Edifice Complex

NEW CENTER IS GRANDIOSE

But Not As Grand As Planned

.. Construction of the Old Faithful Visitors Center is progressing during the winter months.

Ten Year Visit

BAEZ TO PERFORM IN BOZEMAN

Get Your Tickets Friday

Only 700 Seats

.. After a 10 year absence, Joan Baez will return to Bozeman, Montana. The March concert will be held in the 720-seat auditorium in the Emerson Center for Arts and Culture.
.. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10:00 AM. {LINK}

Great Fun

CAMPING WITH

PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT

.. A bit of a good read. Traveling on the train, the Badlands, a couple of weeks in Yellowstone, and leave the secret service in Gardiner: good work if you can get it.
.. Just good fun! John Burroughs' trip to Yellowstone with his buddy Ted in the Spring of 1903. It's all about touring and not a single mention of "The Arch." Published in 1906 in The Atlantic.

MONEY QUOTES
We spent two weeks in the Park, and had fair weather, bright, crisp days, and clear, freezing nights. The first week we occupied three camps that had been prepared, or partly prepared, for us in the northeast corner of the Park, in the region drained by the Gardiner River, where there was but little snow, and which we reached on horseback.

The cougars, or mountain lions, in the Park certainly needed killing. The superintendent reported that he had seen where they had slain nineteen elk, and we saw where they had killed a deer, and dragged its body across the trail. Of course, the President would not now on his hunting trips shoot an elk or a deer except to "keep the camp in meat," and for this purpose it is as legitimate as to slay a sheep or a steer for the table at home.

It is curious how certain things go to the bad in the Far West, or a certain proportion of them,—bad lands, bad horses, and bad men. And it is a degree of badness that the East has no conception of:—land that looks as raw and unnatural as if time had never laid its shaping and softening hand upon it; horses that, when mounted, put their heads to the ground and their heels in the air, and, squealing defiantly, resort to the most diabolically ingenious tricks to shake off or to kill their riders; and men who amuse themselves in barrooms by shooting about the feet of a "tenderfoot" to make him dance, or who ride along the street and shoot at everyone in sight. Just as old plutonic fires come to the surface out there in the Rockies, and hint very strongly of the infernal regions, so a kind satanic element in men and animals—an underlying devilishness—crops out, and we have the border ruffian and the bucking broncho.

One night in camp he told us the story of one of his Rough Riders who had just written him from some place in Arizona. The Rough Riders, wherever they are now, look to him in time of trouble. This one had come to grief in Arizona. He was in jail. So he wrote the President, and his letter ran something like this:—
'DEAR COLONEL,—I am in trouble. I shot a lady in the eye, but I did not intend to hit the lady, I was shooting at my wife.'

.

.. Want to know more about John Burroughs? CLICK HERE.

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.

Atlas On Track

UNIVERSITY OF
OREGON LEADS EFFORT

Local & Regional Groups Involved

go get a coffee table
-------
(P.S. // HE'S Back)click on all images for detailed enlargement

.. As we reported last April, the Atlas Of Yellowstone is chugging toward completion in 2010.
.. From exploration to bison migration, from the 1988 fires to fish, and from invasive species to drainage basins, this atlas promises to be both a wonderful decoration for your coffee table, (go get one,) and a valuable resource for visitors.
.. The preview maps, thematic guidance, and table of contents reveal the depth of the project and also reflect the extensive expertise of our collaborating neighbors, ( Yellowstone National Park, the University of Wyoming, Montana State University, the Museum of the Rockies and Big Sky Institute at MSU, and the Draper Museum of Natural History at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyo.)
.. Four themes have guided the compilation of the atlas: 1] variations in time and space, 2] Yellowstone is connected, 3] Human-nature interactions, 4] The importance of Yellowstone.
.. We haven't heard of, or seen any indication that spectacular fishing localities are included - BUT, you never know.
.. The atlas is planned for 300 pages and offers exceptional GIS resources. A sneak peek of the maps are included in a gallery at the information site, [[ MAP GALLERY. ]] The Table of Contents [PDF] is worth browsing for those of you that anticipate a need, (desire,) for this volume.
.. And, if you would like to help the project along there is a place for your $$$$. Your name and contribution will be listed in the atlas as a friend of Yellowstone.

500 And Counting

A CALL FOR
BETTER UNDERSTANDING

If Possible

.. Consensus is that the recent earthquake swarm may or may not be significant: -- BUT WE NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. Read a cogent article HERE.

Under The Radar ?

HARMONIC TREMORS
HIDE METHANE NEWS

How Much Earth Shaking In Extraction ?

.. The hubub of the earthquake swarm in Yellowstone National Park has overshadowed the recent Bush decision that allows the possibility of over 18,000 natural gas wells in the Powder River Basin, (AP Story.)
.. This is a concern to the residents and others. Water, surface, geothermal, and other concerns are beginning to be focused on.
.. STAY TUNED.