Updates

Some News & Changes

RARE LENTICULAR CLOUD OVER FOUNTAIN RIDGE


YELLOWSTONE RECRUITING FOR 2013 YCC

-- Two month long sessions are being offered this year. Fifty youth will be recruited from around the nation. Live and learn in Yellowstone. Work and play in Yellowstone. Get paid for the experience.
-- Yellowstone's YCC Program recruits youth from all social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. Corps members work together under adult leadership to complete conservation projects such as rehabilitation of trails, campground restoration, and a wide variety of resource management and maintenance projects. Participants and staff develop their job and leadership skills while further exploring personal values, gaining self-esteem, expanding their awareness of work ethics, and learning firsthand about environmental and conservation issues. Corps members will also participate in evening and weekend recreational activities and discover the many options for careers in the National Park Service and other land management agencies.
News Release: HERE.
Information: HERE.

PROPOSED CAMPGROUND FEE INCREASE

-- Yellowstone National Park is seeking public comment on a proposal to increase the daily fee charged to stay in campgrounds operated by the National Park Service.
-- For the Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris campgrounds which have flush toilets, the daily fee would be increased from $14 to $20.
-- At Tower Fall, Lewis Lake, Indian Creek, Pebble Creek, and Slough (slew) Creek campgrounds which have vault toilets, the daily camping fee would go from $12 to $15.
-- Individuals who hold a Senior Pass or Access Pass would continue to receive a 50-percent discount on camping fees charged at these National Park Service operated campgrounds.
-- The Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant, and Madison campgrounds and the Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone are operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Daily camping fees at these sites range from $20.50 to $45.00. They would not be affected by this proposal.
News Release: HERE.
Comment HERE.

HYDROPOWER BACK IN YELLOWSTONE

-- More than a century after U.S. Army troops harnessed the power of flowing water to light Fort Yellowstone, the park is generating electricity from water again.
-- The new Mammoth micro hydro plant relies on naturally-occurring water dynamics. It captures energy from the water that flows approximately 560 feet downhill from the combined Gardner River, Panther Creek and Indian Creek water intakes on Swan Lake Flats to the existing storage reservoir at Mammoth's water treatment plant through an existing 12-inch pipe. A newly-installed generator and turbine rely on an average water flow volume of 4 cubic feet per second to produce electricity.
-- The new plant is expected to generate an average of 175 kilowatts of energy depending on the normal fluctuation of the water supply, though it is capable of producing up to 230 kilowatts. Based on an "up-time" of 80 percent (20 percent calculated for maintenance down time), that equates to more than 1.2 million kilowatt hours supplied to the park each year. The new technology also allows for this fully sustainable energy source to be synchronized directly with Northwestern Energy's electric grid, providing a savings to the park's electrical bill of approximately $73,000 annually.
News Release: HERE.

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Winter Use Reports

DRAFT REPORTS

Comment Now

Old Snowcoaches nosiest
THE MONEY QUOTE

"The majority of these higher sound levels were
caused by old technology snowcoaches.
Sounds from both visitor and administrative
oversnow vehicles were included in this study."

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.. The 2009 draft reports for winter use are out. You can find them at: WINTER USE TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS. The two draft reports cover: noise, air pollution, wildlife reactions, and other issues.
.. Now that the commercial four stroke snowmobile fleet is quieter than old snowcoaches we anticipate that the winter use discussion will focus on the impact to animals generated by the concentrated mass of vehicles mandated by grouping sleds together in 'guided' tours.
.. There will probably not be much change in the stance of the traditional litigants in the winter use debate. Sadly there is entrenchment by all parties and they are still using both old data and misinformation in the public debates and harangues.
.. Arguments against snowmobiles are still focused on 2-stroke pollution & pictures that are over a decade old. Arguments for Bombardier snowcoaches ignore the crowded & restrictive nature of the experience and their decibel levels; both inside and outside of the vehicle.
.. The Acoustic Ecology Institute has followed the noise of sleds in the park and found similar results to the NPS studies.
.. In addition to the noise issue there is data that suggest that the current snowmobile fleet is even cleaner than the "BAT" snowcoaches, (LINK.) this data was produced two years ago and has only been used in court cases - not the public debates in the press.
.. A recent article in the Deseret News points out the kinds of arguments being used. The sad part of the whole debate is that enormous amounts of park monies and resources are being squandered defending and reiterating the "SCIENCE" that is misinterpreted.
.. This emotional battle is being fought along lines drawn in the snow by parties with vested interests so diverse that it promises to continue for another decade or more.

Busy Beavers

GROWTH IN RESOURCES

YNP Web Site Goodies

nice work guys
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.. In the every expanding website for Yellowstone National Park is a section on "Publications Related To Yellowstone." From information on campgrounds to the Associated Tribes this resource gives a list of publications available for online consultation.
.. Most of the publications are in PDF format. One excellent, (and very large,) map of the park can be found HERE, this is the same map you receive when you enter the park.
.. Other resources include: Bison Natural History, Where are the Bloomin' Wildflowers?, Yellowstone and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Exploring the History of Yellowstone National Park with John Colter.
.. Of course there are many other resources listed about the geology and biology and other topics relating to Yellowstone National Park. Many of these resources have existed previously on the site - it's nice to see them in a single place.
.. This page provides an excellent starting point for visitors and allows information to be appreciated prior to visiting the park.
.. Thanks go to the staff for keeping the site dynamic, and pertinent.

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click on image for large size

Giant Privy

THE LATEST IN BIG ATTRACTIONS

The Mammoth Restroom

Sell Yellowstone ?

FOLLOW THE BRITS EXAMPLE ?

What's It Worth ?

.. An interesting article in Time, (on line,) poses the possibility that the U.S.A. could sell government owned assets to bail out the economy and save the "American Way Of Life."
.. The British are planning to sell the Royal Mint and the National Mapping Agency. America could generate at least 20% of the cost of the new stimulus package by selling all the National Parks.
.. So, what is Yellowstone National Park worth? Time figures that it should go for about $4 billion. Perhaps there could be a bidding war between the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific like the good ol' days.
.. Now then, when the parks are all gone, what should we sell to cover the other 80% of the massive debt?

Care To Browse ?

MSU ON FLICKR

Just A Sample

use the virtual finder

.. The personal, professional, and family photography collections of Frank Jay Haynes are again seeing the light of day - electronically.
.. Frank J. Haynes was the official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railroad and Yellowstone National Park.
.. Many of photographs were received by Montana State University with the donation of the Haynes family papers by Isabel May (Nauerth) Haynes in 1977.
.. The collection includes more than 5000 photographs, collectively referred to as the Haynes Family Collections.
.. The photograph collection was divided between the University and the Montana Historical Society in 1978 with the MHS receiving the bulk of the negatives and other items.
.. The Montana State University Library has a PRO FLICKR ACCOUNT with four excerpted image collections currently posted. The recently posted Haynes collection has 60 photos in the photostream.
.. The FLICKR images appear to be free from copyright limitations, although not necessarily free from third party restrictions. These are down-loadable under a creative commons license in many sizes.

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.. A complete catalog of the images in the collection, (most have been digitized,) is also available through the Montana State Library web site at: Haynes Family Photographs (Collection 1507). [Repository: Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections at Montana State University Libraries.]
.. This catalog indexes the collection of 19 boxes, including original metal boxes, and is categorized in substantially chronological order, with topical subdivisions.
.. For the Haynes Family scholar, the collection contains a wealth of information about family, friends, trips, interests, and activities.
.. For those interested in Yellowstone National Park, the collection is an invaluable record of architecture, environment, policy, presidential visitation, tourism, transportation, and just plain-ol'-nostalgia.
.. If you've got the time and a good Internet connection, the browse is well worth the effort. We thank the Montana State University Library for this effort. We also appreciate the concern of the Haynes Family in making the images available to the interested public.

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.. Here's the catalog and links for the complete collection:

Contents

19 boxes

Series 1: Haynes Family, 1878-1965; Boxes 1-3, Box 4, files 1-14

Subseries 1: F. Jay Haynes Family, 1878-ca.1925

Subseries 2: Nauerth Family, 1885-1911

Subseries 3: Jack E. Haynes, 1885-1960

Subseries 4: Isabel M. Haynes, 1900-ca.1930

Subseries 5: Lida Haynes, 1932-1954

Subseries 6: Haynes Family, 1929-1961

Subseries 7: Haynes' Friends, ca.1920-ca.1965

Series 2: Yellowstone National Park, 1866-1963; Box 4, files 15-42, Boxes 5-6

Subseries 1: YNP Photographs, 1883-1963

Subseries 2: Greater Yellowstone Area and the "West", 1866-ca.1960

Subseries 3: Collection 1504 Separated Photographs, 1882-1963

Subseries 4: Unnamed Features in YNP, n.d.

Series 3: Oversized Photographs, 1884-1961; Box 7, Box 8, files 1-17

Subseries 1: Haynes Family and Friends, 1890-1961

Subseries 2: Other Topics, 1884-1961

Series 4: Pictorial Items, ca.1870-1920; Box 8, files 18-27, Box 9-13

Subseries 1: Detroit Photographic Company chromolithographs, ca.1870-ca.1910

Subseries 2: Prints, Haynes and others, 1870-1920

Subseries 3: Charles M. Russell reproductions, n.d.

Subseries 4: Haynes waterfall prints, hand-tinted, n.d.

Subseries 5: F. Jay Haynes Cabinet and Boudoir Photographs, ca.1883-

Series 5: Photograph Albums, 1890-1969; Box 14, 14A-18

Subseries 1: Disbound Albums, ca.1905-ca.1952

Subseries 2: Bound Albums, 1890-1969

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ANS WORKING GROUP FORMED

GREATER YELLOWSTONE
COORDINATING COMMITTEE
FORMS ANS WORKING GROUP

Our Neighbors Are Great

.. The formal announcement of this action oriented working group can be found at Protect Your Waters. We salute the concern and selfless efforts of all involved. Here's the full text.

. . . . The Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) is a global asset that is treasured for its natural beauty, geological wonders, biological diversity and plethora of recreational opportunities. People from all over the world visit the GYA to enjoy its natural wonders and resources. The GYA is the headwaters for three major river systems that are of immeasurable economic importance to the United States.

The unique ecological and economic values of the GYA are now being threatened by aquatic invaders, or aquatic nuisance species (ANS). These non-native mussels, plants, snails, and other introduced species have the potential to severely impact the region’s ecosystem, tourism, agriculture, hydropower, and businesses.

To better combat these invaders, Federal, state, and county agencies have partnered with organizations, outfitters, and businesses to protect the GYA from ANS, by creating a working group of the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee. The value of this unified approach includes the pooling of resources, knowledge, and energy as well as avoiding the duplication of efforts. This approach moves government entities to a proactive approach that empowers individuals and harnesses the power of the private sector to change behaviors. This collaborative group has prepared a strategic plan and is developing an accompanying implementation plan. Their goals are to:

• Prevent new introductions of ANS into waters of the GYA.
• Limit the spread of established populations of ANS into uninfested waters.
• Abate harmful ecological, socioeconomic and public health and safety impacts resulting from infestations of ANS within the GYA.
• Provide a cooperative environment that encourages coordinated activities among all interested parties throughout the GYA.

Key action items include survey, research, outreach/education, and control. Surveying for ANS in and around the GYA will provide essential insight into existing conditions. This element of the implementation plan is currently under-funded and the group is seeking funds to accomplish it with a GYA-wide approach.

ANS pose an immediate threat to the waters of the GYA. All those involved recognize that everyone who lives, works, or plays in the GYA needs to work cooperatively to prevent the spread of ANS.

For more information on how to get involved to protect the GYA from ANS, please contact the Chair of the GYA-Wide ANS Working Group, James Capurso (Caribou-Targhee National Forest) at 208-557-5780.

Norton's Revenge

QUICK AND DIRTY

Look Out Utah

arches in peril

.. The Bush Administration is doing with a stroke of the pen what Gale Norton tried to do within the system -- and failed.
.. Big Oil is working hard these last few days of the present administration. Look for more to come.
.. Read it HERE.

What Does Yellowstone Want ??

CELL TOWERS IN NEWS AGAIN

And Some Other Stuff

.. Once upon a time the National Park Service loved cell phone towers and held secret meetings to plan how to put them in Yellowstone National Park. The Sierra Club noted in January of 2005 that the NPS was seeking revenue streams of all kinds and that cell phones and their towers could provide it.

.. The minutes of the secret meeting were "outed" by PEER on April 8, 2004, and finally made it to "My Space" on May 3, 2006, and much discussion ensued in the press and the blogs. The NPS was happy to join the discussion because it ignored the revenue issue. It seemed that the issue was settled and it faded from the radar.
.. Now there is a proposed tower, on private property, that the NPS is objecting to on grounds that it's visibility is detrimental to the Yellowstone Experience - of course they are not daring to mention that it will generate no revenue for the park.
.. An article by Brodie Farquhar in the October 24, 2007 issue of the Casper Star Tribune details the supposed concerns of the NPS. Suzanne Lewis is advocating political action by park employees to change the siting of the tower. She wrote them a memo with instructions about how to oppose the non-revenue-producing tower.
.. Of course in her letter to Alltel, on October 16, Lewis used the same objections to the proposed tower that critics used after the park illegally placed their tower at Old Faithful. Just plain whimsy on the part of a park with neither real concern or consistency. Bushgreenwatch posted a note about the concern back in April of 2004. It seems that the intrusion into the Old Faithful viewshed by a cell phone tower is just fine if it's done for monetary gain by the NPS, but it's not a good thing for the Roosevelt Arch viewshed if the NPS doesn't make money.
.. Back in May of 2006, Rita Beamish, again in the Casper Star Tribune noted that the National Park Service wanted an industry-wide plan for the lowest impact. Of course this meant on park properties with revenue for the parks.
.. It is also noteworthy that the NPS has allowed towers and facilities on Bunsen Peak for their own use for many years.
.. For those interested in the way the NPS does business these days, the following links should be interesting:
--- Letter from Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of PEER, to Earl Devaney, Inspector General, seeking an explanation of the secret meeting to site towers and provide revenues to the NPS (PDF).
--- List of those attending the illegal meeting of March 31, 2005. Includes email addresses and minutes of meeting. [Compare to 'notes' below.] (PDF.)
--- Notes by unidentified NPS employee from that secret meeting on 30/31/05 (PDF).
--- Cell phone coverage map from the 1999 Environmental Assessment for predicted coverage (PDF).
--- Simple view from National Parks Conservation Association.

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Some Other Stuff

.. Visitation figures for September are up compared to a year ago.
.. Fried Trout A La Maytag, from a new Yellowstone cookbook.
.. A Late Afternoon, Mid-October Snowstorm On The Madison River.
.. Streaming Web Cam Gets Narration - OHMYGAWD IT'S BAD.

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Dirk & The Dodo

THE RUBBER DODO COMES HOME TO ROOST

.. The Center for Biological Diversity has presented their first annual Rubber Dodo award to Dirk Kempthorne.

READ IT HERE

GRIST REPORTS IT HERE

TALK TO DIRK HERE

Yellowstone's Hidden Web Pages

DIFFERENT PORTALS FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

+++++++++++++++++++

.. Just a few places that you may not have seen because you tried to explore the official web site through conventional channels:
-- Old Faithful Visitor Education Center,
-- Videos Of Upper Geyser Basin,
-- YNP Offers Fly Fishing Program For Women
-- Anatomy of a Cone Geyser,
-- Yellowstone Fisheries Fund,
-- Artist Sketches of spaces in Proposed Old Faithful Visitor Education Center,
.. These are just a few of the "official" but hidden spaces on the "official" YNP Web Page. More to come.
.. By the way, here's what the visitor center looks like right now.

Yellowstone Web Site Expansion

SOME NEW NEWS & SOME OLD NEWS
increased access to information

.. The continual upgrading of Yellowstone's Web site has reached the point of maturity. One excellent section, "PHOTOS & MULTIMEDIA," was updated last week to include some new and some old content.
.. Here are some changes and additions:
INSIDE YELLOWSTONE, short videos on park features and processes,
YELLOWSTONE IN DEPTH, longer video features,
YELLOWSTONE RESOURCE WORKSHOP - 2005, video of this meeting ans sessions,
WILDLIFE SAFETY VIDEO, shows elk goring visitor,
THIS SEASON IN YELLOWSTONE, changed from this month in Yellowstone, now discontinued - photos,
GUIDE TO ONLINE VIDEOS, long list of topics and images,
WHAT'S NEW, finally a way to keep updated,
And the ever popular ROAD CONSTRUCTION DELAYS & CLOSURES.
.. One useful addition that was added a couple of months ago is the PUBLICATIONS page. Many of the longer documents are in PDF but this resource is valuable for those wanting some in-depth insights into the topics covered. An interesting publication from this page is the Superintendents Compendium (that lists the special designations, closures, public use limits, permit requirements and other restrictions imposed under the discretionary authority of the Superintendent.)

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.. It looks like Yellowstone National Park is going to "officially" ignore the return of the yellow buses in it's press releases. Well, we found out anyway.

New Web Rangers Site

VIRTUAL WORLD ALLOWS KIDS TO RANGE
Get Your Own Desk & Ranger Station
sign up now

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.. There is a new WEB RANGER site for kids of all ages. The National Park Service has rolled out the new Web Rangers site, and it is worth a visit. You can read the announcement here. The old site will be available for a limited time and you can find it here. You can find out about the program here.
.. There are some differences in the two sites, most notably personalization. This requires the users to register & The National Park Service to set 'cookies' on your computer to track the session and progress of the child through activities and puzzles and awards. You can read about the cookies and the NPS Privacy Policy for this site here.
.. There is an English version, and a Spanish version of the new site. The NPS seems to have created their own version of "MY SPACE" for the kids. As stated:

"The most exciting addition is that kids from around the world will be able to post their own pictures and stories about their parks experiences in a moderated setting. This peer-to-peer sharing holds tremendous promise for civic engagement on a global scale. The new site will build a community of kids excited about their national park legacy and get them up and out to see these places for themselves."

.. This is probably a good thing and it's a product of Best Buy Retail Stores in partnership with the National Park Foundation.
.. Nowhere on the site did we find games or activities that referred to 'back-stabbing in-fighting,' 'stonewalling the public,' 'planning for snowmobiles,' delisting threatened or endangered species,' 'political appointees,' or 'verbal misdirection.' Perhaps the NPS should take a peek at this virtual world and learn.

Spring Road-Plowing Announced

nps photo

PLOWING TO START MARCH 4
SYLVAN PASS Draft ASSESSMENT
Read The Yellowstone "BUSINESS PLAN"

.. The National Park Service has announced the schedule for clearing the roads for the summer season. This process takes time and the weather makes the posted schedule problematic, Check the Yellowstone Road Page for more accurate information. Or, Call park headquarters at (307) 344-7381.

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Starting 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 4, roads from Mammoth to Norris will be closed:
Then the closure of Norris to Madison and Norris to Canyon at 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 6. Remaining roads will close to over the snow vehicles at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.

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Roads will open again to vehicles on Friday, April 20, from Mammoth to Old Faithful; Madison to the West Entrance; and Norris to Canyon.
Roads from Canyon to Lake, and from Lake to the East Entrance are scheduled to open Friday, May 4;
Lake to the South Entrance, and West Thumb to Old Faithful, Tower to Tower Fall on Friday, May 11; and Tower Fall to Canyon over Dunraven Pass on Friday, May 25.

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.. The Draft Avalanche Report for Sylvan Pass press release is available at the Yellowstone National Park web site. The full report is available HERE (PDF). The report says that there will be no changes to travel through Sylvan Pass.

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The Yellowstone National Park Business Plan is an interesting, (and lengthy document,) it can be accessed HERE (PDF). For a glimpse into the thought process of people planning the future of Yellowstone check the sections: PRIORITIES & STRATEGIES - Park Goals, and LOOKING FORWARD. This is a glorified budget request and justification. Note the Biz Buzz and words like "JUSTIFICATION" & "PUBLIC."

Winter Is Popular in Yellowstone

NUMBERS UP FROM LAST YEAR

.. According to the National Park Service Public Use Statistic Office, December 2006 snowmobile visitors totaled 6,049 as compared to 5,507 in December 2005 for a 9.8 percent increase. In the same report snowcoach vistorship dropped from 4,266 in December 2005 to 4,106 in 2006 for a decrease of 3.8 percent.
.. SnoWest notes that: ". . . the major increase in snowmobile visitors was at the South Gate which had a 22.3 percent increase. The West Gate, which historically is the most active, had snowmobile vistorship increase of 7.8 percent in December."
.. For an excellent summary of the legal history of the winter use plan see the review in OMB WATCH. And for those with a bent for visual reporting FocusWest has an excellent copileation of T.V. spots from various perspectives.

Rave Reviews From Complimentary Trips

THE JOY IS OVERWHELMING WHEN IT'S FREE
There's No Joy At Pahaska Tepee
there's less joy at the epa
Librarian Write Book About Discovery

.. It's an annual occurance. In this town it's called "Manipulate The Press."
.. Now that the press is getting it's free tours in Yellowstone the praise is flowing like heated maple syrup. As snowcoach operators load their antique vehicles with rich tourists and the fifth estate there is a flood of "positive" articles overwhelming the media.
.. Watch for even more to come. The Bozeman Chronicle is getting their free tour as you read this. There will be waxing poetic and joy will abound. Praise will gush and all will be right with the world.

Here are things to watch for as you read between the lines:
-- The windows fogged up so bad that the park couldn't be seen.
-- The heater was so bad that we had to wrap ourselves in blankets.
-- The bus was so noisy that I needed Excedrin.
-- The guides were sweet and nice (because they work for tips.)
-- They said it was too cold to get out of the bus.
-- We saw many other people at the same places we stopped.
-- The experience was wonderful, (after all it was free.)
-- We bounced around so much my bladder burst.
-- The guides are so smart; they took us to the exact places they wanted to go.

.. Some glowing reports have already started to emerge:
NBC News, Idaho: "You got to see wildlife, and you were inside, so you were warm. It was a little noisy, but other than that, cool!"
NBC News, Idaho: "Park activities like ice skating and cross country skiing were cancelled for some of the day because of a severe cold weather advisory."
Crosswalk: "Yes, just as I stood and waited in awe for Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, I will wait in anticipation for God to show Himself faithful in my life."

_________________

.. National Public Radio has tried to play the story straight, and done a pretty good job of it. But, then again, they went to the park for free in a bus. And they might have gotten their facts a bit mixed up because they were whispering all the time.
.. The EPA has suggested that the National Park Service is ignoring their own guidelines with their current thinking. The EPA only reviewed the current draft - the one that refused to consider the unsafe modes of transportation. Read about it in the Billings Gazette.

_________________

.. Kim Allen Scott, special collections librarian at Montana State University’s Renne Library, has written a book about Gustavus Doane who was a soldier, inventor, author and explorer & felt he should be famous for “discovering” Yellowstone National Park. Perhaps his time has come. Read the story HERE. Read the NPS version HERE.