to "shoo" the
buffalo back towards the haze. But the agents were scared and the
mom and baby were determined. The buffalo bolted past the trucks and
the two agents ran. The buffalo, running for their lives, were
quickly pursued by an agent on his obnoxious machine. Rounded up
like cattle, they were shoved through deep snow to join the others
who were being forced off of their land, into the box that man made.
BFC patrols documented everything. The operation, as always, was
ruthless and cruel, but the buffalo gave the agents a heck of a time.

As soon as the agents left, the buffalo began to make their way west
again. Nature intended for them to be free-roaming and buffalo will
go where buffalo will go. Today, they're heading along Duck Creek,
east, of their own accord and free will. We will be keeping a very
close eye on this group, because they are now in grave danger of
being captured and slaughtered.

In Gardiner, along Yellowstone's northern boundary, 300 buffalo are
still being held in the Stephens Creek trap by the Park Service. Our
Gardiner camp will remain until the buffalo are released. We are so
grateful to Mike and Kim who have been there since November, when the
buffalo hunt began, and, of course, George, who is always there for
the buffalo in Gardiner. Our 300 buffalo friends are being held
captive until Park employees feel enough grass has emerged for the
buffalo to be content within the Park's man-made border. As if they
know what buffalo want; all they do is prevent them from getting it,
and will kill them for trying! Captivity takes it's toll and Park
officials have reported a few stillbirths in the trap. It's likely
that these miscarriages come from the stress of crowded captivity.
While the 300 buffalo prisoners await their release, Park wranglers
continue to haze other groups of buffalo who choose to walk the land
of their ancestors. Much of the land immediately adjacent to the
Park is now privately-owned by people who are not yet willing to
co-exist with buffalo, even though they occupy part of North
America's largest wildlife migration corridor. The Church Universal
and Triumphant (CUT) still forbids wild buffalo from accessing
critical habitat. Nearly 900 buffalo have died because CUT insists
on raising less than 200 cattle on its land. It is these cattle that
the Park Service claims to be protecting through the slaughter of
nearly 1,000 bison.

But the tide is turning. On Tuesday evening the Gallatin Wildlife
Association (GWA) and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife &
Parks (FWP) held a meeting to discuss buffalo restoration in Montana.
Well, a speck of Montana, anyway - but it's a start! FWP, at the
urging of GWA, conducted an assessment for bison in the Upper
Gallatin River Drainage. It's not the Madison Valley, but it is good
habitat. There are many challenges afoot, most of these, of course,
workable with cooperation. The point is, the discussion is underway.
A year ago, a conversation like this would never have happened
outside of buffalo advocates. The tide is turning. Many thanks to
Glenn Hockett & the GWA for making this discussion happen. We are
seeing the change and the trail for the return of wild buffalo is
being blazed.

Roam Free,
~Stephany

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* BFC Patrols Certified to Help with Bison Highway Crossings

Among the buffalo's many challenges, as you know, are the highways.
As the spring migration flows, more buffalo will be along the roads
and in danger. Travellers are also in danger, because buffalo are
very big, don't run, and are nearly impossible to see at night. BFC
has always helped warn motorists of their presence. Last weekend,
some folks took an extra step by participating in a certified highway
flagger course. This certification will enable us to more
effectively and safely warn traffic of the presence of buffalo. Now
that we've got the training, we need the safety equipment to carry
out the service. If you can help us purchase any of the following
equipment, please email Stephany at bfc-media at wildrockies.org. Many
thanks for helping to keep the highways safe for buffalo and people!

BFC HIGHWAY SAFETY WISHLIST (ANSI/OSHA approved):
- (4) 48" x 48" "Buffalo Crossing" warning signs
- (4-8) retro-reflective safety vests
- (2) stop/slow paddles
- (4) flashlights with glow cones
- (4) 24" red, retro-reflective flags
- (4-8) retro-reflective hard hats

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* BFC Takes the Buffalo's Message to Washington, DC

BFC recently concluded a successful visit to Washington, DC that
included 35 meetings with Congressional staffers and a briefing on
Capitol Hill attended by many additional House staffers. Many thanks
to D.J. Schubert of the Animal Welfare Institute, Nancy Perry and
Lauren Silverman of the Humane Society of the United States, and
BFC's Marian Osher. Thanks also to Anne Georges of Rep. Maurice
Hinchey's office and Jennifer Warren of Rep. Charles Bass' office for
their continuing support of Yellowstone buffalo in the U.S. House of
Representatives.

Our efforts in Washington focused on two primary objectives. First,
we worked to educate Representatives on the current plight of the
buffalo and the need to provide them with immediate protections. We
demonstrated that the current bison management plan is failing to
meet its primary objectives while costing taxpayers millions of
dollars annually, with no end in sight to this wasteful and brutal
program. In asking for co-sponsorship of HR 2428, The Yellowstone
Buffalo Preservation Act, we illustrated how simple common sense
solutions coupled with a halt to the current hazing, capture and
slaughter regime would work toward a long-term resolution of this
ugly conflict.

We also engaged our Montana delegation in meetings with staff members
from the offices of Rep. Denny Rehberg, Senator Max Baucus, and
Senator Conrad Burns. The purpose of these meetings was to search
for common ground from which we might move forward toward a long-term
resolution. We could all agree that the current slaughter and this
ongoing controversy are not good for Montana. We attempted to
demonstrate that there are avenues by which Montana's prized
brucellosis-free status could be protected that include free roaming
wild buffalo in the Greater Yellowstone Area. While we certainly
didn't reach any momentous agreements, there was an indication that
paths toward a resolution are still open and achievable.

Overall, this year's trip to the halls of Congress was a positive
step toward an eventual resolution that will benefit wild buffalo for
future generations. This process never moves as quickly as we like,
but we must keep up the fight on all fronts if we are going to
succeed for the future of the buffalo. As Brock Evans, co-author of
the Endangered Species Act, likes to say, it's going to take "Endless
pressure, endlessly applied!"

Many thanks also go out to all of you who took the time to call or
write your Representative and Senators. During several meetings, we
learned that constituents had been calling in support of the buffalo
during the past weeks. This makes a considerable difference in
getting your Representative to take action and cosponsor HR 2428.
Please continue to keep up the pressure with Congress. Call or write
your Representative and Senators today! Visit:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html for more
information.

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* Send a Handcrafted Mother's Day Card and Protect the Yellowstone Bison!

May brings Springtime in Yellowstone! Warm sun, gentle rain.
Mountain bluebirds will stir the sky as the Earth dons her flowery,
green robe. A mother bison nuzzles her newborn, a knobby-kneed,
fuzzy, orange baby cuddled at her side. This beautiful scene repeats
itself throughout the park and its environs, a tribute to the
enduring force of nature and the mother-child bond.

The birth of a new generation of Yellowstone bison is all the more
poignant this year, when the herd has suffered such great injustice
and so many lives have been lost. Buffalo Field Campaign is here
throughout the darkest days and nights. But now we're ready to
celebrate the season of renewal, and we invite you to join us!

BFC will send a hand-made Mother's Day card to the recipient(s) of
your choice for a modest donation. For a minimum $10 contribution,
we'll send a 4-1/4"x 5-1/2" card; for a minimum $35 contribution,
we'll send a larger photo card. The sentiment in both reads:
"Springtime in Yellowstone...when mother bison nurture their newborn
calves in a timeless bond of love. Buffalo Field Campaign is here to
protect and defend them. A gift has been made in your honor by _____
to further this important work and to celebrate this special bond.
Happy Mother's Day!"

BFC Mother's Day cards are a great tribute to any and all the
important and nurturing women in your life (and perhaps a few men,
too!). But please order early--we'll time the mailing so the card
arrives close to Mother's Day, Sunday 14 May 2006. Order now through
Wednesday 3 May 2006. To order go to
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org, click the red "Donate Now"
button, then specify "Mother's Day Card" along with the name and
mailing address of the special person you wish it to be sent to.

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* Buffalo in the News

March 4, 2006 - Room to Roam: Freeing Yellowstone's Bison
Planet Jackson Hole (Wyoming)
http://www.planetjh.com/klobnak/klobnak_2006_03_01_buf.html

March 24, 2006 - Slow Down, No Matter What the Signs Say
West Yellowstone News (Montana)
http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2006/03/31/opinions/column1.txt

March 27, 2006 - Op-Ed by Monica RavenHeart
Printed in full in the Livingston Enterprise (Montana)
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/artthoughts/ravenheart.html

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* Last Words

"As they travel across their ancient lands
with wisdom and grace so grand,

their killers carry on their ignorant slaughter
with the innocent's blood upon their hands.

But it is the buffalo who ultimately will survive -
their magnificence and glory cannot be denied.

Ignorance and greed will one day vanish and
the killers are the ones who will be confined."

- An anonymous poem written on the label of "Prairie Land" handmade
olive oil soap
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--
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media at wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

BFC is the only group working in the field every day
to defend the last wild herd of buffalo in America.

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